Technically, shakshuka is just Middle Eastern poached eggs in a spicy tomato gravy, but that’s like saying pizza is just dough with cheese and sauce. Like pizza, there’s good shakshuka, awful shakshuka, and oh-my-God-this-is-awesome shakshuka. If you want to try the best, go to the Mecca (that might be the wrong word choice here) of shakshuka: The infamous Dr. Shakshuka restaurant in the old Arab port city of Jaffa, Israel. The Doctor throws down fantastic home-style Libyan food under a canopy of antique copper pans. If you’re in Tel Aviv and you don’t take a stroll over there, you missed something incredible.
Full disclosure: Dr. Shakshuka happens to be my father-in-law’s brother-in-law. Dr. Devash, my FIL, is the coolest biotech supergenius and blues guitar player you’ll ever meet. Sinatra’s “My Way” should be playing wherever he goes, because he lives life—and makes eggs—his way.
Anyway, this is my version of Dr. Devash’s version of Dr. Shakshuka’s namesake specialty. With all these advanced-degree shakshuka wizards around, I’ve managed to pick up a trick or two.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into small dice
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
2 pounds tomatoes, diced (or use a 27-ounce can of diced tomatoes if you can’t find ripe ones)
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or Aleppo or cayenne pepper)
2 tablespoons honey
6 large eggs
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper and stir to coat with the oil. Cook until the mixture smells super garlicky, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and mash them up a bit with a fork or potato masher, then stir in the tomato paste. Let cook down for 7 minutes.
3. Add all of the spices and the honey at once. Mix thoroughly.
4. Crack your eggs right into the skillet. Spread them out evenly, giving them space to poach in the tomato mixture.
5. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and let cook for 10 to 12 minutes. You should have beautifully poached eggs in a delicious tomato sauce.
6. Make it pretty with parsley. Serve it with pita or a baguette, or do it the Sicilian way—cook 4 ounces of dry pasta and top with the eggs and sauce.