Tunisian Ojja with Shrimp and Harissa

Ingredients

• 12 oz peeled shrimp
• 4 large eggs
• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped, plus 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 tbsp harissa
• 1 1/2 tsp ground caraway
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 thick slices bread, toasted
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, until completely soft.
2. Add the garlic, caraway, and cumin for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the harissa and tomato paste for 20 seconds. Harissa scorches over direct heat and turns bitter.
3. Return to the heat, add the chopped tomatoes and the salt, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the oil separates and pools at the edges of the pan.
4. Cook the sauce down properly at this stage. A watery base will never set around the eggs, and the shrimp will boil rather than poach.
5. Stir the shrimp into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, until they just turn pink at the edges.
6. Crack the eggs over the surface, spacing them apart, and season them.
7. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until the whites are set and opaque and the yolks are still soft, and the shrimp have reached 145F (63C) and curled into a loose C.
8. Scatter with cilantro and serve straight from the pan with the toasted bread and lemon wedges.

Allergen note: Contains shellfish, egg, and gluten.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.