Shakshuka (eggs in spiced tomato sauce)
Serves 2 · 40 minutes · Enamelled frying pan
Shakshuka is eggs gently cooked in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. The enamelled frying pan handles the acidic tomato with no trouble and goes straight from hob to table.
Shakshuka is a North African dish of eggs poached in a thick sauce of tomato, red pepper, onion and cumin. It is best when the sauce is reduced well before the eggs go in, and the pan comes off the heat when the whites have just set and the yolks are still runny.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 red peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 eggs
- 75 g feta
- 1 small bunch fresh coriander or parsley
- Bread to serve, such as flatbread or pitta
Method
- Chop the onion, slice the peppers into strips and chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat and soften the onion and peppers for 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick.
- Make five hollows in the sauce with a spoon and crack an egg into each. Cover with a lid or a baking tray and cook over a low heat for 6–8 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Crumble over the feta, scatter with coriander and a few more chilli flakes, and serve straight from the pan with bread.
Why it works
Enamel does not react with the acid in tomatoes, so the sauce can simmer as long as it needs without any metallic taste or harm to the pan. The low, wide pan has room for five eggs and can go straight to the table.
FAQ
How do you know when shakshuka eggs are done?
The whites should be fully set and opaque while the yolks stay glossy and runny. That takes 6–8 minutes covered over a low heat.
Can shakshuka be made ahead?
Yes, the sauce can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat it in the pan and add the eggs just before serving.
What do you serve with shakshuka?
Bread for dipping, such as pitta or crusty sourdough. A spoonful of yoghurt goes well too.
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