Asparagus & Feta Shakshuka with Wild Garlic and Morel Mushrooms

Ingredients

• ▸25 g dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated in 250 ml warm water for 20 minutes, liquid reserved
• ▸400 g asparagus (about 1 large bunch), woody ends snapped off, cut into 4 cm pieces
• ▸60 g wild garlic leaves (ramps), roughly torn, stems thinly sliced
• ▸400 g canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed
• ▸1 medium white onion, finely diced
• ▸3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• ▸2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ▸1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▸1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▸0.5 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▸0.25 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (or mild chilli flakes)
• ▸1 teaspoon honey
• ▸150 g feta cheese, crumbled into large chunks
• ▸8 large eggs
• ▸10 g fresh dill fronds, for serving
• ▸10 g fresh mint leaves, for serving
• ▸sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• ▸crusty sourdough or warm pita bread, for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   1. Rehydrate the morel mushrooms: Place dried morels in a heatproof bowl, cover with 250 ml warm (not boiling) water, and soak for 20 minutes. Lift the morels out carefully — do not pour, as grit settles at the bottom. Squeeze gently, then slice any large morels in half lengthwise. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel and set aside.

2. 2

   2. Blanch the asparagus: Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus pieces and cook for exactly 90 seconds, then transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water. This fixes their vibrant green color and par-cooks them so they won't turn mushy in the final braise. Drain and set aside.

3. 3

   3. Build the aromatic base: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, lidded skillet (at least 28 cm / 11 inches) or a shallow braiser over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7–8 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.

4. 4

   4. Bloom the spices: Add the sliced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, and Aleppo pepper to the onions. Stir constantly for 60–90 seconds until the spices are fragrant and the garlic is just softened. This step is non-negotiable — raw spices will make the dish taste flat.

5. 5

   5. Add tomatoes and morel liquid: Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes and 150 ml of the reserved morel soaking liquid (discard the rest or save for a soup). Add the honey, stir to combine, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the raw tomato taste mellows.

6. 6

   6. Fold in the mushrooms and asparagus: Add the rehydrated morel mushrooms to the sauce and stir gently. Nestle the blanched asparagus pieces into the sauce, distributing them evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

7. 7

   7. Add wild garlic stems: Stir the thinly sliced wild garlic stems (not the leaves yet — they're delicate) into the sauce. Cook for 1 minute.

8. 8

   8. Scatter the feta: Distribute the crumbled feta evenly across the surface of the sauce, leaving some gaps for the eggs. The feta will partially melt into the sauce, adding creaminess and brine.

9. 9

   9. Create wells and add eggs: Using a large spoon, make 8 shallow wells in the sauce, spacing them apart. Crack one egg into a small cup first (to catch any shell fragments), then gently slide it into a well. Repeat with remaining eggs. Season each egg yolk with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper.

10. 10

    10. Steam the eggs: Reduce heat to low. Place a tight-fitting lid on the skillet. Cook for 6–8 minutes, checking at 6 minutes. The steam trapped under the lid will cook the eggs from above as well as below. You're aiming for fully set whites but yolks that still jiggle when you nudge the pan — they will carry-cook slightly after you remove the lid.

11. 11

    11. Finish with wild garlic leaves: Remove the lid and immediately scatter the torn wild garlic leaves over the top. The residual heat will gently wilt them without destroying their pungent, garlicky-grassy flavor. If wild garlic leaves are unavailable, use 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chives instead.

12. 12

    12. Serve immediately: Drizzle with a thread of good olive oil, scatter the fresh dill and mint over the top, and bring the entire skillet to the table. Serve with crusty sourdough or warm pita for scooping. Each person should get 2 eggs and a generous share of the vegetable sauce.

Variations

• ◆Replace the feta with 4 generous dollops of thick labneh added right before serving. The milder, creamier tang steps back and lets the wild garlic come forward.
• ◆Stir 1 tablespoon of finely minced preserved lemon rind into the tomato sauce at step 5. The fermented citrus note sharpens the briny-umami quality of the whole dish.
• ◆Skip the eggs and feta entirely; add one 400 g can of drained cannellini beans at step 6 for protein and body, then finish with a drizzle of tahini thinned with lemon juice in place of the cheese.