Shakshuka

The Levantine and North African one-pan masterpiece: eggs poached directly in a bold spiced tomato and pepper sauce seasoned with cumin, paprika and harissa, finished with feta and fresh herbs: the dish that crosses every border and is claimed by every culture that loves it

Origin: North Africa & Levant (Tunisia, Israel, Palestine)

From the journey of Tomato.

Shakshuka (the name derives from the North African Arabic for 'all mixed up' or possibly the Berber word for a mixture) is one of the most geographically promiscuous dishes in the world. Its origin is genuinely disputed: Tunisia claims it (the spiced tomato and pepper base is quintessentially Tunisian), Yemen has its version, Israel has adopted it so thoroughly that it is considered a national dish, and the Palestinians, Moroccans, Libyans and Egyptians all claim versions. What is certain is that shakshuka in its modern form (eggs poached in a cooked tomato and pepper sauce) required the tomato, which means it post-dates 1700 CE in North Africa and the Levant. The technique itself (eggs cooked in a sauce) is ancient: the Romans poached eggs in garum-based sauces; Ottoman cooks simmered eggs in meat stews. The shakshuka as codified in the 20th century (particularly through the influence of Yemenite Jewish immigrants who brought their version to Israel in the 1940s and 50s) is the combination that became globally famous: tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne and eggs, cooked in a single cast-iron pan and served at the table in the pan itself, with bread to mop. The Israeli chef Eyal Shani and the restaurant chain Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa did more than anyone else to make the dish internationally known in the 2000s and 2010s.

Ingredients

Sauce

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 large green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika
0.5 tsp ground coriander
tsp ½–1 tsp cayenne pepper or hot paprika (to heat preference)
1 tbsp harissa paste (or more to taste)
800 g canned chopped tomatoes (or fresh ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste

Eggs

eggs, very fresh

Garnish

100 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander, roughly chopped

To serve

crusty bread or pita for serving

Method

Heat the olive oil in a wide, deep skillet or cast-iron pan (28–30cm) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and beginning to turn golden. Add the diced peppers and cook a further 5 minutes until soft.
Add the sliced garlic and all the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cayenne. Fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and darkened slightly. Add the harissa paste and stir through.
Add the canned tomatoes, sugar and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cook uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced: it should hold its shape when a spoon is drawn through it.
Taste the sauce and adjust: more harissa for heat, more salt, possibly a pinch more cumin. The sauce should be bold and complex: it is carrying the eggs, which are mild.
Make 6–8 wells in the sauce using the back of a spoon. Crack an egg into a small bowl first (to check for shells and quality), then slide it into a well. Repeat for all eggs. Season the eggs with a little salt.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes until the whites are just set but the yolks are still runny (or cook longer for set yolks if preferred). Do not walk away: the difference between runny and chalky yolks is about 90 seconds.
Remove from heat. Crumble the feta over the shakshuka. Scatter with chopped parsley or coriander. Bring the pan directly to the table and serve with crusty bread or pita for mopping.

Notes

The green shakshuka (spinach, feta, za'atar) and the white shakshuka (without tomatoes, with cream and cheese) are valid variations, but the red, tomato-based original remains the definitive version. The harissa is non-negotiable for the North African character: without it, the dish loses its edge and becomes generic spiced tomato eggs.

The Gastrographer

Name: Shakshuka
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: North Africa & Levant
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion, finely diced; 1 large red bell pepper, deseeded and diced; 1 large green bell pepper, deseeded and diced; 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 1.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp ground coriander; tsp ½–1 tsp cayenne pepper or hot paprika (to heat preference); 1 tbsp harissa paste (or more to taste); 800 g canned chopped tomatoes (or fresh ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped); 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste; eggs, very fresh; 100 g feta cheese, crumbled; 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander, roughly chopped; crusty bread or pita for serving

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control