Shakshuka

From the kitchen of Carly

Eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, scattered with feta, eaten straight from the pan with bread for scooping. Brunch when you have people over, dinner when you don't. Cover the pan tight when the eggs go in. Steam is what cooks the tops without overcooking the yolks.

Shakshuka

Eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, finished with feta and cilantro. The trick is getting the sauce thick and jammy enough that it cradles the eggs without letting them sink, then knowing when to pull the pan off heat so the yolks stay loose. Red chili and fresh cilantro keep it bright and a little sharp against all that richness.

Prep
5 min
Cook
20 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 tbspolive oil
  • 2red onions, chopped
  • 1red chili, finely chopped
  • 1 clovegarlic, minced
  • 1 small bunchfresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
  • 1 3/4 lb(800 g)cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1 large can crushed)
  • 1 tbspsugar
  • 4large eggs
  • 1 small handfulfeta, crumbled

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet (one with a lid) over medium heat.

  2. Add the red onions, chili, garlic, and cilantro stems. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.

  3. Add the cherry tomatoes and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes, occasionally pressing the tomatoes with a spoon to help them break down. The sauce should be thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail.

  4. Use the back of a spoon to make 4 wells in the sauce. Crack one egg into each well.

  5. Cover the pan and lower the heat. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks still wobble. Check at 5 minutes if you like jammy yolks.

  6. Scatter the cilantro leaves and crumbled feta over the top.

  7. Bring the whole pan to the table. Serve with crusty bread for scooping.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Press the tomatoes against the pan with the back of a spoon as they cook, roughing them up to release their juice and speed up reduction. You want that sauce thick before the eggs go in.
  • Make your wells shallow and deliberate. A spoon pressed into the sauce three or four times around creates pockets that cup each egg instead of letting it float.
  • Start checking yolks at 5 minutes if you like them runny. Whites take about 6 to 8, but every stove is different, and carryover heat keeps cooking them after you pull the pan off.

Variations

  • Use canned crushed tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes if you want to skip the halving and rely on a thinner, brighter sauce that will need less simmering time.
  • Stir a spoonful of harissa or Aleppo pepper into the tomato sauce for a deeper, smokier heat.
  • Top with labneh or Greek yogurt instead of feta, drizzling it in just before serving for a cooling, tangy contrast.
  • Add a handful of spinach or lacinato kale to the sauce in the last 2 minutes of cooking before you make the wells for the eggs.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days, though the yolks will harden. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water. Not recommended for freezing.

Substitutions
  • feta to labneh, queso fresco, or skip entirely. Feta is the classic. Labneh is creamier; queso fresco is milder. The dish works without cheese too.
  • fresh cilantro to fresh parsley or basil. Use what you have. Cilantro haters get parsley.
  • cherry tomatoes to 1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes. Faster, equally good. Skip the simmering-to-break-down step and go straight to thickening.

Pairs well with: Warm pita, sourdough, or thick toast for scooping, Sliced avocado on the side, salt and lime, A pot of strong coffee or fresh-squeezed orange juice