Charred Pepper and Merguez Shakshuka, Oven-Baked

Method

1. Set the whole peppers and chili directly on a gas burner over high heat (or under a hot oven grill) and char them for 8 min, turning with tongs every minute, until blackened all over. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes; the steam loosens the skins.

   Add in this stepRed bell peppers 2Long mild green chili 1

   high heat

2. Meanwhile, toast the cumin, caraway and coriander seeds in a dry 16 cm pan over medium-low heat for 1 min 30 sec, shaking the pan, until a shade darker and nutty-smelling. Crush coarsely in a mortar.

   Add in this stepWhole cumin seeds ¾ tspWhole caraway seeds ½ tspWhole coriander seeds ½ tsp

   medium-low heat

3. Preheat the oven to 190 °C for 10 min. Meanwhile, rub the skins off the peppers and chili with your fingers (don't rinse them, or you wash away the smoky flavor), remove the seeds and cut into 1 cm strips. Slice the onion and garlic, crush the tomatoes by hand, discard the pulp of the preserved lemon and finely chop the rind. Cut the merguez into 2 cm pieces.

   oven

4. Heat half the olive oil in an ovenproof 24 cm skillet over medium heat and brown the merguez for 5 min, turning, until browned on all sides. Lift onto a plate and leave the fat in the pan.

   Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil ¾ tbspMerguez (spicy lamb or beef sausage) 180 g

   medium heat

5. Cook the onion in the same pan over medium heat for 6 min, until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic, tomato paste, harissa and crushed spices and cook for 1 min more, until the paste turns deep brick red.

   Add in this stepOnion 1Garlic cloves 3Tomato paste 1 tbspHarissa 1½ tsp

   medium heat

6. Add the crushed tomatoes, charred peppers and chili, preserved lemon, sugar and salt and simmer over medium-low heat for 14 min, until thick enough that a spoon drawn through it leaves a trail that closes slowly. Return the merguez and taste. Season with salt only at the end, since merguez and preserved lemon are salty.

   Add in this stepCanned whole peeled tomatoes 400 gPreserved lemon rind, finely chopped 1½ tspSugar 1 pinchSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium-low heat

7. Make wells with a spoon, slip in the eggs and sprinkle a little salt on the whites only. Put the skillet in the oven at 190 °C and bake for 7 min, until the whites are opaque and set and the yolks are glossy and still jiggle. Take it out a touch early: the hot pan keeps cooking the eggs.

   Add in this stepEggs 4Salt ⅛ tsp

   oven

8. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, cover generously with parsley and cilantro and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with toasted baguette.

   Add in this stepExtra-virgin olive oil ¾ tbspFlat-leaf parsley 2 tbspCilantro (fresh coriander) 1 tbspBaguette ½