Lablabi (Tunisian breakfast)
This Tunisian egg and chickpea breakfast dish is a great protein-rich start to the day.
Ingredients
For the Tunisian breakfast
- 250g/9oz dried chickpeas
- 1 garlic bulb, cut through the middle
- few fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 red chilli
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 brown onion, cut into quarters
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
- 2 tbsp good quality olive oil, to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 slices baguette
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half
- olive oil, for drizzling
- ½ tsp mixed cumin and caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp mild rose harissa paste
- 4 sundried tomatoes, rehydrated in boiling water if necessary
- 1 small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- pinch flaked sea salt
Method
To make the breakfast, place the chickpeas with all the aromatics, vegetables and stock in a pot or large saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 1½–2 hours. Remove the onion and celery, chop finely and stir back into the pot. Remove the garlic and chilli, leave to cool slightly then squeeze the garlic and chilli out from their skins and stir back into the pot. Season and add a generous glug of good quality olive oil.
To poach the eggs, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Season the water and add the vinegar. Give the water a stir, then crack and drop in the eggs gently. Cook for 2–3 minutes depending how well done you like your eggs.
Toast the baguette slices, then rub the toasted baguette with the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Toast the cumin and caraway seeds in a hot pan for a minute until fragrant.
To serve, spoon the chickpeas and some of the broth into a large serving dish, and garnish with the eggs, toasted baguette and the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.
