Shakshouka — North African-Style Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

S1 E16 | Mark Normand + Jessica Kirson | Mark Normand, Jessica Kirson, and the Diner Surprise | Something's Burning

Mark Normand and Jessica Kirson join Bert in the kitchen for a diner-style surprise: a bubbling cast-iron shakshouka, with eggs poached in a smoky, spicy tomato-and-pepper sauce and finished with fresh herbs and crusty bread for dipping.

Shakshouka

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large red pepper (bell for milder heat, or a hotter variety like red horned pepper), stems, seeds, and ribs removed, thinly sliced
  • 1 fresh small hot chili (jalapeño, serrano, or Fresno), stems, seeds, and ribs removed, thinly sliced
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1½ tablespoons (15 g) sweet Hungarian or smoked Spanish paprika
  • 2 teaspoons (8 g) whole or ground cumin seed
  • 1 (28-ounce; 800 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or with a pastry blender
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Large handful minced cilantro, parsley, or a mix
  • 6 eggs
  • Sliced oil-cured black olives, feta cheese, or artichoke hearts, for serving (all optional)
  • Crusty bread, for serving

Steps

  1. Prep: thinly slice the onion and red pepper, slice the garlic, and crush the canned tomatoes by hand.
  2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering.
  3. Add the onion, red pepper, and chili and spread into an even layer. Cook without moving until the vegetables on the bottom are deeply browned and beginning to char in spots, about 6 minutes. Stir and repeat, cooking until fully softened and spottily charred, about another 4 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Add the paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and simmer 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and stir in half the cilantro or parsley.
  6. Using a large spoon, make a well near the perimeter of the pan and break an egg directly into it. Spoon a little sauce over the edges of the white to partially contain it, leaving the yolk exposed. Repeat with the remaining 5 eggs, working around the pan.
  7. Season the eggs with a little salt, cover, reduce heat to the lowest setting, and cook until the whites are barely set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 8 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro or parsley and any optional toppings. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

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