Poached Eggs in Chickpea and Sausage Stew
Recipe
serves 4
In climates where tomatoes grow in abundance, you’re likely to find them combined with eggs, like shakshuka, the Libyan dish popular in Israel, Southern Italy’s “eggs in purgatory,” or even huevos rancheros. Whether stewed, in simmered sauces, or chopped into salsa, the zingy acidity of the tomato balanced by its sugar offsets the richness of the eggs. Go for the best sausage you can buy, as the spices in the sausage will ooze out during the cooking and further flavor the stew.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus extra as needed
12 ounces hot Italian sausage (about 3 links), casings removed
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika, plus extra as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 26-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with their liquid
4 roasted red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped (about 2 cups)
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, surface liquid poured off
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
11⁄2 cups water
8 extra-large eggs
2 scallions, green and white sections, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
How To Make It:
Pour olive oil into pot. Pinch small amounts of the sausage and place on the bottom of the pot in a single layer. As the sausage begins to brown on the bottom, stir and continue to cook until it is well colored on all sides. (Add more olive oil sparingly if the sausage is sticking to the bottom of the pot.) Stir in the garlic and onions with the paprika and pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions have begun to wilt, approximately 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato, roasted peppers, chickpeas, water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, check and adjust seasoning, then cover and cook to let the flavors of the smoked paprika and spicy sausage infuse into the sauce, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Crack eggs over the top of the stew, and season over the top with a bit more salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, adding a drizzle of olive oil. Cover and continue to simmer for 12-14 minutes or until the whites have set but the yolks are still soft, about 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with scallions and parsley scattered over.