Entrée
Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato-pepper sauce, right in the skillet. Breakfast that works fine at 7pm too.
Active15 min
Total30 min
Dishes1
Per serving$1.80
Ingredients · 4 servings
| 6 whole | eggs |
| 28 oz can | crushed tomatoes |
| 1 whole | bell pepper grow it ↗ |
| 1 whole | onion |
| 3 cloves | garlic grow it ↗ |
| 1 tsp | cumin · pantry |
| 1 tsp | paprika · pantry |
| olive oil · pantry | |
| kosher salt · pantry |
Method
The chef moveMake wells in the sauce for the eggs, not a flat surface — a well keeps the white contained so it sets around the yolk instead of spreading thin across the whole pan.
- Cook diced onion and bell pepper in oil until soft, 6-8 min. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, cook 1 min.
- Add crushed tomatoes and salt. Simmer 10-12 min until thickened.
- Make small wells in the sauce, crack an egg into each. Cover and cook 6-8 min until whites are set and yolks are still soft.
The Why · No Anecdotes
The science, not a story about my childhood.
Why crack the eggs into wells instead of just onto the surface?
A well is deeper than the surrounding sauce, so the raw white pools and stays put instead of spreading into a thin, floppy layer across the whole pan. It also puts more of the white in direct contact with the hot sauce, so it sets faster and more evenly around the yolk.
Why cover the pan for the egg stage but not the tomato stage?
The tomato sauce needs moisture to escape so it reduces and thickens — covering it would trap steam and keep it thin. The eggs need the opposite — trapped steam cooks the tops of the whites gently without having to flip or baste them, so the yolks stay soft.
Suggested sides — swap freely