Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Serves 4
- 8 merguez sausages
- 4 large eggs
- 6 tomatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
- 3 bell peppers, roughly chopped (red or green, but even without peppers it’s very good)
- 2 onions, thinly sliced (red onions are even better)
- 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 400 ml (1⅔ cups) water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 chili pepper or 1 Tbsp harissa (optional)
There are many variations of shakshuka; the version with merguez is a traditional one from Tunisian cooking.
- In a Dutch oven or a deep skillet, sauté the tomatoes, bell peppers and onions with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Once the tomatoes have released their juices, add the water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and the merguez. Cook for another twenty minutes. A few minutes before serving, make a small well and crack an egg into it so it poaches in the shakshuka. Repeat for each egg. Cover for a few minutes, until the eggs are cooked.
- Serve, taking care not to break the egg yolks.
The best part? Italian bread or warm homemade pita, for mopping up the sauce.
Tips and variations
Shakshuka isn’t a fixed recipe, and depending on the season it’s delicious with other vegetables added, such as fava beans, cauliflower, artichoke hearts and so on. Have fun with it!
For a vegetarian version, you can leave out the merguez and add crumbled feta instead.
If you like it spicy, add a chili pepper while it cooks, or a tablespoon of harissa.
If you’re using canned peeled tomatoes, add a tablespoon of tomato paste; it will boost the flavor.