This is an extract from Slow Victories: A Food Lover's Guide To Slow Cooker Glory by Katrina Meynink published by Hardie Grant Books [$35], available in stores nationally.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 800 g pumpkin, peeled, cut into medium–large chunks
- 220 g finely sliced piquillo peppers (roasted peppers)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed
- ½ teaspoon rose harissa
- 1 × 400 g (14 oz) tin cherry tomatoes
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) vegetable stock
- 140 g (5 oz) tomato paste (concentrated purée)
To serve:
- 6 eggs
- 120 g Persian feta mint leaves
- Coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped ½ tablespoon urfa biber (Turkish red pepper flakes)
Method
Set your slow cooker to the sauté function. Add the oil and, once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until softened. Add the pumpkin, piquillo peppers and spices. Cook until fragrant, about another minute. Add the rose harissa, cherry tomatoes, stock and tomato paste. Give it a good stir, then turn the heat to low, close the lid and cook for 10–12 hours.
When you are ready to serve, crack the eggs directly into the spicy stew and sprinkle over chunks of feta. Cover and cook on high for 12–15 minutes, or until you can see the egg whites are setting but the yolks are still soft. The timing for this may vary, so keep a close eye on it. Scatter over the herbs and urfa biber to serve.