The lunch to enjoy with friends

Is there a table full of friends planned for this afternoon? Nice. There's a good chance they'll show up with a slight hangover, so it doesn't all have to be too green but please a little bit healthy. What are you making? Eggplant shakshuka. You can scoop everything onto a pita bread and then dip your bread in the sauce to finish off lunch. So easy and a hundred percent chance of success.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees/gas mark 7.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and pepper to taste and fry them in batches on each side for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and cooked; add extra oil if needed. Transfer the slices to a plate.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium frying pan and sauté the onion for 8 minutes over medium heat until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

4. Add the tomatoes and the juice that has come out to the onion and stir it in. Let it cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes break down – they should be pulpy. Pour in the tomato juice and let it simmer for 5 minutes on low heat; the sauce will then be quite thick. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and optionally cumin.

5. Layer a layer of eggplant slices at the bottom of a large baking dish and spoon half of the tomato sauce over it and repeat.

6. Using the back of a large spoon, make a well in the sauce and crack an egg into it. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Sprinkle with the feta and place in the oven for 5 minutes.

7. Pick the leaves from the parsley and mint and chop them roughly. Sprinkle them over the shakshuka and serve with warm pita bread.

Title: Comptoir Libanais – Celebration!
Author: Tony Kitous
Publisher: Becht
Price: €24.99

Image: Book Comptoir Libanais – Feast