Shakshuka: Go mad for eggs from the Med – and live longer

Brunch is meant to keep you going until dinner. Unfortunately, the preference of menus for anaemic options means you’re hungry by dinner. No one saved the world on avocado and a chunk of rye.

While Yanks and Brits lose it over juicing and gluten, Mediterraneans eat bread and oil, and live longer. They also do eggs better — their latest export is shakshuka, a dish made from baked eggs, tomato sauce and slow-roasted vegetables and spices. Ladle it into your mouth with wedges of bread and you won’t end up heading to Boots for a sly meal deal.

Cafe Loren, a new caff in Camden, has a shakshuka menu (6 Camden High Street, NW1 0JH). “Home shakshuka” is served on houmus; “Balkan shakshuka” is mixed with feta and basil; there’s a “seasonal” option that changes weekly, and there’s a sandwich.

The Good Egg in Stoke Newington serves its baked eggs with tomato, peppers, lemon yoghurt, sumac and a challah roll (93 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0AS), and Honey and Co mixes in a coriander sauce and a milk bun (25a Warren Street, W1T 5LZ). Berber & Q’s Tunisian shakshuka is a spicy potion of braised eggs, red pepper jam, green chilli ketchup and coriander (Arch 338 Acton Mews, E8 4EA).

Ottolenghi restaurant NOPI serves eggs with a spicy tomato sauce and smoked labneh cheese and shakshuka is on the breakfast menu at Fernandez & Wells. Leave the bores to their green blends: shakshuka is painting the town red.

@phoebeluckhurst

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