Tired of eating scrambled eggs or boiled eggs for breakfast? Spice up your morning meal with this Tunisian-Israeli dish which is nothing more than poached eggs in a tomato sauce spiced with cumin, paprika and peppers. The recipe from The Perfect Pantry yields enough to feed a family of six but any leftover sauce can be frozen and reheated for a quick weekday dinner or weekend brunch. Keep a careful eye when baking the eggs; they should still be somewhat runny so that the yolks can mix with the sauce when served along with pitta bread or challah.

SHAKSHUKA

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon mild red pepper flakes

1 small jalapeño pepper, optional

2 tablespoons tomato paste

800g canned chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh black pepper, to taste

3 large eggs, room temperature

2-4 tablespoons fresh parsley

Method:

  • Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over low medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion.

  • Sauté for 2 minutes until soft. Add garlic and red bell pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

  • Cook until translucent. Add cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Mix well, and cook for 30 seconds.

  • Add the jalapeño and cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the tomato paste, and stir that into the mixture.

  • Finally, add the chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes.

  • Cook until the sauce comes together. When most of the liquid has evaporated, remove pan from heat.

  • At this point, you could let the sauce cool completely, and refrigerate or freeze in airtight containers.

  • Transfer half of the sauce into a smaller nonstick frying pan. Crack each egg into its own small bowl.

  • Make 3 small indentations in the sauce, and gently slide an egg into each indentation. Cover the pan.

  • Cook until the eggs are as runny, or firm, as you like them. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Shakshuka for Breakfast

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