Shakshuka is one of those dishes that poses as a recipe, when in fact, it is more of an assemblage of pantry staples disguised as a hug in food form. Iterations of Shakshuka can be found all over the world, with more or less ingredients. I prefer to keep mine as simple as possible, and this becomes a welcomed preference especially when you have very little in your pantry to begin with. This recipe serves one, very happily, so naturally just increase the ingredients according to how many hungry mouths you wish you please. A crowd pleaser for sure, this dish feels luxurious even though it’s made of the humblest of ingredients with very little effort needed to prepare. As with all things in life, timing is everything, so be sure to keep a close eye on those eggs to prevent them from overcooking.
Ingredients
Olive oil
1/2 white onion, sliced thinly (reserve a small amount for garnish)
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 whole fresh tomato, roughly chopped
Cumin
Ground coriander
Paprika
Nutmeg
Fine black pepper
Chilli flake
2 fresh farms eggs
A pinch of fresh coriander/parsley, roughly chopped
Salt
1/2 tablespoon tahini paste
Method
In a shallow pan that has a lid, sweat the sliced onion and garlic until just translucent with a pinch of salt. Remember to keep a small amount of onion aside for the final step.
Dust an even layer of each spice over the onions & garlic. You can use as little or as much as you want. I prefer to keep the flavours more subtle. Let the spices bloom in the oil, becoming fragrant. Once you can smell the spices perfuming your kitchen, add the tomato paste and cook it out for 2 - 3 minutes.
Add the chopped fresh tomato chunks and mix into the rest of the ingredients. Add a splash of water and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on ajar, and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes. The tomato should be cooked through but still holding it’s shape.
In a small bowl, whisk your tahini with water, drop by drop until you have the consistency of pouring cream. Season with salt and honey. The honey will really help balance the earthiness of the tahini and the salt will make it come alive, so to speak. Gosh, I’m dramatic! Set aside.
Back to the shakshuka; turn the heat off. Crack your two eggs into the pan, scatter over the remaining onion and chopped parsley/coriander leaves. (if you are cooking for a crowd, I would crack all the eggs into a bowl, gently dropping them into the pan one by one to save time)
Turn the heat back up the lowest setting and cover with the lid. Keep an eye on your eggs, you want the egg whites to be perfectly set while the yowls remain gooey and runny. It should take around 5 minutes.
Serve immediately drizzled with tahini and your choice of toast, should you wish.