This one-skillet dish of eggs poached in a stew of tomatoes, bell peppers, and heady spices has its origins in North Africa, but lately it’s been turning up on tables everywhere. Shakshuka interpretations abound — many with lengthy ingredient lists that include other vegetables and complex seasonings. This version, adapted from Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street: Cook What You Have” (Voracious, $35), takes a shortcut with harissa, a multilayered blend of sweet and hot peppers and Mediterranean spices now widely available — in paste or sauce form — in supermarkets, often near the salsa. Shakshuka makes a fast, filling, and healthy weekend brunch, as well as a simple supper that needs only a pita or hunk of crusty bread to complete. Serves 3 to 6. — Susan Puckett Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
1 medium fresh red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced; or ½ cup drained and thinly sliced bottled roasted red peppers
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic large cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 or 2 tablespoons harissa paste or sauce (or to taste)
4 to 6 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, or a combination
Warm pita bread or crusty French bread for serving
Optional garnishes: crumbled feta, chopped olives, plain yogurt Instructions
Heat a large skillet with a lid (preferably nonstick) over medium-high and add 2 tablespoons of the oil.
When shimmering, add the fresh or roasted sliced peppers, onion, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, 1 tablespoon of the harissa, and ½ cup water, and bring the mixture to a simmer. (Taste and add more harissa if you prefer it spicier.) Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions and bell pepper are very tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. With the back of a large spoon, make 4 to 6 (depending on the number of eggs) evenly spaced indentations in the sauce. Crack one egg into each indentation, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Cover and cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 5 to 8 minutes, rotating the skillet halfway through.
Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with herbs.
Serve the shakshuka from the skillet at the table, with a drizzle of olive oil, warm bread, and any desired garnishes served on the side. Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.