Shakshuka

Ditch your morning scrambled eggs for this spicy one-pot wonder.

If you’re cooking on a budget, this is one vegetarian dish you need to have in your repertoire. The eggs are gently poached in a smoky tomato sauce, which is packed full of peppers and store-cupboard spices.

In North Africa, the dish is eaten for breakfast but it’s perfect for any meal of the day. Just a grab a hunk of crusty bread and get stuck in.

How To Make Shakshuka

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Shakshuka
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Use a lidded frying pan or skillet: You’ll need to be able to cover the pan towards the end of this recipe – it’s essential for poaching the eggs.
  Make egg wells: Use a spoon to create little pockets for the eggs to sit in – this helps them to nestle into the sauce and cook evenly.
• Set a timer: How long you cook your eggs for comes down to personal preference. I like mine when the egg whites have just set and the yolks are perfectly runny, which takes around 5 minutes. If you like firmer yolks, you can cook them for up to 8 minutes. Keep in mind that they’ll continue to cook in the tomato sauce, even after you take the pan off the heat.

Shakshuka

Serves: 1 Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins 20 mins

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Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, finely diced
1/4 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
1/4 green pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 x 400g can peeled tomatoes
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 frozen spinach cubes
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
2 large free-range eggs

To serve
1 lime wedge
Small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Instructions

Step 1
Heat the olive oil in the pan and toss in the shallot and peppers. Fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are starting to soften.

Step 2
Stir in the garlic, red chilli, cumin seeds and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute more.

Step 3
Tip in the peeled tomatoes with the smoked paprika, frozen spinach, sugar and 50ml of water and leave to bubble away gently for 8-10 minutes until the spinach is fully defrosted.

Step 4
Season to taste and make two indentations in the tomato mixture. Carefully crack an egg into each one, then cover the pan with a lid. Cook over a gentle heat for 5-8 minutes or until the eggs are just set.

Step 5
Scatter with fresh coriander before serving and garnish with lime wedges on the side.  

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Shakshuka?

Shakshuka (or Shakshouka) is a Tunisian breakfast dish in origin, though it is also popular throughout North Africa and in the Middle East.

Traditionally, the dish consists of eggs gently poached in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce with plenty of bread on the side to mop up the juices.

What’s The Difference Between Plum And Canned Chopped Tomatoes?

Canned tomatoes are picked at their ripest and retain more texture than passata because they are less processed. Canned cherry tomatoes are highly prized because of their wonderfully sweet flavour, while whole peeled ‘plum’ tomatoes are generally favoured over chopped tomatoes because they are the most versatile and fuller in flavour.

It is true that you get what you pay for, so try and seek out the best quality tomatoes to produce a richer and more flavourful sauce.