Chick-Chouka

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C Fan/Gas 5.

Put the sliced onions and peppers, and the aubergine if using, into a medium-small oven dish (about 22cm x 32cm); you don’t want one that is too large, as there needs to be a bit of depth to the sauce once it’s all in. Add the garlic, bashed cumin, oil and some salt and pepper, toss together well and roast for 40-50 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and just starting to colour.

Add the passata, chickpeas, sweet smoked paprika, and saffron if using, to the dish of roasted veg. Stir well. Return the dish to the oven for 15-20 minutes until everything is hot and bubbling.

Stir the saucy mixture, taste it and add more salt, pepper and/or paprika if needed. You can add a pinch of dried chilli flakes or cayenne now, if you fancy a bit more heat.

Make four hollows in the surface of the tomatoey veg and carefully break an egg into each one. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper, and a pinch more chilli flakes if using.

Return the dish to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny (remembering that the eggs will continue to cook once the dish is out of the oven).

Serve straight away with some green leaves, such as watercress, lamb’s lettuce or butterhead lettuce, on the side.