Method

Chop the onion and heat a frying pan with 2 tbsp of oil. Add the onions to the pan and cook them low and slow (I cook them for as long as I can without them burning). When softened, add the spices in. Mix in the spices and 1 tbsp olive oil until it forms a deep rich colour almost like a paste.

Add in the garlic clove and continue to cook for a minute or two then stir in the tomato puree.

Meanwhile, chop the roasted peppers into small pieces and on another chopping board, slice the sausages into bite size pieces. Add the sausage into the pan to brown then after a little while add the peppers in too.

Add a can of chopped tomatoes to the pan. Crumble in half a stock cub and stir well so it’s throughly mixed. You may want to add more of the stock cube depending on taste.

Simmer for 10-15 mins until the consistency is quite thick and the excess water has evaporated.

You want the consistency to be quite thick and not watery. I recommend using a good quality can of chopped tomatoes. If your mixture does end up quite watery then just reduce the mixture for longer.

Pre-heat the grill to a high heat.

When your mixture is almost ready, make four little pockets in the mixture. Break an egg into each of these. Season the top of each egg and leave to cook for 5 minutes.

If you’ve made your shakshuka in an oven proof pan then place under the grill for the final 3 minutes to cook the top of the eggs. If not, then place a lid over the top and cook for a further 4 minutes.

When the egg white is cooked but the yolks still runny, remove from the heat.

Serve with bread/pitta and sprinkle some parsley on top for garnish.

Enjoy!

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 230°C.

In batches, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until a finely chopped consistency. Add all the mushrooms into a bowl along with 2 tbsp of olive oil and salt. Spread the mixture out on a large baking tray lined with baking paper and roast for 20 minutes on the top shelf, stirring once half way through cooking time.

Meanwhile, add the dried porchini mushrooms and chilli flakes to a bowl and cover with stock. Cover and set to one side until they’re soft.

Chop the onion finely and add to a pan with 1 tbsp of olive oil then cover to sweat for 10 minutes. Add in the cumin seeds and cook for further 2 minutes before adding in the ginger garlic paste and fresh chilli (keep some aside to sprinkle on the eggs later). Cook for 5 more minutes with the lid on.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes to the food processor and blitz. Add to the same pan as the onion, take the lid off and cook until all the water has evaporated.

Next, drain the dried mushrooms being careful to remove any excess water. Chop the mushrooms finely and set aside.

Once the water from the tomato mixture has evaporated, add the rehydrated mushrooms and roast mushrooms to the pan along with the garam masala, turmeric, salt and plenty of pepper. Stir to combine and keep on a low heat until ready to serve.

Slice the bread and toast in batches. Whilst you’re doing this, chop the spring onion and set aside with the remaining green chilli to sprinkle on the eggs later.

Warm a frying pan over a high heat and add a little oil. Gently crack the eggs into the hot pan (in batches if necessary). Whilst the egg white is cooking sprinkle the spring onion, green chilli and a little cracked pepper over the egg whites.

During the cooking of the eggs, assemble the base. Lightly butter the toast slices and pile a generous heap of the mushroom mixture on top.

When the egg whites are cooked but the yolk is still runny carefully slide the egg on top of your mushroom toast stacks.

Sprinkle a little coriander on top and serve hot.

Method

Boil a pan of water, when it reaches boiling point add the eggs. Quickly bring to the boil again and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and plunge the eggs into cold water for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the lamb, cooked bulgur wheat, garlic, parsley and baharat to a large bowl. Season the mixture generously and combine really well. Best to get your hands in to ensure the ingredients are distributed evenly.

At this point, prepare some plates/bowls for the next few steps. Measure the flour on to a plate and season. In a new bowl, add the beaten eggs and season those too. And in a third plate/bowl, add the breadcrumbs (I think some dukkah might be nice to add in with the breadcrumbs next time I do this).

Next, peel the eggs then roll them in the flour. Tap of any excess flour then start wrapping the meat around the outside of the egg. Trying to maintain 1 cm thick all around the egg. This is important for even cooking. Do this for each egg.

When each egg has its meaty wrapper, roll in a layer of flour (tapping off any excess), then roll in the egg, and lastly in the breadcrumbs. Put them on a plate and set aside until you’re ready to cook.

Heat a frying pan with a good few glugs of vegetable oil. I’ve chosen to shallow fry these but you could deep-fry or oven cook them if you wish. When the oil is hot, add two of the scotch eggs. Rotating the eggs so they’re brown and crispy on all sides. You want to make sure the inner parts of the meat is cooked through which is why I only add two to the pan at the same time. Adding all the scotch eggs may bring the temperature of the oil down which will slow cooking times.

Best served hot and with a drizzle of tahini yoghurt.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and start boiling a pan of water on the hob.

Cut the baby aubergines into quarters lengthways so they become aubergine fingers. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle over the sumac, salt and pepper and mix it all together so everything is coated.

Cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until browned and a little crispy around the edges. Remember to toss the aubergines half way through cooking.

Meanwhile, add the eggs into a boiling pan of water and put a timer on for 7 minutes. I cook them for 7 minutes in boiling water to get fudgy eggs (sticky centre but the white is cooked through).

Whilst the eggs are cooking, you can start preparing the pickled red onion. Slice the onion into very thin half moons and put them in a small bowl. Add the white wine vinegar, a little table salt and the sugar. Mix well and leave to one side.

To make the dressing, add the tahini and yoghurt together mixing well so the sauce is smooth and velvety. Then add the lemon juice and season to taste. Adjust ingredients to your liking.

When the eggs are done, remove from pan and run them under cold water to stop further cooking. Leave them to cool for a moment whilst you prepare the salad.

For the salad, slice the tomatoes into quarters and scoop out the seeds, then cut the tomatoes into smaller 1.5cm pieces and add to a bowl. Add the chickpeas, artichokes, finely chopped parsley, and the cumin. Season and give it a stir. Put the bowl aside.

By now the eggs should be cool, so peel the eggs and cut into quarters lengthways.

When the aubergine is ready it can come out of the oven. Whilst they cool, toast the pittas and cut them into strips.

To assemble the sabich, mix the aubergines in with the chickpea salad and plate along with the pitta and the egg. Crumble over the feta and generously spoon over the tahini sauce, scatter with the fresh oregano and add the pickled red onion to the top.

Enjoy!

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Start by combining the flour, baking powder, eggs, miso paste, mirin and rice wine vinegar in a large bowl to make a batter. Whisk until smooth and there are no more lumps and season.

Shred the cabbage finely and add into the bowl with the batter. Slice the mushrooms and chop two of the spring onions and add to the bowl. Give the mixture a good stir so everything has an even coating of the batter.

Add the kale to a roasting tin, generously season with salt and pepper and apply oil spray. Toss the kale and put in the oven for 10 minutes until crispy but not too brown.

Heat up the sesame oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Pour in the mixture and spread out until it fills the frying pan. Fry for 8-10 minutes on one side then flip. I find flipping it out onto a plate then sliding it back into the frying pan the easiest way to do this. Cook for a further 5 minutes (depending how thick your okonomiyaki is). Whilst the bottom side is cooking smear an even layer of BBQ sauce on top of the okonomiyaki. 

When ready, transfer to a plate. Drizzle over the mayonnaise and top with the crispy kale and the other spring onion. Serve immediately.