Yesterday afternoon, I took advantage of my ‘office’ day (not in car on road all day) to catch up with New Zealand born London based chef Peter Gordon and discuss his latest book Peter Gordon ‘Everyday’ (Harper Collins in New Zealand and Australia, Jacqui Small in UK, Fall 2002, no U.S edition yet).
My previous interview with Peter, The World on Your Plate, Peter Gordon Fusion Journey was published in April 2010.
Yesterday’s chat will probably be published next week.
In the meantime, here’s a teaser excerpted from Peter Gordon ‘Everyday’.
Lamb Shakshouka recipe
More often than not this classic North African dish (which is now also a classic of modern Israel thanks to the Tunisian Jews who settled there) is vegetarian and, much as I am happy to eat it that way, I prefer this spiced-up version containing lamb – although simply omit it if you prefer.
Lamb shakshouka For 4
3 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp sesame seeds
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red capsicums, deseeded and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
150 g minced lean lamb (optional)
salt
6 ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes and a little tomato paste)
4 eggs
50 ml plain yoghurt
1 small handful picked parsley, mint and coriander
1. Ideally you want to serve this in the dish you cook it in, so a large frying pan with a lid is good. Heat up the pan and add the olive oil, cumin and sesame seeds.
2. Once they begin to sizzle, add the onions, capsicums, garlic and paprika or cayenne pepper. Sauté until the vegetables collapse, stirring frequently.
3. Add the mince (if using) and a little salt. Cook until the lamb crumbles, stirring all the time.
4. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then cook over moderate heat for 6–8 minutes, at which point much of the juice will have evaporated.
5. Make four impressions in the mixture and break an egg into each ‘hole’.
6. Spoon the yoghurt on, put a lid on the pan and cook until the eggs have begun to set, but still have runny yolks.
7. Scatter with the shredded herbs and serve immediately straight from the pan.
(* Recipe from ‘Everyday’ by Peter Gordon with a little help from his friend Grant Allen, photography by Manja Wachsmuth, reproduced by permission of Harper Collins New Zealand)