Shakshuka

Keep an eye on the Shakshuka as its cooking and use the times indicated as guidelines; various factors can affect cooking times and it’s hard to say precisely how long they will cook. When served, the eggs should be still runny so that the yolks mingle with the spicy sauce.

Yield:
4 servings
Category:
Breakfast and Brunch
Cuisine:
Isreali

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 – 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and deseeded, finely diced/minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 pounds (1kg) ripe tomatoes, cored and diced, or two 14-ounce cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon red wine or cider vinegar
  • 1 cup (20g) loosely packed greens, such as radish greens, watercress, kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 4 ounces (about 1 cup, 115g) feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-sized cubes
  • 4 to 6 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
  2. Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around. (Fresh tomatoes may take a little longer to cook than canned.) Stir in the chopped greens.
  3. If you want to finish the Shakshuka on the stovetop, turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.
  4. Turn the heat

Print