Chakchouka by Ally McGrath of Osso Restaurant in Peebles

I’ve got to admit, I found this recipe in a book years ago, and I think it’s been on menus everywhere I’ve been – which speaks volumes about just how delicious this dish is!
Chakchouka is so good that on occasion, we have even brought it to the market stalls
with us; we fill a pie shell rather than a pot, but treat it the exact same way. 

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients: Serves 4

2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ red chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds, roasted then crushed
2 red peppers, sliced finely
2 yellow peppers, sliced finely
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
227g chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. dried oregano
A pinch of saffron
4 eggs
2 tbsps flat leaf parsley, shredded
2 tbsps mint, shredded
Salt and pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2 In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, chilli and cumin. Fry for
4-5 minutes, stirring from time to time until you get a light brown colour.
3 Add the peppers and pomegranate molasses and
stir well. The mixture will caramelise quickly, so keep stirring for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and saffron and season lightly. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
4 Split the mixture into 4 small oven proof dishes - or one large one - and make a small hole in
the middle. Break an egg into each hole, and place the dishes into the oven. If the pepper mixture is cold, it will take
around 10 minutes to heat
right through and cook the egg, but depending on how you like your eggs cooked you might like to leave it for a minute or two more. 
5 Once your egg is ready, sprinkle over the herbs and
use a splash of olive oil before serving. 

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