Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I return to this shakshuka recipe time and time again. It’s great for feeding a hungry crowd.
This recipe calls for an optional addition of grated dried lime — limes that have been boiled in a salt brine then left in the sun to dry. This ingredient is a staple of Persian cuisine, and is popular throughout the Middle East. They have a deep, earthy citrus flavor.
Cook this dish along with Chef Solomonov live on his new digital series, “Bringing Israel Home,” airing Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET. Plus, sign up for show reminders and more information here.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup good olive oil, divided
- 2 onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
- 4 red or green bell peppers, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 Tbsp grated dried lime, optional
- 6 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 cups tomato puree
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
- 16 large eggs
- Serrano chiles, thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Heat ¼ cup of the oil over medium heat in a cast iron skilled large enough to accommodate 16 poached eggs. If you do not have a skillet large enough, use two pans, dividing the ingredients evenly between them.
- Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, dried lime (if using), paprika, cumin, coriander, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and sugar and simmer until reduced by about a third,10-12 minutes.
- Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup oil.
- Crack the eggs into the skillet, spacing them evenly in the sauce. Lower the heat, cover, and cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain runny, about 5 minutes. Top with Serrano chiles and cilantro and serve immediately, right from the pan.
