Shakshouka

Name: Shakshouka
Ingredients: 2 big ripe tomatoes, cubed; 3 cloves of garlic, minced; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 1 green bell peppers, cubed and roughly chopped (if you'd like to dice more finely, that's totally fine too); 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon thyme; 1 teaspoon harissa (or substitute with paprika powder, but harissa is best); 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional); 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 handful of parsley, chopped (for garnish); extra salt and pepper to taste

Lauren Gordon|March 15, 2015 6:57 pm EST

Shakshouka

3.5 (2 ratings)

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This classic Tunisian dish takes its name from the Arabic for "mixture.” That means it’s perfect for sharing at your group brunch. This recipe is so tasty and hearty that your carnivore guests won’t even miss the meat.

Servings

2

Ingredients

2 big ripe tomatoes, cubed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell peppers, cubed and roughly chopped (if you'd like to dice more finely, that's totally fine too)
1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon harissa (or substitute with paprika powder, but harissa is best)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 handful of parsley, chopped (for garnish)
extra salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1
Take a cast-iron pan or a shallow skillet (we preferred cast iron for this recipe) and put over medium-high heat. Once the pan is warmed, add your olive oil. Once olive oil is warmed, add the onions and garlic and stir around for 2—3 minutes as the onions start to sweat.
Next, add your green bell peppers and stir around for another 2—3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Stir briefly before adding the cumin, thyme, harissa, black pepper, sea salt, and ras el hanout (if added). Stir around for another 1 minute, but this time also occasionally mash the tomatoes with your spoon to help break them up. Cover your pan and let everything cook together for another 4 minutes.
Step 2As your pan is covered and everything is cooking together, crack your eggs into a small bowl or ramekin. This will make it easier to place them gently into the pan without breaking.After 4 minutes, uncover your pan and use a ladle to create tiny wells or pockets in the mixture to put your eggs. Pour your eggs from the ramekin into the well and jostle ever so gently. You don't want the egg to break, but you want some of the egg white to permeate through the rest of the mixture. After a slight jostle, cover your pan again and let the eggs cook/steam for 2 minutes.After 2 minutes (making sure your eggs are fully cooked), take the pan off the heat and sprinkle your parsley over as garnish.