Shakshuka
This rich, spicy dish, with perfectly poached eggs which just ooze is one of the best ways to start your day. Traditionally it is eaten with pitta breads, but I like it with some thick cut sourdough to mop up all the juices.
So simple to make, and yet so satisfying.
Ingredients
(serves 2)
1 medium onion
1 red pepper
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 can of tinned tomatoes (either whole or chopped)
4 large eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small bunch fresh parsley, coriander (or a bit of both!)
Method
Prep your veg by halving and thinly slicing your onion, de-seeding and thinly slicing your red pepper, grating your garlic (or you could use a garlic press), and roughly chop the fresh herbs (stalks and all)
Heat your olive oil in a wide, shallow frying pan over a medium heat and gently fry the onion and pepper for about 5-7 minutes until they are soft and the onion is starting to caramelise.
Add in the garlic and spices and stir for about a minute until they begin to give off their fragrance. Add in the tomato puree and star this through for an extra minute
Add in your tomatoes and a good amount of salt and black pepper and sir until it is starting to simmer.
Simmer until it is has reduced slightly and started to thicken and use a spoon to create 4 wells in your tomatoes and crack an egg into each one. Cover your pan with a lid, or some foil and let this simmer for 5-8 minuets. Your egg whites should be set but the yolks still wobbly when the pan is gently shaken.
Once the eggs are cooked, garnish the dish with the fresh herbs and let people help themselves with plenty of thick cut sourdough on the side.
Top Tips
Shakshuka means “all mixed up” which it…well…kind of is!
Whilst traditionally a vegetarian dish you could easily add in some spiced sausage or salami to this (such as chorizo) for some bonus flavour. I would start to gently fry it to release those oils just before cooking the onion and pepper.
Some tinned tomatoes can be quite acidic. Give the shakshuka a little taste before adding the eggs and if you think you need it a sprinkling of sugar stirred through can help.
You probably noticed that I don’t have enough eggs in my pan. Someone tell me why I decided to star a food blog when we are on lockdown and ingredients are harder to come by?
