When pressed to think of my first ever time eating Shakshuka, absolutely nothing comes to mind. It’s the sort of dish that has become so familiar, it feels like I’ve always been making it. You can bet your bottom dollar though, that growing up in rural Wales during the early noughties, a middle eastern dish was not on the menu. In fact, watching the world food aisle of Morrisons expand well beyond Pataks and Dolmio has bought me untold joy over the years. Last year, when Morisons was one of the only outings permitted, aisle 4 might as well have been a gap year. From India, Mexico, Korea to Japan, Poland to Italy and back to the tin’s aisle. My housemate and I took full advantage of such escapism during the first lockdown when each weekend we chose a different culture to adopt. We became Amelie and Margarite in Paris, equipped with croissants in hands and berets on heads. We wore Saris and jingled bangles as we ate curry with our hands. Explored Italy through Pavarotti and hand made pasta. It was during our Moroccan weekend that Rosanna started dating. Admittedly he found it quite odd that his new girlfriend had eaten three different types of tagines, three nights on the trot.
This excitement met an all-time peak when I popped to Diego’s corner shop in East London. I kid you not, the entire shop was a world food section. Aisles were squished together, stocked from top to bottom to accommodate the bustling hub of cultures in London. Just gorgeous! I spent ages, carefully choosing each perfectly ripe avocado, smelling each lemon and perusing the variety of flatbreads packaged in different languages - Diego only popped out to get milk. The truth is that, food is my way of understanding the world around me and exploring the world I’ve not yet seen.
The origin of Shakshuka remains a matter of some controversy with competing claims of Moroccan, Tunisian, Libyan, Turkish, and Yemeni origins. But somehow, I feel like I’ve explored all of these places through this one dish. I’ve eaten Shakshuka as breakfast and lunch and dinner (not on the same day might I add) and every time I’m transported. It’s a dish I’ve made often for loved ones because it can be rustled up quickly, with ingredients I can almost guarantee you have in your cupboards right now. It’s perfect with homemade bread, so if you’re looking for a non faff recipe for bread…
S H A K S H U K A
I N G R E D I E N T S
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon chili flakes (feel free to miss this out if spice isn’t your thing)
3 anchovies
3tsbl of tomato paste
1 tin of tomatoes
3 large eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
M E T H O D
1.) Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they start getting all lovely and caramelised, add the peppers and cook for 5 further minutes.
2.) Add the garlic, spices, anchovies, and the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. I used to never understand the point of tomato paste, that was until I started frying it off for a few minutes, it’s a game changer. Also, anchovies with any kind of tomato-based sauce…chef’s kiss!
3.) Pour the tin of tomatoes into the pan. Add a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper and sugar. For me this part is always a balance between the sugar, the salt and the acidity of the tomatoes. To get the balance right you need to taste your food, I can’t stress this enough! As you taste, ask yourself ‘Does this need more salt’ Bring the sauce to a simmer.
4.) Use a large spoon to make small wells in the sauce and crack the eggs into each well. Cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking.
5.) Garnish with chopped parsley, some cracked black pepper and some extra chilli flakes.
So next time you’re in the supermarket, check out the world food section. I guarantee you wont look at it the same. Adventure starts in aisle 4 baby.
My favourite lunch 💛