Shakshouka
The best brunch: eggs poached in a rich tomato sauce of onions, garlic and red peppers. Spiced with cumin, coriander, saffron and chilli.
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Servings: people
Equipment
- tagine with cast iron base or cast iron pan with a tight fitting lid
Ingredients
Main Recipe
- 4 fresh organic free range eggs
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp powdered coriander
- 3 strands saffron optional
- ½-1 tsp chill flakes, Aleppo pepper, Isot pepper or harissa paste* or replace with paprika (see notes)
- 1 small onion or three spring onions - finely sliced
- 1 clove garlic (grated) optional
- 3 sweet red peppers or two red and one green. Finely sliced and de-seeded. ideally Florina peppers
- 1 small fresh chill optional
- 3 fresh tomatoes (roughly chopped) or 400 g tin Italian plum tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
For Serving
- 1 handful coriander, parsley or basil
- Labneh or Greek yoghurt or Feta optional
Seasonal Variations
- 1 large aubergine; prepared in advance, finely sliced and salted for 30 minutes
- 2 medium potatoes cut into small cubes
Instructions
Main recipe
- Rub the saffron between your fingers and cover with a teaspoon of hot water.
- Place the tagine on the heat with some olive oil. Add the cumin seeds, and as soon as they start to wriggle, add the onions. Let them soften, and add the peppers, garlic and remaining spices.
- Cook over low heat until the peppers are soft and the onions golden. Add the tomatoes and saffron. Cover the tagine and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until you have a reduced (slightly caramalised) tomato sauce, but you can just distinguish the tomatoes from the pepper and onions. Adjust seasoning.
- Crack in the eggs - either make a dent in the sauce and crack in the eggs or crack them on top of the sauce or crack on top and swirl into the sauce. Your choice! Cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
- Garnish with seasonal fresh herbs and a sprinkle of chilli pepper or paprika. Serve with a side of yoghurt or labneh or top with crumbled feta. Make sure there is plenty of fresh pita or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Seasonal Variations
- Aubergine: rinse and thoroughly dry the aubergine. Fry over medium heat with the onions and spices until golden. Add the tomatoes when the aubergine is soft and browned on both sides. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomato sauce is reduced, but the aubergine retains its shape. Cook eggs as per the main recipe. Garnish the Aubergine Shakshouka with finely chopped preserved lemon.
- Potatoes: fry with the onions and spices (you may want to add an extra onion). Cover, and when the potatoes are soft, add the tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes or until the tomato sauce is reduced, but the potato cubes retain shape. Cook eggs as per the main recipe. Preserved lemon is also delicious in this version.
Notes
*I tend to use Aleppo pepper or harissa paste, but go with a level of spice you like. You may also prefer it not to be spicy, in which case replace with a good paprika. Check for seasoning before adding the tomatoes.