Tunisian Shakshuka

La storia di questo piatto

La Chakchouka è figlia del Maghreb bruciato dal sole, nata nei mercati di Tunisi dove i peperoni rossi si ammassano come gemme sulle bancarelle e l'harissa è la lingua madre del desiderio. È un piatto che porta in sé la memoria dei nomadi berberi, il fumo delle cucine a legna, la generosità senza cerimonie di un popolo che nutre l'anima prima ancora del corpo.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Red and yellow bell peppers
• 600 g Ripe tomatoes
• 2 medium Onions
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 8 pieces Eggs
• 2 tablespoons Tunisian harissa
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 80 ml Olive oil
• q.b. to taste Salt and black pepper
• 1 handful Fresh cilantro

Preparazione

1. Cut the peppers into strips approximately 1 cm thick. Cut the tomatoes into large chunks, roughly the size of a walnut. Slice the onions into thin slices and peel the garlic, then crush it with the side of your knife or chop it coarsely. Pour the oil into a wide skillet and heat over medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. You'll know they're ready when they become transparent (you can see through them), when they smell intensely fragrant, and when the edges begin to turn golden. They should be soft but not blackened: this takes about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the harissa and ground cumin directly to the soffritto. Stir continuously with a spoon for 1-2 minutes without stopping, scraping well along the bottom of the skillet. You'll smell the spice aromas rise strongly and the pan will begin to smell intensely warm and spicy. This step 'awakens' the flavors of the spices and distributes them throughout the soffritto.
3. Add the sliced peppers to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon. The peppers are ready when they become soft to the touch and their color becomes darker and opaque (less shiny). At this point, add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring gently. You'll see the sauce become creamier and redder, and the vegetables will begin to release their liquids. Finally, taste a spoonful of sauce and add salt and pepper until the flavor satisfies you.
4. Lower the heat to medium-low. Take the back of a spoon and gently create 8 small spaces or wells in the vegetable mixture, distributing them evenly across the skillet. Break one egg at a time and let it slide into each well: try to keep the yellow yolk intact in the center. After adding all the eggs, cover the skillet with a lid (aluminum foil works too). Cook for 6-8 minutes: the yolks are ready when you touch them gently and they bounce slightly and become slightly opalescent (the yellow color becomes opaque). The whites around them should be completely white and not transparent.
5. Turn off the heat. Generously sprinkle the entire surface with finely chopped fresh cilantro. Bring the skillet directly to the table still hot and steaming: the steam rising up is part of the show! Serve with warm toasted bread: use it to collect the fragrant sauce remaining at the bottom of the pan, which is the tastiest part.