Hearty, colorful, and bursting with flavors, shakshuka originates from North African countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya) but is equally popular in Israel, where it's often enjoyed as dinner. Traditionally cooked and served in a cast-iron skillet, I used two unexpected copper pans I found in a quaint shop in Pistoia during my vacation in Tuscany to create individual portions of shakshuka. I swear, their patina only enhanced the dish, turning it into a winning combination. 🙂 The recipe is not complicated at all, and if you prepare the sauce in advance, having it ready just for baking the eggs, it only takes a few minutes. Here’s my version.
INGREDIENTS:
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion
2-3 garlic cloves
2 red bell peppers
A handful of cherry tomatoes (4-6), halved
2 teaspoons muscovado sugar
A pinch of regular sugar
250 ml tomato paste (or a can of peeled tomatoes)
4-5 teaspoons broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon freshly crushed coriander seeds
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
A handful of chopped fresh parsley
A handful of fresh basil
50 g feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Water
3-4 eggs
PREPARATION:
Heat a skillet and toast the cumin seeds just until they start to release their aroma. Add the olive oil, then the finely chopped onion, diced bell peppers, crushed garlic, and halved cherry tomatoes. Stir everything with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften. Sprinkle the muscovado sugar over the peppers and continue cooking for another minute. Add the tomato paste and broth, mixing well. If using canned peeled tomatoes, crush them slightly with a fork. Toss in the bay leaves (which you'll remove later!), crushed coriander, smoked paprika, regular sugar, basil, and some of the chopped parsley. Add water and let it simmer on low heat until everything reduces and thickens into a sauce (about 15 minutes). Towards the end, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and divide into individual serving dishes. Crack an egg into the center of each dish, over the sauce, and sprinkle crumbled feta cheese around each egg. Transfer everything to the preheated oven until the eggs are cooked to your liking. (I prefer them slightly runny, with a luxurious yolk perfect for dipping crusty bread.) Finish with the remaining parsley and dig in!
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