Scrambled red shakshuka

Shakshuka: the signature breakfast of the Middle East. It’s a wonderfully informal dish, brought to the table in the pan it’s cooked in and served straight from there. There are so many versions of shakshuka, all variations on the same theme of eggs cooked in a nice thick sauce. The eggs are usually braised, which is what we’ve done with the green shakshuka on this page. Here they’ve been gently scrambled. Playing around: The shakshuka base can go in all sorts of directions and colors—red here with the tomatoes and red bell pepper, or green with any leaves and herbs in need of using up. Either way, it’s a really versatile and robust dish, so feel free to play around with the spices and toppings. Spice-wise, for example, smoked paprika and roughly crushed caraway seeds work in the red shakshuka instead of the regular paprika and cumin seeds. Toppings-wise, for either of the shakshukas, chunks of tangy feta, black olives, or finely chopped preserved lemon peel work well dotted on top. A drizzle of tahini or a spoonful of yogurt is also great when serving, along with some crusty fresh bread and a crisp green salad. Getting ahead: The base sauce can be made a day or two ahead, up to the point before the eggs are added. The feta can also be marinated up to three days in advance. Make more of the feta than you need here, if you like; it’s a lovely thing to dot over roasted wedges of sweet potato, or all sorts of salads.

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Step 1

Place the feta in a bowl with the parsley, ½ tsp of chile flakes, 3 tbsp of oil, and ½ tsp of coriander seeds. Mix well and set aside (in the fridge if making in advance) until needed.

Step 2

Put the remaining 2 tbsp of oil into a large sauté pan with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and lightly browned. Add the bell pepper, cook for another 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin seeds, tomato paste, paprika, and remaining 1 tsp of coriander seeds. Cook for another 1 minute, until fragrant, and then add all the tomatoes, the shatta, water, 1 tsp of salt, and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down

Step 3

and the sauce has thickened.

Step 4

Add a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper to the eggs and mix well. Slowly pour this into the tomato mixture, swirling the pan and giving it a couple of gentle folds—you don’t want the eggs to be too mixed in. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and let cook for 4 minutes.

Step 5

Remove the pan from the heat, spoon the marinated feta over the top, sprinkle with the remaining ¼ tsp of chile flakes, and serve at once.