Deborah Ryan’s Chorizo and Sweet Potato Shakshuka

Seeing as the country’s national holiday is upon us this weekend, I thought it was fitting to include this recipe as it goes hand-in-hand with surviving a long day of festivities.

It’s all about stamina and this recipe is sure to keep you and your friends going until it is time for the late night bag of chips.

I made this dish for brunch on December 23rd. Let me briefly set the scene here: everyone has arrived home for Christmas, it’s the morning, there’s about four hours until one of us cracks after spending excessive amounts of quality family time together and breaks out the wine. Stomachs need to be lined. We’re in for the long haul here.

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish, made with a tomato and pepper sauce. You crack in some eggs, that cook in the sauce. I have swapped the peppers out here with sweet potato, adding to the starchy absorbency.

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

200g chorizo

2 tins chopped tomatoes

4 eggs

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°c

Chop the sweet potato into ½ inch chunks and roast in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper for 15-20 minutes, until soft and golden brown.

Slice the chorizo thinly and add into a large hot pan. Fry, stirring frequently, until crispy. Carefully, drain off some of the oil.

Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds before adding the tomatoes. Cook for around 20 minutes on medium heat. Add some salt and pepper.

Stir in the sweet potato and turn down the heat.

Make four wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each divot. Cover with a lid and cook until the egg whites have set and the yolks are still runny. This should take about ten minutes.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the eggs and serve with big chunks of bread to ensure the meal’s optimal alcohol absorbency.