Classic Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, cooked and served in one pan.
Shakshuka is a lesson in patience at one point only: the peppers and onions need long enough to turn genuinely sweet before the tomatoes go in. Rush that and the sauce stays sharp. Everything after it takes ten minutes.
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How to make Classic Shakshuka
Ingredients
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Sauce
To finish
Equipment
- Wide lidded skillet
- Wooden spoon
Method
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1
Sweat the vegetables
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Cook the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, slumped and sweet. This is the step that decides the dish.
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2
Bloom the spices
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, caraway, cayenne and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens and the spices smell toasted rather than dusty.
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3
Simmer the sauce
Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes until thick enough that a spoon dragged through leaves a trail that holds for a second.
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4
Make wells
Taste and adjust the salt now, because you cannot stir it once the eggs are in. Use the back of a spoon to make eight shallow wells in the sauce.
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5
Add the eggs
Crack an egg into each well. Season the tops, cover the pan, and cook on low for 6-8 minutes, until the whites are just set and the yolks still wobble.
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6
Serve from the pan
Scatter over the feta and herbs and bring the pan to the table with plenty of flatbread for scooping.
Cook’s tips
- Do not hurry the peppers and onions. Fifteen slow minutes is what makes the sauce taste sweet rather than acidic.
- Crack each egg into a small cup first, then slide it into its well. It gives you far more control than cracking directly into a hot pan.
- Take it off the heat when the whites look barely set; carryover heat firms them up while you carry the pan to the table.
Variations
- Add merguez sausage or chorizo with the onions for a meaty version.
- Stir a few handfuls of spinach into the sauce before adding the eggs.
- Make it green with courgette, leek and herbs in place of the tomatoes and peppers.
Storage and make-ahead
The sauce keeps 5 days refrigerated and freezes for 3 months, so it is worth doubling. Store it without the eggs and poach fresh ones into a reheated portion in about six minutes.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 318 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Fibre | 5 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Sodium | 690 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
