Spicy Harissa Shakshuka

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There are very few breakfast / brunch dishes that are as show stopping as the mighty Shakshuka. Cooked well, this is such a beautiful dish to behold. Perfectly poached eggs swimming in a rich, tomato sauce spiced with all kinds of delicious flavors. It’s the go-to order for brunch for any discerning foodie fan. This is our favorite version of the dish, a Spicy Harissa Shakshuka which packs a mighty flavor punch that’s the perfect meal to start the day!

Origins of Shakshuka

Shakshuka originates from Northern Africa and is still a wildly popular dish in that part of the region. It is a simple dish to prepare with only a few ingredients yet has such an amazing depth of flavor. Our version includes Harissa, which is also a famous spice from Northern Africa. Like the Shakshuka, Harissa also originates from Tunisia. It is a spice mixture consisting of red chilis, garlic, oil, and acid (such as Vinegar or Lemon Juice). It can also be flavored with additional spices such as Cumin, which is what we’ve added to this recipe. Harissa Paste is widely found in supermarkets everywhere as it has become such a popular ingredient in modern cooking

The dish has become widely popular across the globe in the last decade. You can find it on many brunch menus across the US and the rest of the world. It’s a hearty dish and can easily be shared amongst 2-3 people!

One Pan is all you need for the Spicy Harissa Shakshuka

Some of the best recipes are the ones that are easy to make. This is what we love about the Spicy Harissa Shakshuka. It only requires one pan to cook. All we ask is that you please use an oven-proof pan to make this dish! Could get a little bit messy otherwise! We recommend using a cast iron skillet to cook this dish as it is oven safe. For some rustic presentation you can even serve the final dish in the skillet

If you do not have any oven safe frying pans you can easily just transfer the cooked sauce into an oven safe baking tray / sheet pan then add the eggs before cooking

Simple dishes are often the best

The simplicity of this dish couldn’t be easier. Cook up a beautiful rich Tomato based sauce similarly to how you would a typical Red Sauce (such as this one). Flavor it with that beautiful Harissa Paste and some additional spices such as Smoked Paprika and Cumin. Add the eggs, then bake until cooked! For some extra kick we’ve added Chili Powder to the recipe. This is totally optional depending on how spicy you want the Spicy Harissa Shakshuka to be. In our opinion it’s a great addition and doesn’t overpower the dish. Why not give it a try!

Finally, make sure you serve this along with some yummy bread to mop up all the delicious sauce and you’ve got a fantastic meal for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

Spicy Harissa Shakshuka Recipe

Ingredients

• 800g / 28 oz. Crushed Canned Tomatoes
• 4 Eggs
• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 2 tbsp. Harissa Paste
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Red Onion, Sliced
• 1 Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 tsp. Sumac
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• ½ cup Parsley, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 Lemon
• Zest of ½ a Lemon
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ tsp. Chili Powder (optional)
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Heat an oven safe frying pan / cast iron skillet over medium heat then add the Olive Oil. Once hot, add the Red Onion and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes
2. Add the Garlic Cloves, Cumin, Sumac, Smoked Paprika and Chili Powder then cook while stirring continuously for a further 2 minutes. It’s important that the spices get cooked before we add the remaining ingredients
3. Add the Tomato Paste, Harissa Paste, and 1 tsp. of Salt. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly, then add the Canned Tomatoes
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer then continue to cook for 20 – 25 minutes until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency. Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust however necessary for your palette. You may want to add a little bit more salt depending on your taste
5. Remove from the heat then make four divots / holes in the sauce by pressing down with the back of a spoon. The goal here is to make a crater of sorts for the eggs to sit in. This is a critical step to avoid the eggs oozing out all over the sauce, so be sure to make them quite deep without completely touching the pans surface
6. Crack each Egg into each of the four divots, then place the pan into the oven at 350 degrees and cook for 10 minutes until the Eggs are cooked. You can tell when the eggs are cooked as the yolks will form a thin layer of white over the top of them. You can also check the consistency of the Eggs by simply touching the Egg Whites. If they spring back, they’re cooked!
7. Remove from the Oven and before serving add the Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, and Chopped Parsley over the top. Serve either in the Cast Iron Pan, or carefully serve individual plates ensuring you do not break the eggs in doing so
   
   

This is such a hearty meal by itself however for the ultimately Spicy Harissa Shakshuka experience we highly recommend serving it with some delicious, crusty bread. Baked Sourdough bread is always a great go-to, however we would also recommend our Garlic and Onion Bread (recipe coming soon) which is a perfect accompaniment to the Shakshuka. Why not check out our full list of Bread Recipes here to find the perfect bread to mop up all this delicious Sauce!

Happy Cooking!