Chef notes
I love this recipe because it easily feeds a large group, which is great during the holidays. The sauce can be made ahead and keeps well (refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to a month). Once the sauce is ready, the dish comes together quickly and is warm and satisfying on a chilly day. Best of all, it is extremely adaptable: Add merguez or your favorite sausage, if you like. Substitute your favorite vegetables and add your favorite hot sauce if you want a bit of a kick. Whatever you choose, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Technique tip: Any leftover shakshuka sauce can be used to make a quick dinner: Warm the sauce and add shrimp and mussels for a seafood shakshuka.
Swap options: Substitute roasted cauliflower, chickpeas or roasted peppers. If you don't like cilantro or dill, you can omit one, or substitute parsley or mint.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
- salt, to taste
- 2 (28-ounce) cans tomato sauce or crushed tomato
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups finely chopped kale
- 4 eggs
- 3 ounces feta, crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped dill
Preparation
For the sauce:
1.Place pan over medium-high heat.
2.Pour the olive oil in the pan and add onions, garlic and jalapeño, and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes.
3.Add spices and herbs then stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 40 minutes.
For the shakshuka:
1.Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2.Heat a large, shallow pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the kale and sauté for 3 minutes.
3.Pour 2 cups of the sauce into the pan with the kale (you may need more orless sauce depending on the dimensions of your pan). The sauce should be about an inch and a half deep. Any remaining sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.
4.When the sauce is hot, make four wells using the back of a large spoon. Crack one egg into a small bowl. Slide the egg into one of the sauce wells. Repeat with the remaining eggs (you may also use more or fewer eggs depending on the size of your pan). Each well must be distinct, without touching, so that the eggs can poach gently in the sauce.
5.Allow eggs to simmer in the sauce on the stove top for 4 minutes, until the whites are just beginning to set.
6.Place the pan into the hot oven. Cook for 4 minutes, or until egg whites are set but yolks remain runny. When cooked, carefully remove the shakshuka.
7.Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top of the hot shakshuka and finish with the chopped herbs.
