Jan 31, 2010

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

This classic Israeli breakfast, a dish of Libyan origin, can be served as a main course for any meal of the day.

Credit: Penny De Los Santos

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalape�os, stemmed,
�� seeded, and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1� 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes,
�� undrained�
Kosher salt, to taste
8 eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pita, for serving

1. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

2. Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

3. Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce's surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pita, for dipping.

SERVES 4 – 6

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #124

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Ratings & Reviews (22)

by jacoba on 2009-11-07

I made this dish for 20 people, it was gone before I could even look at it. Great dish, soft, tasty and you can eat it anytime......
Thanks a lot for the recipe and the great website, Love the magazines.
Mrs. Jacoba Arsntein,
Goldens Bridge, NY

by jacoba on 2009-11-07

I forgot to rate the "Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce" published in Saveur # 124, five stars is the right rating because it was also a fun recipe to make. Jacoba Arsntein.

by janicengan on 2009-11-08

Wow! Incredible dish - easy and healthy and absolutely scrumptious. Made it for lunch and could have a second huge helping (only if I had made more).

by mccruz on 2010-02-22

Great dish! I make it whenever I'm craving comfort food.

by glsmshn on 2010-03-06

Itis one of the favourite Turkish breakfast dish. I sometimes put sausages in it. It is really delicious.

by foodbridge on 2010-03-22

Best place to eat shakshuka in Israel is Dr.Shashuka in Jaffa, owned by Bino Gabso who originally comes from Libya. I prefer it with lots of coriander. The feta is a great addition, though not traditional.

by rodbr on 2010-04-05

This is a kind of recipe that I love: easy to make and delicious. One can taste the contribution of all ingredients to an overall pleasing experience. The second time I made it, I added some diced bell pepper. Just as good. But I'll refrain from adding many new ingredients in the future, as it's already very good exactly as in this recipe.

by foodie on 2010-07-02

Simple to make. Delicious!

by davadam on 2010-11-10

My wife was initially dubious but it's completely delicious. Not to mention incredibly easy (like, easier than scrambled eggs)

by rcheiss on 2011-02-14

I make a similiar dish from Italy called Ciambotta.
Zucchini, yellow squad, onions, garlic and Italian herbs and seasoning slowly braised 3-4 hours in tomato sauce, then finished off by poaching eggs in the sauce.
Great for any meal!

by chiffonade on 2011-02-14

While I'm thrilled the Israelis have discovered the deliciousness that is eggs poached in tomato sauce, the dish originated in Italy. It's called Eggs in Purgatory.

by BSTEPELM on 2011-02-15

This dish is absolutely fantastic. I made the Saveur recipe (adapted slightly by Smitten Kitchen) after I went to Dr. Shakshukah in Jaffa and had the eponymous dish. Yum! It is very popular in Israel-- brought there in the 1950's by Libyan and Tunisian immigrants.
http://sparrowsandspatulas.blogspot.com/2010/11/shalomsalaam-its-street-eats-revisited.html

by ANDO on 2011-03-04

Absolutely delicious! I saw this recipe and was intrigued by it. A few days later I visited an old friend and he cooked a version of it for me and my wife and we enjoyed it very much. I tried this recipe this evening and it was even nicer than my friend's. I fed it to another friend of mine who is not a fan of tomatoes but he loved it. I've still got half a pan left over :-)

by YAMIEL on 2011-06-05

wonderful dish. easy to make. everyone will love it!!

by YAMIEL on 2011-06-05

wonderful dish. easy to make. everyone will love it!!

by internationalvicky on 2011-06-27

Okay, I'll bite....what the heck is shakashuka?

by MirandaJones on 2011-12-26

Loved this. Totally delicious, very easy. I added a little harissa just for fun. Served it with warm pita. Perfect for brunch bc all the eggs are done at the same time!

by CHARLIESMOM on 2012-01-03

this is awesome, very tasty!

by SASSY DANGER on 2012-02-24

Very yummy dish indeed. I've made it twice now but have had the same trouble both times: How to baste the eggs without disturbing the eggs??
The whites get a bit scrambled when i try to spoon the sauce over them which does not effect the taste of the dish but doesn't make for as pretty a picture upon serving. I'm using a 10" cast iron skillet and have reduced the recipe a bit to fit the pan. How can I achieve the picture perfect version of this wonderful dish?

by sharonhoff on 2012-03-04

Absolutely love this dish. Have cooked it about 5 times, including tonight for dinner.I found that I was cooking the eggs over too low a fire. I cranked it up so the sauce was really bubbly added the eggs and covered with a sheet pan which eliminated the need to baste.

by NIKOMARLEY on 2012-03-23

Love this! Very easy and tasty. I didn't have any feta on hand, but will be sure to try it with the feta next time.

by rnelson on 2012-05-15

yes, a very good dish.

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