Moroccan Kefta and Eggs Tagine with Tomatoes, Onions and Olives

Moroccan Kefta and Eggs Tagine with Tomatoes, Onions and Olives


This is Moroccan kefta and eggs at their best - with caramelized onions, saucy tomatoes and tangy olives. The idea to caramelize the onions came from a recipe in Kitty Morse's Cooking at the Kasbah.

If short on time, skip the caramelizing and cook the onions and tomatoes just long enough to soften. Or, omit the kefta and increase the eggs to 8 or 9 for a fabulous meatless omelet.

Cooking time is for preparation in a skillet. I used a non-stick skillet to cook the onions, tomatoes and kefta, and then transferred everything to a pre-heated tagine to cook the eggs and serve directly from the dish. Delicious!

Serves 4.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

--- For the Kefta Meatballs ---
225 g (8 oz.) ground beef or lamb
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
--- For the Eggs ---
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
handful of green pitted olives, coarsely chopped or sliced
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
small handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (OR 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
6 large eggs
--- For Garnish ---
salt
cumin
chopped cilantro
Preparation:

Mix the ground meat with the salt, cumin, cinnamon and pepper. Shape this kefta mixture into small meatballs the size of large cherries, and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the olives, and cook for several minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and seasoning and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the tomatoes as you go, until a chunky tomato sauce has formed.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring several times to turn the meatballs, until the meat is cooked through. Break a meatball to test if it's done before proceeding.

Pour the eggs directly over the tomato sauce and meatballs. Break the yolks, and allow the eggs to simmer in the sauce until set. To help this along, you can lift the edges of the eggs as they cook and tip the pan to allow uncooked egg to run underneath and cook faster. If cooking the eggs in a tagine, cover the eggs and allow them to poach until done.

Dust the top of the cooked eggs with cumin and salt to taste, garnish with a little chopped cilantro, and serve.