Tunisian Ojja with Merguez, Harissa and Eggs

What you need

• 250 g (9 oz) merguez, fresh lamb or beef sausages
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp harissa, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground caraway
• 3 ripe tomatoes, about 400 g (14 oz), chopped
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) water
• 4 large eggs
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
• crusty bread, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the merguez whole and brown them, turning, until cooked through with no pink inside, 8-10 min. Move them to a board and slice into 2 cm (3/4 in) pieces, leaving the fat in the pan.

3. 3

   Add the onion to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges, about 5 min.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic and bell pepper and cook until the pepper softens, about 5 min.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste, harissa, cumin and caraway. Stir for 30 seconds until the oil turns red and the spices smell strong.

6. 6

   Add the tomatoes, water, black pepper and a little salt. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes collapse into a thick, jammy sauce, 12-15 min. Taste, then add more harissa or salt if it needs it.

7. 7

   Return the sliced merguez to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce.

8. 8

   Crack the eggs over the surface, spacing them evenly, and season each with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over low heat until the whites are fully set and the yolks have thickened, 4-5 min. For a softer, scrambled texture, break the yolks with a fork and stir gently instead.

9. 9

   Scatter the coriander over the pan and bring it to the table. Serve straight from the pan, with bread for scooping.

Imported from cuisinetunisienne.tn. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.