Chakchouka Algeria Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, bell peppers, and garlic; cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and the onion has turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, and chile pepper into a bowl and mix briefly. Pour the tomato mixture into the skillet, and stir to combine.
• Simmer, uncovered, until the tomato juices have cooked off, about 10 minutes. Make four indentations in the tomato mixture for the eggs. Crack the eggs into the indentations. Cover the skillet and let the eggs cook until they're firm but not dry, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Stir in the paprika and cook slighly to color the oil, about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce down a little bit. Add the peppers, water and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add more water as needed to keep it from drying out.
• Using a spoon, form four small indentations in the simmering peppers to hold the eggs. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl and slip each from the bowl into an indentation. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until eggs are cooked through to your liking.
• Serve with crusty bread, pita or rice.
• Variations:.
• •Add 1 teaspoon of cuminseed to the hot oil for about 15 seconds before you add the paprika. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground coriander along with the onions.
• •For a little spice, sauté 1 tablespoon of harissa paste or a minced chile pepper with the onions.
• •Sometimes a spicy lamb sausage called merguez is added to the simmering peppers along with the eggs.
• •Add 1 small, diced eggplant along with the peppers.
• •Add 1 potato, cut in a small dice, along with the peppers.
• •Sprinkle the top of the cooked dish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
• •Add a few olives and capers and eliminate the eggs. Chill and serve garnished with hard-boiled eggs or tuna.

Steps:

• Method For the Khobz (bread):.
• Put the semolina and flour in a very large but shallow bowl - a gas'a if you have one is best. Make a well in the centre and add 1/2 a glass of water. Mix enough water to create a workable dough then begin kneading. Do this (until your hands hurt! ) until the dough becomes very smooth and elastic - you can put this dough in the bread maker on dough setting to make things easier if you like. Once the dough has reached elastic stage leave it to stand for 5 minutes.
• Take sunflower/vegetable oil etc and lightly coat work surfaces then pull off pieces of dough and form balls slightly larger than a golf ball.
• Gently stretch these balls over the m'ri or pan and cook (approx 30 seconds). Keep the cooked bread covered with cloth or towel so it doesn't dry up and finish cooking the rest.
• You can start tearing the bread straight away or leave it until you are finished if you are alone (I say this because it is best done with 2 people - one cooking one tearing!) Depending on your personal preference/which side of Algeria you come from, you'll decide whether to tear it into smaller or larger pieces --.
• Method for the Marga (sauce):.
• Finely chop the onion and garlic and place it in a large heavy bottomed pan with the meat or chicken and ras el hanout. Fry gently to seal the meat/chicken. I use my pressure cooker for this.
• Chop the carrot, parsnip & courgette into 6ths. Cut the potato into 1/4's and roughly chop the swede. (Peel the carrots, potatoes, parsnip & swede).
• Add the vegetables to the meat along with 1L of water and turn up heat so they begin simmering. If using the chilli add it now, along with salt & pepper. If cooking in a regular pan then cook for 40 minutes like this. If using the pressure cooker as I do then 20 minutes will be enough.
• Add the tomatoes, chick peas and dried mint and 1/2L more water or enough to create a 'stew' consistency.
• Return to heat and cook in pan for further 30 minutes and if using pressure cooker then cook on med to high for a further 25 minutes.
• Finally, place the Khobz in a a gas'a or very large dish (or individually if preferred) and pour over the Marga (sauce) arranging the meat so that everyone has a piece.

Steps:

• In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add cumin seed to the hot oil for about 15 seconds before you add the paprika. Stir in paprika and let cook slightly to color the oil, about 10-15 seconds.
• Add the onions and garlic (add optional harissa here) and sauté until onions are translucent and wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and bring to a rapid simmer. Add peppers (also add seeded and diced chili peppers here if using) & potatoes, water and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Add more water as needed.
• Form four small indentations in the simmering peppers to hold the eggs. Crack eggs, one by one, into a small bowl and slide each egg into an indentation. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes or so until eggs are cooked through.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro and optional black olives and capers.
• Serve with crusty bread or rice.

Steps:

• Cut the tomatoes into large pieces. Deseed and dice all the peppers.
• Heat olive oil in a medium size pot. The flavor belongs in the recipe, so use a good amount of it. Add the onion and garlic, and before it is brown, add the cumin. When the cumin is blended, add the tomatoes and peppers, the tomato concentrate, and the harissa. Add salt. Blend the ingredients with a long spoon. Add 1 - 3 bay leaves, and the thyme.
• As soon as the vegetables are cooked, and the consistency is a bit thickened, add the eggs. The eggs will be poached in the pot. Space the eggs to give them room. Put the lid of the pot on. Wait for the white to set, as much as 15 minutes, depending on how high your heat is. The yolk should be runny.
• When you serve this, dish up an amount of the vegetable part into a wide soup dish, then carefully center an egg into this. Repeat for four people. Have french bread cut and ready to dip into the chakchouka.
• Note: the amounts of tomato concentrate and harissa, which is quite hot, can be adjusted to personal taste. You could lessen the garlic amount if you like.