Introduction
Shakshuka is eggs poached in a thick, spiced sauce of tomatoes and peppers, brought to the table in the pan and eaten with bread. It works for a late breakfast, a lazy lunch or a fast dinner when the fridge holds little more than eggs.
The dish comes from the Maghreb, most likely Tunisia and Libya, and the name is usually explained as “a mixture”. Jewish families from North Africa took it to Israel, where it became an everyday dish, and from there it spread to cafés all over the world.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 red peppers, cut into thin strips
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 pinch of chili flakes, or more to taste
- 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (2 × 400 g)
- 6 eggs
- salt and black pepper
- a handful of parsley or coriander, chopped
- bread, to serve
Tools
- A large frying pan with a lid, about 28 cm wide
- A wooden spoon
Preparation
- Heat the oil in the pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft.
- Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and chili and stir for one minute, until it smells good.
- Pour in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, until it thickens.
- Make six hollows in the sauce with the back of the spoon and break an egg into each one.
- Cover and cook on a low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
- Scatter the herbs over the top and serve straight from the pan, with bread for the sauce.