Hair of the Dog Shashuka with Vodka and Lime

The first time I made Shashuka I used the wrong pan. I used a casserole dish that I assumed was okay to use on the hob as well as in the oven. Oh how wrong I was. I was vaguely aware of a popping sound as I started heating the oil and garlic but didn’t think anything of it and continued to cook until everything was perfect and ready to be served up for brunch (and for maybe a photograph or two 😉 ). Sunny came strolling in to the kitchen just as I was about to lift the pot off the hob and carry it over to the table and, as I did, the whole top half of the pan came off in one clean crack and the shashuka slopped out the side and all over the hob.

I was left holding the top half of the dish in total shock, staring at all my hard work dribble down the side of the counter while Sunny exploded with laughter beside me. Oops! 🙂

This recipe kind of reminds me of the “Wake Up Juice” that Marty McFly feeds to Doc Brown in Back to the Future Part III when he’s passed out in 1885 (one of my favourite movies of all time!). It’s got a punch that’ll put you back on your feet after a heavy night out! The egg and crumbly feta are just the kind of comfort food you need when you’re hungover, while the vodka, lime and chilli flakes give it a bit of a zing.

Summer Shashuka with Vodka and Lime

Ingredients

1 400g can of tomato passata
Olive Oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
100g diced and crumbled feta
50 ml vodka
Juice of half a lime (use the other half to garnish)
As many eggs as you fancy 😉
25g chilli flakes
Chopped chives to garnish
A handful of spinach to garnish
Pomegranate seeds to garnish
Salt and pepper to season
Crusty bread to dunk

Firstly, make sure you’ve got a hob proof pan (*eye roll*) and then heat up a little olive oil. Lightly cook the garlic until slightly brown, add the bell pepper, then pour in the vodka and lime juice. Add the tomato passata and chilli flakes and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
Drop in the diced feta, and then crack in your eggs. Cook for 5 minutes until the eggs are cooked on the outside but soft in the middle.
Add your garnish; crumble the rest of the feta over the top, drop in the spinach and chopped chives, and sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top.
Serve with crusty bread. 🙂

Here’s the failed attempt. (Excuse the bit of Bungle fur stuck to the side – my food isn’t riddled with his fur, promise!)

In case you’re wondering, we had to throw the pot; there was just no saving it. Sunny found it absolutely hilarious – especially as I’d spent such a long time cooking it and then styling it for a photograph if it turned out well. We salvaged what we could of the Shashuka and sat down to eat it and had a good laugh. “Hey, look on the bright side,” Sunny said. “At least we don’t have to wash up that pot now.” Ha.

Have a great week everyone! 🙂