Ojja

Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or tagine over medium heat. Add the sliced beef merguez and cook for four to five minutes, turning occasionally, until the sausage is browned on all sides and has rendered some of its fat into the pan.

Remove the browned merguez from the skillet and set aside on a plate. In the same pan with the rendered fat, add the diced green peppers and sauté for four minutes until softened and slightly charred at the edges.

Add the minced garlic to the peppers and cook for thirty seconds until fragrant. Stir in the harissa paste, toasted caraway seeds, and paprika, cooking for one minute to bloom the spices and create an intensely aromatic base for the stew.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and cook over medium heat for ten to twelve minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have completely broken down into a thick, saucy consistency and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.

Return the browned merguez slices to the tomato sauce and stir gently to nestle them into the stew. Make four small wells in the surface of the sauce using the back of a spoon, spacing them evenly around the skillet.

Crack one egg into each well and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for four to five minutes until the egg whites are set and opaque but the yolks remain soft and runny.

Remove the lid and serve the ojja immediately in the skillet with crusty bread on the side. Diners tear pieces of bread and use them to scoop the spiced tomato sauce, runny egg yolk, and merguez in each flavourful bite.