Shakshuka with Feta and Herbs

Shakshuka is one of those dishes that sounds exotic but is really just eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce. It is weeknight cooking at its best: one pan, 30 minutes, and you have a deeply flavorful meal. The trick is to build layers of flavor in the sauce — blooming the spices in oil, then building a base with onions and peppers, then adding the tomatoes and letting everything reduce until thick and jammy.

The eggs should be gently nestled into wells in the sauce and cooked covered until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. This takes about 7-8 minutes over medium-low heat. Resist the urge to cook them longer. A runny yolk that breaks into the spiced sauce when you dig in with bread is the whole point of this dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (or 1 fresh chili, sliced)
• 800g canned whole tomatoes (San Marzano if possible), crushed by hand
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 100g feta cheese, crumbled
• Fresh cilantro and flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Crusty bread for serving (sourdough or challah)

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet (ideally cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until softened and starting to caramelize at the edges. The onions should be translucent and sweet, not browned.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, and chili flakes. Stir and cook for 30 seconds — blooming the spices in the oil releases their essential oils and deepens the flavor significantly.
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced by about a third. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be well-salted and slightly sweet.
4. Use the back of a spoon to make 6 wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well. Season the eggs with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Scatter the crumbled feta between the eggs.
5. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes. Check at 7 minutes — the whites should be fully set but the yolks should still jiggle when you shake the pan. If the whites are still translucent, cover and cook 1-2 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat. Scatter generously with chopped cilantro and parsley. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil. Serve immediately in the skillet with thick slices of crusty bread for scooping. This dish does not reheat well — eat it all.