Merguez Ragout with Poached Eggs

I was perusing Serious Eats recently and came upon a photo so stunning, it stopped me in my tracks. Go ahead - go look. Gorgeous, isn't it? I *had* to make that dish; fortunately, it was one of those rare times when the stars were aligned just so: I had merguez in the freezer, plus fresh cilantro, and some ras el hanout left over from a recipe I made earlier in the year.

It was extremely easy, and the result was rather like a Moroccan version of huevos rancheros.

Moroccan Merguez Ragout with Poached Eggs (adapted from Food 52)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
10 oz merguez sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 tablespoons ras el hanout (recipe here)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems included
warm crusty bread, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until wilted and starting to brown. Add the merguez and sauté until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the Ras el Hanout, and smoked paprika. Cook the mixture for about 30 minutes, until flavors meld and sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.

Crack eggs into individual ramekins, then invert them over the mixture, 2 at a time. Cover and cook until the whites set, but the yolks are still soft. Divide the eggs and ragout among two warm bowls using a large spoon. Top with a sprinkling of cilantro and a sprinkle of additional Ras el Hanout.

Serve immediately with crusty bread.

If you don't have access to Merguez, you can make your own with some ground lamb. I don't see why you can't use ground turkey or beef in place of the lamb - it's the spice mixture that really makes the sausage. Homemade sausage won't have casings (unless you're really ambitious) so just sauté the meat along with the onions until it loses most of its pinkness, and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.