Shakshuka (Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

Shakshuka (pronounced "shack-shoo-kah) is a Middle Eastern breakfast staple in which eggs are poached in a spicy tomato sauce (also known as Eggs in Purgatory in some countries). Hearty, flavor-packed, easy to make and super-comforting and satisfying, it can be easily adjusted to suit one's tastes. You can make the sauce spicy, mild, savory, tangy -- it's up to you really. This version uses the fresh flavors of tomato, onion, jalapeno and green pepper as its base but gets its kick (and a unique habanero lift) from our Fat Cat Mexican-Style Habanero sauce. Be sure to keep lots of fresh bread on hand to sop up all the yummy juices.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 14.5 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes or 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (remove seeds and ribs if desired)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of Fat Cat Mexican-Style Habanero Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Add oil to a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, peppers and jalapeno and saute until mixture starts to soften and brown slightly, about 3-4 minutes.

Add tomatoes and stir. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until tomatoes start to break down and mixture starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, add Fat Cat Mexican-Style Habanero and stir to combine. Taste mixture and adjust for salt, pepper and spiciness, adding more Fat Cat Mexican-Style Habanero if a spicier dish is desired.

Spread the mixture out evenly so that it forms a single even layer in the pan. Then, using your spoon, create four wells within the tomato mixture. You'll know if the mixture is at the right consistency if the well you create holds its shape; if it collapses or fills with too much liquid from the vegetables, then continue cooking the mixture more so more liquid evaporates.

Once the wells hold their shape, crack the eggs, one by one, so that one egg nests into one well and is contained within it by the spicy tomato mixture.

After all four eggs are in the pan, season them with salt and pepper, cover the pan with a lid, lower the heat to low and cook until the eggs have reached your desired level of doneness, about 2-3 minutes for easy, 4-5 minutes for medium, 5-6 minutes for hard.

To serve, get a large spoon and scoop under the egg, making sure to get both the egg and the sauce around it in the scoop.

Set that on the plate, alongside a large piece of bread for dipping, and serve. Drizzle with more Fat Cat Mexican-Style Habanero for extra kick if desired.