I've been in Toronto now for three months and there is one thing, in particular, I'm happy about: brunch. I'd almost forgotten how much Canadians love brunch. My undergraduate years were punctuated by pretty serious brunch outings - even, at one point, a brunch crawl - and come the weekend, where in London we'd gather in the evening for drinks, my friends here are all rounded up by 11 a.m. for brunch.
Not to say brunch doesn't exist in London. It most certainly does - and this week I've been thinking a bit too much about one particular brunch place. The stark whiteness of Ottolenghi, popping with pomegranate-seed studded salads, clouds of meringue, and bursting with a snaking queue of hungry diners. I've been thinking about Ottolenghi's Shakshuka. Who wouldn't? Hot, tangy tomato, peppers, onions, soft egg, do-it-yourself toast.
But it's December and I'm on another continent. I've stared at the shakshuka picture in Plenty for far too long. And this being my first day of relative freedom before classes start again in January, I thought I'd make myself some. But there aren't peppers to be had. Nor fresh tomatoes.
This winter 'shakshuka' is filled out with crescents of spaghetti squash, thyme, tinned tomatoes, and red onion. A bit of chili, cumin, and a spoonful of sugar. Eggs cooked, ever so quickly - in a departure from traditional stove top cooking - under the grill. With the last bits of this week's bread. So good I could almost cope with the fact that I finished my last spoonfuls of Monmouth Coffee this morning. But that's another story...
*****
Winter "Shakshuka"
Serves one, increase as needed.
1/2 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 1/2-cm thick slices of squash, sliced horizontally across the squash
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
a pinch chili flakes
a few threads of saffron
1 cup tinned tomatoes
1 tsp. muscovado sugar
2 tbsp. water
2 eggs
salt and pepper
olive oil
1. In an oven proof skillet (or in a frying pan, ready to be dished out into individual overproof dishes), warm some olive oil and fry your onions and garlic. 2. After a minute or so, toss in your squash, and continue to fry until just tender. Toss in your spices and pour over your tomatos. 3. Bring to a simmer, then season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook for five minutes, or until slightly reduced. 4. Preheat your grill in the meantime. 5. Remove from heat, and make two small wells for your eggs. Crack your eggs into the wells, season with salt and pepper, then pop under the grill for five minutes, or until just set.
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