Name: Naïm’s green shakshuka
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 80 gm butter; 3 large (120gm) shallots, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 2 merguez sausages (about 200gm); 500 gm baby spinach leaves; 1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste; 8 eggs; Toasted challah or Turkish bread, to serve; Avocado sour cream; ½ avocado, scooped from skin; 125 gm sour cream (½ cup); 30 ml olive oil (1½ tbsp); 2 tsp thinly sliced coriander; 2 tsp thinly sliced mint; 1 tsp lemon juice; ¼ tsp ground cumin; Large pinch of coriander seeds

In this shakshuka recipe, the traditional tomatoes have been switch out for greens: spiced wilted spinach, an avocado cream bolstered with coriander and mint. Merguez sausages add extra dimension; the just-set eggs, meanwhile, are non-negotiable. Consider this the green eggs, sans ham, courtesy of Brisbane café Naïm.

Ingredients

80 gm butter

3 large (120gm) shallots, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 merguez sausages (about 200gm)

500 gm baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

8 eggs

Toasted challah or Turkish bread, to serve

Avocado sour cream

½ avocado, scooped from skin

125 gm sour cream (½ cup)

30 ml olive oil (1½ tbsp)

2 tsp thinly sliced coriander

2 tsp thinly sliced mint

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp ground cumin

Large pinch of coriander seeds

Method

Main

1.Melt half the butter in a small frying pan over low-medium heat. Add shallot and stir until softened (3-4 minutes), then add garlic and stir until lightly caramelised (5-6 minutes). Add 20gm butter and spices, stir until fragrant (30 seconds), then transfer to a plate.

2.Meanwhile, in a separate small frying pan, gently fry merguez in remaining butter over low-medium heat until cooked through (8-10 minutes). Slice merguez into thick rounds, reheat pan over medium-high heat and fry until lightly browned.

3.Blanch spinach until just wilted (15-20 seconds), then drain, refresh in iced water and drain well.

4.For avocado sour cream, blend all ingredients in a small blender until smooth.

5.Preheat oven to 200C. Add a quarter of the spiced shallot mixture to small ovenproof frying pans (about 18cm-diameter base, or just make one in a large pan if short of time) over medium heat. When hot add a quarter of the drained spinach and 1 tsp lemon juice and season to taste. Stir for a further 30-60 seconds until warmed through. Make 2 indents in mixture and crack eggs in. Top with merguez and bake until whites are just set (4-5 minutes).

6.Season to taste, top with dollops of avocado sour cream and serve with toasted bread.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Aimee Jones

Ingredients

Method

Main

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