Shakshuka - Eggs Baked in a Spicy Tomato Sauce

Original from Tunisia, Shakshuka has been adopted by many North Afircan and Middle Eastern countries as if it were their own. Shakshuka is a dish of eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce.  The tomato sauce is prepared on the stovetop. Then the eggs are added to the sauce and they finish baking in the oven.  It is served with bread, which is used to mop the sauce.  This recipe is great for stress-free entertaining as the sauce can be made up to three days in advance and kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  Then simply warm it and bake the eggs in it. This recipe is quite simple yet sounds exotic and generates a lot of “oohs” and “ahs”!

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

8 cloves garlic,minced

1 (28-oz.) can chopped tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes

1/2  teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

8 eggs

Country, challah or pita bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In large skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onion and jalapeño peppers.  Sauté on medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, or until soft.  Add the garlic and cook an additional 1 or 2 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.  Add the tomato paste, paprika, sugar, cumin chili flakes and turmeric and simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Mix in the parsley into the sauce.

Increase the heat to medium and using the back of the spoon make some indentations into the sauce.  One by one, break each egg into a ramekin or small bowl and add to the indentations in the simmering sauce.  Transfer the skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.  The egg whites should be firm but the yolks still runny. With a spoon, transfer the eggs to bowls or deep dishes along with some of the sauce and serve with warm bread.