By far, the most efficient thing you can have for brunch is a shakshuka. By efficient we mean, filling and delicious, yet super easy to make at home even on a lazy sunday (and it’s also when it tastes best).
Shakshuka is simply eggs cooked in a spicy pepper/tomato sauce served in an iron skillet where you dip freshly baked pita and slurp it away. While everyone else is debating about its origin and whether it was first invented in Tunisia or in the Ottoman empire, we recommend you to skip the theory to jump right in and give our variation a try. There is no “official” recipe, but once you’ll get hooked to it (which we all know will happen), you’ll understand that you can add pretty much everything from olives, to feta, spinach, or even merguez (suggest to stop experimenting before you arrive at raspberry and custard).
Our version uses harissa instead of fresh chillies, which gives it a deeper and smokier flavour we love (and because on a lazy sunday who wants to go out buy fresh chillies, really). Harissa is a north african spicy paste made with chillies, garlic and caraway, and is essential for life according to us. We recommend making your own, and you can start with these two delicious recipes on thekitchn or allrecipes. If you’re lazy or don’t have a mixer, you can simply buy a pot of Belazu rose harissa which is quite delicious.
If you’re not yet convinced, here are some other shakshuka recipes we loved and recommend: smitten kitchen, the shiksa in the kitchen, David Lebovitz, and the unmissable Yotam Ottolenghi. Finally, check out this excellent read to learn more details about shakshukas and their history. Enjoy!!!
Shakshuka
Print recipeIngredients
- 1 Medium onion (chopped)
- 2 bellpeppers (julienned)
- 3 tomatoes (or a can of chopped tomatoes)
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon harissa (or more!!)
- 1 teaspoon ras al hanout (or your favorite mix of spices, cumin, turmeric)
- 1 bunch lovely herbs (parsley & coriander)
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Heat the oil in a pan on medium fire, add the onion and cook for five minutes. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Once the onion is softened, add the stripes of red and yellow bellpeppers and cook for 7-8 minutes or until the peppers start to soften as well. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add the ras el hanout (or spices), the spoon of harissa, and the chopped tomatoes. Stir thoroughly. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce becomes thicker, taste and add sugar to regulate acidity if needed. Season with salt and pepper. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Crack the eggs directly in the sauce and keep cooking until they are done (it's best when the yolks are all goey so 5-6 minutes should ne enough). | |
| Step 6 | |
| Variation: just after adding the eggs, you can sprinkle a few green olives and some crumbled feta and finish it 5 minutes in an oven. Just make sure you don't overcook the eggs!! | |
| Step 7 | |
| Sprinkle with the chopped herbs, serve piping hot with warm pitas, and dive in! | |
