Shakshuka

Introduced by North African Jews, this dish is now a breakfast staple in cafés and homes all over Israel, although it’s just as good for lunch or dinner. The name means ‘mish-mash’ or ‘mix-up’, and this combination of the sauce and eggs is delicious. I encourage you to use a good soft bread to swipe around your pan, to get every last bit.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced into half moons

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small red chilli, to taste, finely chopped

2kg (about 10 large) ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

flaky salt, to taste

8 eggs

4 or more slices fresh soft bread, such as challah or pita

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan for which you have a lid. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and chilli and cook the same way for another minute. Add the tomato and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and put the pan in the oven for 20 minutes to reduce the liquid and roast the tomatoes.

Return the pan to the stovetop and set the heat low so that the sauce simmers. Taste the sauce, and season with salt if needed. Make eight wells in the mixture with the back of a tablespoon (don’t make the wells at the edge of the pan, or the eggs inside will cook too quickly). Crack an egg into each well.

Place the lid on the pan and continue simmering until the eggs whites are set but the yolks are still runny.

Transfer a quarter of the sauce plus two eggs carefully into each of four wide, shallow bowls. Sprinkle each egg with a little salt and serve with the bread on the side.

Variations

We serve this at the restaurant with home-made merguez sausage, which we fry, chop and pop back into the same frying pan which we then use to cook the shakshuka. You could also use a good chorizo.

Tips

If you don’t have an ovenproof frying pan, start the recipe in a stovetop frying pan for which you have a lid. Transfer the mixture to a roasting dish to cook in the oven, then back into your pan to cook your eggs.

This dish looks excellent, and keeps nice and hot, if served in individual skillets (with lids). If you have these, divide the sauce between four small skillets before roasting it in the oven. Crack two eggs into each skillet and serve the skillets directly to the table.

Make ahead

The sauce can be prepared one or two days in advance, and refrigerated. Bring it to a simmer in a frying pan before adding the eggs.