Shakshuka is one of those dishes that looks like it took significantly more effort than it did. Eggs poached directly in a spiced tomato sauce, everything cooked in a single pan, served straight from the stovetop. It’s a thirty-minute recipe that consistently produces the kind of meal people photograph.
The pan matters more than people expect for this dish. A wide, shallow skillet — ten or twelve inches — with a lid is what you need. The wide base lets the sauce spread out enough that you can nestle five or six eggs in it without them crowding each other. The lid traps steam and sets the whites without overcooking the yolks. A Caraway sauté pan works beautifully here — the ceramic surface keeps the tomato sauce from sticking and the lid fits snugly. A stainless sauté pan handles it equally well if you keep the heat moderate.
The sauce
Three tablespoons of olive oil in your pan over medium heat. One large onion, thinly sliced — not diced, sliced — cooked slowly for about ten minutes until genuinely soft and sweet. One red bell pepper sliced thin, cooked another five minutes.
Four minced garlic cloves. One teaspoon cumin, one teaspoon smoked paprika, half a teaspoon of coriander, a pinch of cayenne if you want heat. Stir the spices into the vegetables and cook for one minute until fragrant — the spices need to bloom in the fat before the tomatoes go in.
One 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes. Crush them with your hands directly into the pan as you add them — the hand-crushed texture is better than chopped for this sauce. Season with salt. Let the whole thing simmer uncovered for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the raw tomato taste has cooked out.
Taste it. It should be rich, slightly smoky, well-seasoned. Adjust salt if needed.
The eggs
Make small wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon — one per egg. The wells should be deep enough that the egg sits in them rather than sitting on top of the sauce.
Crack each egg carefully into its well. Season the eggs individually with a small pinch of salt on each yolk.
Put the lid on. Cook over medium-low heat for six to eight minutes depending on how set you want the yolks. Six minutes produces runny yolks and set whites — the version most people prefer. Eight minutes gives you fully set yolks.
Check at six minutes by jiggling the pan slightly — the whites should be opaque and firm, the yolks should still have movement.
Finishing
Crumbled feta scattered over the top. Fresh parsley or cilantro. A drizzle of good olive oil.
Serve directly from the pan with crusty bread for scooping. This is not a dish that benefits from being plated.
Pan: 12-inch skillet or sauté pan with lid — Caraway, GreenPan, or any wide stainless sauté pan Time: 30 minutes Serves: 3-4
