Slow Sunday doesn’t mean slobby Sunday, but it could mean Shakshouka Sunday!

It’s the first Sunday in February, perfect for a slow Sunday. Which for me and Jake usually means still starting the day by 8am, but taking our time over a coffee, a stroll and ideally, something tasty for brunch. It’s about doing things slowly, taking time, and enjoying the small things. It’s not about sleeping in a lazing around. And speaking of enjoying the small things, these moments in life are what I like to call small joys. 

Enter Shakshouka. A small joy and the perfect dish for a slow Sunday brunch.

Is it Moroccan, is it Turkish, is it Yemeni? Frankly, is it even Shakshouka or Shakshuka? In truth, no-one really knows, what I do know is it’s bloody delicious and the perfect brunch recipe for a slow Sunday. 

Now I am not joking when I say that the origins of this dish are a little mysterious. It did originate in Ottoman North Africa (although exactly where is debated), around the mid-16th century, after tomatoes were first introduced to the region, as part of the Columbian exchange, and you can read a lot more about that right here, if you’re interested, because the history of Shakshouka isn’t really the topic of this post. Slow Sundays and small joys are the remit here.

What Shakshouka actually is, apart from a super delicious small joy, is essentially a baked egg dish. Not only that, but it’s super easy to make (I make no assertions of being a good cook) and even better, it’s all done in just one pan, another small joy and the hallmark of all my favourite recipes. It starts with onions, red peppers and garlic, plus a few spices - but be careful with the cayenne pepper!

I speak from experience. 

We added a touch too much which while only enhanced the flavour for Jake (an extra spicy small joy for him), it left me with a running nose and eyes, which while not detrimental to the flavour, definitely wasn’t ideal from the point of view of eating - but hey, we’ll know better next time.

After the spices are in, tomato puree, tinned toms and a splash of water join the mix to simmer down for around 10 minutes, ready for little wells to be made in the sauce for the eggs. Once the eggs are in, cover the pan and simmer for between 3 to 10 minutes depending on if you want runny or hard yolks. We wanted soft yolks… so for some reason we decided on a 6 minute simmer, which of course made hard yolks. Thankfully, it didn’t spoil the eating experience and if nothing else, it means we have another good excuse to make it again soon!

When the eggs are done, chuck in some crumbled feta cheese, add some extra parsley to serve, and a small dollop of natural yoghurt - or a large dollop if you’ve gone big on the cayenne and there you have it, one of the tastiest breakfast or brunch dishes ever. 

Why is this even a blog topic I am writing about? Well there are a couple of reasons. One, simply because I really enjoyed the dish and I think that reason alone makes it worth sharing. It’s a dish I’ve tried a few times before in various restaurants, but this was the first time I’ve ever made it myself.

Two, slow Sundays in themselves are a small joy in my life. I’m generally busy Monday to Friday with work, family, friends, crafting, cooking, cleaning, trying to lose weight… you get the idea. So a day when the sun is shining and I can take my time over the little things like enjoying a coffee, having a good conversation, getting outdoors  and then finishing the morning with tasty food, is one of my favourite ways to spend a Sunday when all the chores are done and the guilt is gone.

So, the next time you have an hour spare on a slow Sunday to enjoy cooking and eating something a little different for breakfast or brunch, try Shakshouka. The recipe is here. It’s the perfect dish to take your time over making, indulge in eating and the best part, as a one pot dish, you can spare yourself the extra washing up! More time, to read, talk, relax… or whatever it is you like to do to unwind.