Very Sexy Shakshuka
Serves 4-6 • Time 55 mins
For me, Shakshuka is comfort food at its best. Warm, saucy, spicy. The kind of food that elicits an inner “mmmm” from somewhere inside your gut. AND the kind of food that makes you feels cozy, without making you feel heavy and sluggish later on in the day.
This is my version of Shakshuka, but in the “tradition” of Shakshuka you should feel free to play around with it as you wish. Add a little more heat. Stick some chunks of feta inside of it when you add your eggs. Throw in some greens that have been languishing in your vegetable drawer for too long. Do you boo. My only request, is that you do not skip serving this with some warmed pita, flatbread, or a good crusty slice of something. You don’t want to miss out on sopping up the sauce.
PS: Hannah insisted that I put a note about the fact that you do not have to put cilantro, or as she calls it “the devils herb”, on top of this dish in order for it to be good. Yes, unfortunately she is one of those cilantro=soap humans. Hey, we can’t choose who we love. ;-)
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can of good quality tomatoes (whole are preferred, but diced will also work)
3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon- 2 tablespoons harissa paste *see note below
1 teaspoon sweet or Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
~1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, may be used to replace harissa in a pinch)
1 medium/large yellow onion
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
6 eggs **see note below
Handful of cilantro
Equipment
Large (12 inch) skillet with a lid
Notes, Tips, & Tricks
* Harissa paste can vary greatly in heat. I have been buying the one from Trader Joes, which is a bit on the loose and mild side, and using 2 tablespoons. However, taste your paste first! There are some very concentrated and spicy pastes out there, where you may want to use as little as 1 teaspoon.
**If you are making this recipe with the intention of having leftovers, I recommend you only adding as many eggs as will be eaten the day-of. Leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. Reheat leftover sauce in the microwave or in a skillet, and top with over easy eggs.
Let’s Do It
Step 1
Cut your onion into quarters, and slice relatively thin. Remove seeds and cut your bell pepper into similar size slices. Remove the skin from your garlic by placing your garlic under the flat edge of you chef’s knife and applying pressure with the palm of your hand until you hear the skin crack. Peel and thinly slice your garlic. Roughly chop or tear cilantro leaves and tender stems.
Step 2
Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Add in onions, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, harissa, cayenne (if using), a few grinds of pepper, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Cook your mixture, stirring every now and then, until the onion and pepper are nice and soft, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 3
Once your vegetables have softened, add in your tomatoes with their juices. If using whole tomatoes tear or cut tomatoes into chunks as you add them to the pan. Add another healthy pinch of salt, then stir to combine. Simmer over medium-low heat until your mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste sauce, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Step 4
Make dips in the sauce, according to how many eggs you intend to cook. Gently, crack eggs into their individual dips. Then, take a fork and carefully swirl the egg whites into the Shakshuka sauce. This helps the egg whites cook, without overcooking the egg yolks. Season eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Place lid slight askew on pan and simmer eggs in sauce for about 8-12 minutes, checking frequently, until egg whites are just set. Note: you may want to continue to swirl egg whites as sauce simmers in order to cook them just right. Scoop eggs and sauce into shallow bowls, top with cilantro, and eat with bread.