Many years ago, one of my daughter's introduced me to shakshuka. She kept raving about her roommate's shakshuka and wanted me to try it at a restaurant. Since then, I've had many occasions to sample shakshuka and when done right, it's this delicious stewed tomato sauce with chunks of tomatoes that envelope poached eggs. For me, the taste of the tomato sauce is key. It shouldn't be too acidic and it shouldn't be too watery. So, during the height of tomato season when your gardens are bursting with so many tomatoes, try this amazing shakshuka dish with my Sammy Wong's all purpose seasoning, and you may be making this several times a week. The poached eggs should also be perfectly cooked and for me, that means runny yolks! I also like dunking chunks of fresh sourdough that soaks up all the tomato juice just like a panzanella salad, except this dish is made using freshly baked sourdough and the sauce is deliciously warm and hearty.
Tips for making Shakshuka
Tomatoes
The most important ingredient in the shakshuka are the tomatoes. Fresh, ripe, flavorful tomatoes are the key. However, if you're in a pinch, use canned, whole San Marzano tomatoes. The tomatoes should not be too acidic. Also, try to use plum tomatoes as they have less seeds and are less juicy, resulting in a thicker sauce. However, if you don't have fresh plum tomatoes, you can try to remove some of the seeds from the regular tomatoes and simmer it without the lid, to evaporate some of the liquid.
If you have to use canned tomatoes, I recommend these tomatoes.
San Marzano, whole, peeled tomatoes.
Other vegetables
In addition to the tomatoes, diced onion and red bell pepper provide sweetness to the sauce. Saute the diced onion until caramelized. This happens when the diced onion turns translucent and slightly brown when the sugars are extracted and start to caramelize.
Flavorings
In addition to the fresh chopped garlic, basil and parsley, Sammy Wong's All purpose seasoning plus extra cumin is used for this delicious sauce. The all purpose seasoning has all the necessary herbs and spices to make this a rich blend of tastes.
Eggs
I poach the eggs directly into the shakshuka by making some indentations into the sauce where I'm going to crack the eggs. Simmer the sauce with the lid on to cook the eggs. For soft, runny eggs barely simmer for 3-5 minutes. For medium poached eggs, simmer for 5-7 minutes. For hard poached eggs, simmer for 7 and a half minutes.
Enjoying the sauce
There is no better way to enjoy this hearty, tasty tomato sauce than with some fresh slices or chunks of sourdough bread. However, you can grill some slices of bread with some olive oil, sprinkled with some coarse sea salt. If gluten is not in your diet, substitute it for vegetables that will hold the sauce like cucumbers, thick slices of bell peppers, brocolli etc. Don't let the sauce go to waste! If you make soo much sauce, save it for pasta!
Saving the sauce
This sauce saves well in the freezer. So, if you have a bumper crop of tomatoes and need to "process" it, make this sauce and freeze it in portions in either freezer bags which take less space or containers. You'll be so glad you did when your tomato crop is gone!
Enjoy and bon appetit!
SHAKSHUKA- Tomato stew with poached eggs
Ingredients
- 800 grams fresh tomatoes (skinless) large 28 oz. can of whole plum tomatoes can be substituted.
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic chopped
- 3 tsp Sammy Wong's all-purpose seasoning
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp olive oil cooking oil can be used
Instructions
- Remove the skin of the fresh tomatoes. (See video)800 grams fresh tomatoes (skinless)
- Dice a quarter of the tomatoes to make a sauce and halve the rest of the tomatoes.
- Prepare the rest of the vegetables.1 red bell pepper, 1 medium onion, 2 Tbsp fresh basil, 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
- In a pan with high sides (chicken fryer pan), heat oil.3 Tbsp olive oil
- Saute the chopped garlic.4 cloves fresh garlic
- Add the diced onion and saute until caramelized.1 medium onion
- Add the diced red pepper and tomatoes.1 red bell pepper, 800 grams fresh tomatoes (skinless)
- Add the seasoning, tomato paste and water.3 tsp Sammy Wong's all-purpose seasoning, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp tomato paste, ½ cup water
- Reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes with a lid on, allowing the red pepper and tomatoes to soften and the flavors to mix.
Poaching the eggs
- Poach the eggs directly into the sauce by creating space for each egg in the sauce and cracking the egg into the cavity.4 large eggs
- Cover and simmer on very low heat. Soft poached eggs 3-5 minutes. Medium poached eggs: 5-7 minutes. Hard poached egges 7.5 minutes.
- Just before serving, add the fresh chopped basil and parsley. Stir to incorporate.
- Serve shakshuka into individual bowls making sure to remove eggs first to prevent breaking the yolks.
- Sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve with freshly baked bread or slices grilled with olive oil.