Kefta tagine with eggs

📝 Ingredients

• 500 g lean minced beef (5% fat)
• 2 brown onions (about 120 g each; ½ for the kefta, 1 ½ for the sauce)
• 4 garlic cloves (1 for the kefta, 3 for the sauce)
• 15 g fresh parsley + 15 g fresh coriander (10 g of each for the kefta, 5 g of each for the garnish)
• 2 tsp ground cumin + 2 tsp sweet paprika (1 of each for the kefta, 1 of each for the sauce)
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (800 g in total)
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp olive oil (2 for the sauce, 1 for the couscous)
• 240 g medium wheat couscous
• 400 ml water (300 ml boiling for the couscous, 100 ml for the sauce)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large sauté pan with lid
• Mixing bowl
• Kettle
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Fork

📖 Steps

1. Peel the onions. Finely grate ½ onion (or chop it very finely) for the kefta and slice the rest for the sauce. Peel the garlic: chop 1 clove for the kefta and crush the other 3. Pick the parsley and coriander leaves and chop them.
2. In a mixing bowl, use your fingertips to mix the minced beef, grated onion, chopped garlic, 10 g parsley, 10 g coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp salt and some pepper. Don't overwork it, or the kefta will become dense.
3. Shape about twenty small walnut-sized meatballs (about 25 g each) by rolling the meat between lightly wet palms: it won't stick and the meatballs stay nice and round. Set aside on a plate.
4. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the sliced onion for 6 to 8 min, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the crushed garlic and the rest of the cumin and paprika, and stir for 30 seconds without letting the spices burn.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and 100 ml water, season lightly with salt, add pepper and bring to a simmer. Place the meatballs in the sauce, cover and simmer for 15 min over medium-low heat, turning the meatballs halfway through.
6. Remove the lid and let it reduce for 5 min: the sauce should be thick. Make 4 hollows between the meatballs and carefully crack the eggs into them. Salt the whites, cover and cook for 6 to 8 min over low heat, until the whites are set and the yolks still runny.
7. Meanwhile, boil 300 ml water in the kettle. Put the couscous in the rinsed mixing bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt, stir, then pour over the boiling water. Cover with a plate, wait 5 min, then fluff up with a fork.
8. Sprinkle the tagine with the remaining parsley and coriander, then serve immediately in the sauté pan, with the couscous on the side. Don't wait: the yolks keep cooking in the hot sauce and would lose their runniness.