Saucy shakshuka sure to please
Far from a sauce to accompany a fine dish, sweet, savoury and spicy shaksuka is the main attraction, writes Becky Krystal.
I’ve long been a believer that a good sauce can make a dish. In the case of this spicy red shakshuka, the sauce is the dish. Sure, there are a half-dozen sunny eggs in the skillet, and the runny yolks are an attraction – but primarily for the way their creamy richness intermingles with the peppy sauce.
In fact, my tasters loved the sauce so much, several (including me) were happy to have an entire bowl of it.
Shakshuka is a welcome addition to the table, no matter when you plan to serve it, or how many people you plan to serve it to.
Along with a little – or a lot of – bread to scoop up that delectable sauce, it makes a fine main course for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Or it will play happily in a larger spread with a salad and some bright finger foods, such as crudites, hummus and pickled vegetables.
Because the sauce is easy to throw together and can be stored, you can make a batch at the beginning of the week to save for future meals.
I’ve already started imagining other ways to use it – as the basis of a soup, thinly spread inside a grilled cheese sandwich, even tossed with pasta.
Spicy red shakshuka
4 to 6 servings
Shakshuka is closely associated with Israeli cuisine, but this recipe relies heavily on North Africa, which is where the dish probably originated before spreading throughout the Middle Eastern nation.
This sauce features a delectable blend of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours, accented by cumin and caraway.
It pairs perfectly with rich, runny egg yolks, though we were happy to eat bowls of the sauce by itself, too.
We found we got better results baking the assembled dish, but if you prefer, you can finish the eggs by covering the skillet and letting them cook over medium-low head for 7-10 minutes.
Serve with plenty of bread for scooping and sopping up the sauce.
■ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
■ 2 medium onions, finely diced
■ 1 large red capsicum, cored, seeded and finely diced
■ 1 chilli, cored, seeded and sliced
■ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
■ 1 to 2 tablespoons harissa
■ 3 cloves garlic, minced
■ 2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes
■ 2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
■ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
■ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
■ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
■ 1⁄2 teaspoon ground caraway seed
■ 6 to 8 large eggs
■ Chopped fresh herbs, such as dill or coriander, for garnish (optional)
■ Crumbled feta, for garnish (optional)
■ Challah, pita or crusty bread, for serving
In a large skillet (at least 25cm), over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about six minutes. Add the capsicum and chilli and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, one tablespoon of harissa, and the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for another two minutes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, paprika, cumin and caraway. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thick and shiny, about 20 minutes. It will reduce somewhat, as well.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or remaining harissa, if you like more spice.
Meanwhile, position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees Celsius.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Using a large spoon, and create little wells in the sauce. Carefully break one egg into a cup or ramekin, then slip it into one of the wells. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
(Cracking the egg into a cup first lets you inspect it for any runaway bits of shell.)
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 12 minutes, until the egg whites are set, but the yolks are still a little runny. Transfer the skillet to the counter and sprinkle with the herbs and feta, if using.
Drizzle with more olive oil, to taste. Serve the shakshuka directly from the skillet, with plenty of bread.
Make ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to one week. Reheat it in the skillet over medium-low heat before adding the eggs, so they will set faster in the oven. Adapted from Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking, by Einat Admony and Janna Gur (Artisan, 2019).