Shakshuka

The Method for Shakshuka

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1. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan and cook the onion and peppers over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until genuinely soft and beginning to caramelise at the edges. This slow start is worth the time.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

2. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then the cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne. Fry the spices for 45 seconds until fragrant.

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3. Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until thickened and the oil beads at the surface.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

4. Taste and adjust the seasoning now — you cannot stir it once the eggs are in.

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5. Make six wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon, pushing right down to the pan base.

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6. Crack an egg into each well and season the yolks with a pinch of salt and pepper.

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7. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 6 to 9 minutes, until the whites are just set and the yolks still wobble.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

8. Scatter over the feta and herbs and serve immediately from the pan, with bread (optional) for scooping.

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Related guide: Ingredient substitutions.

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Things to Watch For

1. Crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it into its well — a broken yolk is hard to rescue mid-pan.
2. Check the eggs at 6 minutes. Residual heat keeps cooking them after the pan leaves the hob.
3. The sauce can be made days ahead; reheat it and add the eggs to order.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

A Little Background

Making wells in the sauce and covering the pan means the eggs cook by steam from above and conduction from below, so the whites set before the yolks firm. Toasting the cumin and paprika in oil before the tomatoes go in extracts their fat-soluble aromatics, which is why the sauce tastes deeper than its short cooking time suggests.

What to Serve It With

Strong coffee or fresh orange juice · Serve with challah, pita or good sourdough · Follow with fresh fruit and mint tea

Storing Leftovers

The sauce keeps 5 days refrigerated and freezes 3 months. Poached eggs do not store — add them fresh each time.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

Gluten-free when served without the crusty bread.

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