This is one of those dishes with a multitude of spelling variations, but the essence of the dish is always a zesty or spicy tomato sauce in which fresh eggs are poached.
The word shakshouka means ‘a mixture’ in some Arabic dialects and there are endless variations of this versatile dish. Our recipe is great because it’s structure provides a template for experimentation. Tell us if you make something special.
Bread such as khobz or pita is often served to mop the plate.
There’s room for embellishment here. If you have some ras el hanout, a little pinch might add something special, although I wouldn’t tell a Moroccan, as traditionally this spice blend is used in only specific dishes. (We love a good laugh about ‘traditional’ food, don’t you?) Try roasting whole cumin before grinding or finely grating double the quantity of fresh turmeric. Smoked salt might be nice. Parsley is often substituted for the coriander, but what about sage or chives?
Leaving the chili pepper whole will allow you to remove it from the sauce when you feel it has added enough heat.
You need a pan with a tight-fitting lid. A tagine is perfect for 4 servings; a smaller pan with lid is necessary for fewer portions. We are working on a version of this recipe with individual serving dishes so it can be scaled with more versatility and served more conveniently.
Time
1 hour 15 minutes total: 1 hour attended, 15 minutes unattended
Difficulty
very easy
Yield
750 g (servings 2 )
Per serve | |
---|---|
Energy (kcal) | 281.5 |
Energy (kJ) | 1174.7 |
Protein (g) | 12 |
Fat (g) | 18.6 |
Carbs (g) | 14.1 |
Sugars (g) | 10.7 |
Fiber (g) | 4.7 |
Sodium (mg) | 594.6 |
Cholesterol (mg) | 257.2 |