Shakshuka with feta and herbs

Shakshuka is eggs gently poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, cooked and served in the same pan. It is one of those dishes that works at any time of day: a slow weekend breakfast, a quick lunch or a light dinner with bread. This version adds crumbled feta and a lot of fresh herbs at the end.

A sauce worth taking slowly

The eggs cook in minutes, so the flavour of the dish comes almost entirely from the sauce. Cook the onions and peppers slowly, for a good fifteen minutes, until they are soft and sweet. Then add the spices, garlic and tomatoes and let it all bubble until thick. The sauce should be thick enough to hold little wells for the eggs, not watery.

Make the sauce with patience and the eggs will take care of themselves.

Rosa Delgado

Getting the eggs right

The perfect shakshuka egg has a set white and a runny yolk. Make small wells in the sauce with the back of a spoon, crack an egg into each and cover the pan. The lid traps the steam and helps the tops of the whites set before the yolks go hard. Check after five minutes. The whites should be opaque, and the yolks should still wobble when you shake the pan.

A pan for sharing

Shakshuka is at its best when you put the pan in the middle of the table and everyone dips in. It is a dish for slow weekend mornings with coffee and newspapers, or for late suppers when nobody wants anything heavy. I love that it needs almost nothing you do not already have: onions, peppers, a couple of tins of tomatoes and some eggs.

I first ate it at a friend's flat years ago, straight from the pan with torn bread, and I made it the next morning, and the one after that. It has been part of our weekend ever since, with endless small changes depending on what is in the fridge.

Before you start

• Use a pan with a lid, or a large plate that fits over the top.
• Slice the peppers thinly so they cook down into the sauce.
• Taste the sauce before adding the eggs; this is your last chance to season it.
• Warm the bread in the oven while the eggs cook.

Ingredients

Serves 4 · Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min · Level Easy

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 red peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tins chopped tomatoes (400 g each)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 6 eggs
• 100 g feta, crumbled
• 1 handful parsley and coriander, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan with a lid over a medium heat.
2. Add the onion and peppers with a pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until very soft.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Make 6 wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each.
6. Cover and cook on a low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
7. Scatter with feta and herbs and serve straight from the pan.

To serve

Bring the pan to the table with a stack of warm bread or pitta, a bowl of thick yogurt and maybe a simple salad of cucumber and tomato. The sauce can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Reheat it until bubbling, then add the eggs.

Common questions