I don’t know about you, but I find curries and anything in spicy, tomato-based sauces to be some of the most comforting foods to eat during a global pandemic.

In all fairness, I don’t have that much pandemic experience – the closest was probably when swine flu (H1N1) hit the Toronto region in 2009 and my best friend got angry with me for not rushing to get the vaccine.

Compared with COVID-19, swine flu seems a bit like child’s play. It was a serious and scary time, but we were never confined to our homes and a vaccine was created relatively quickly.

Still, I remember that best friend (she didn’t stay angry with me forever) and I gorging ourselves on takeaway curries and Thai food a lot during that time.

Comfort eating

It appears we’re not alone when it comes to comfort eating during pandemics. My social media streams are filled with people either cooking or complaining about overeating, either out of boredom or for comfort.

Food is a great healer; I really believe that. It has the power to repair broken relationships and build friendships. It can bring segments of society together that wouldn’t normally mix.

Although it can be highly politicised, food still has the power to do a lot more good than harm.

The same goes for shakshuka. It’s basically eggs poached in a spiced tomato stew.

Made famous in the West by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (in their amazing cookbook Jerusalem), the dish is comforting, hot, spicy and feels way more indulgent (calorie-wise) than it is.

It’s been consumed for centuries in countries all along the Mediterranean – from Tunisia to Greece, along the coastline of the Middle East.

A brunch of spicy shakashuka with mixed beans.

It always contains a spiced tomato sauce, but that's really the only connecting ingredient as you move along the coastline.

My version is smoky and spicy, using harissa paste as the main flavour element.

Smoky shakshuka

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 heaping Tbsp harissa pasta
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tin mixed beans, rinsed
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp Greek natural yogurt
  • 3 Tbsp fresh, finely chopped parsley
  • Sourdough toast, to serve

    • Directions

    1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot, or cast iron pan with a tight-fitting lid, over med-high heat. Add the oil and chopped onion. Sautee gently, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. You want the onions to start browning; this develops flavour for the sauce.

    2. Add the chopped garlic and cook together for an additional minute. Then, add the harissa pasta, paprika and tomato puree. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.

    3. Add the rinsed beans to the pot and stir to coat in the spices, then add the tinned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and gently cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

    4. Make four small wells in the tomato/beans mixture and crack an egg into each well. Keep the heat on medium-low and cover the pot.

    Toasted sourdough pairs best with this recipe.

    5. The steam from the covered pot will cook the eggs – this will take 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how slowly they’re cooking. The tops of the eggs will be lightly translucent, but not runny at all once cooked.

    6. When the eggs have cooked, drizzle the tops with yogurt and chopped parsley. Serve on toast and enjoy!