Shakshouka

Ingredients

• 5 small tomatoes
• 5 eggs
• 1 white onion, peeled
• chives
• cumin
• powdered sweet pepper

Method

Blanch the tomatoes for 90 seconds in boiling water, then shock them in ice water. The heat denatures the pectin in the skin, making it slip away cleanly. Peel them, halve, deseed (discard the watery centres — they'll dilute your sauce), and cut the flesh into rough 2 cm cubes.

Dice the onion into 5 mm pieces. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan (cast iron or stainless steel, 30 cm diameter) over medium-high heat with a glug of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and the edges turn translucent. This alliums|allium sweetening is critical — raw onion will dominate the dish. Add the tomato cubes and stir to combine. Season generously with cumin and paprika, grinding both fresh if possible; powdered spices from a tin older than six months lose their volatile oils and flatten the flavour. The tomatoes will release their liquid immediately — let them simmer, uncovered, for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You're aiming for a sauce that's thickened noticeably but still loose enough to poach eggs into; it should coat the back of a spoon but run off it slowly. If it's too thin, the eggs will sink and scramble. If it's too thick, they'll sit proud and bake instead of poaching|poaching.

Make five small wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon, spacing them evenly. Crack an egg directly into each well — the yolk will settle into the sauce, the white will start to set from the residual heat. Season each egg with a pinch of salt and a crack of black pepper. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 6–8 minutes. The eggs are ready when the whites are opaque and set but the yolks still wobble slightly when you nudge the pan. If you prefer them firmer, cover for another 2 minutes.

Scatter chopped chives across the surface just before serving. The raw onion bite cuts through the richness of the yolk and tomato.