Sunday Shakshuka with Sous Vide Fudgy Eggs, Tahina, Shatta and Zhug

Tomato-Pepper Shakshuka Base

Reducing the tomatoes until thick keeps the bowl rich rather than watery. Sweet peppers and warm spices balance the sharper chile sauces and fermented cabbage.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the ghee in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, and salt; cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft with a few golden edges.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and both paprikas; cook for another minute without scorching the spices.
3. Add the tomatoes and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring and breaking up any large tomato pieces, until thick enough that a spoon drawn through the sauce leaves a brief trail.
4. Taste for salt. Keep warm over very low heat, adding a splash of water only if the sauce begins to catch.

Notes

• Canned tomatoes are particularly useful for this February version; fresh winter tomatoes will generally need more reduction and seasoning.

Sous Vide Fudgy Eggs

Cooking the eggs separately gives precise yolk texture without over-reducing the shakshuka. Draining the loose white produces a cleaner bowl.

Ingredients

• 8 large refrigerator-cold eggs, shells intact

Instructions

1. Heat a generous water bath to 75°C / 167°F with an immersion circulator. Use enough water that adding the eggs will not substantially lower the temperature.
2. Gently lower the eggs into the bath in a basket or with a slotted spoon. Cook for 13 minutes, maintaining 75°C.
3. Transfer to cool tap water for 30–60 seconds, just until the shells can be handled; do not chill the centers.
4. Crack each egg into a small bowl, then gently tip into a fine-mesh strainer to drain any loose white. Slide the tender egg onto the hot tomato base and serve promptly. The yolk should be thick and custardy, with delicate, softly set white.

Notes

• Timing assumes large eggs directly from the refrigerator. For a firmer, more jammy yolk, test one egg at 14–15 minutes before cooking the full batch.
• These eggs are not fully cooked to conventional food-safety guidance. Use pasteurized shell eggs or serve fully cooked eggs to higher-risk diners.

Lemony Tahina

Thick, lemony sesame sauce softens the heat of the chile condiments while staying distinct from the tomato base.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 5–7 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

1. Whisk the tahini with the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt. It will initially become stiff.
2. Whisk in the ice water a tablespoon at a time until pale, smooth, and thick enough to hold a soft dollop.
3. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon. Let stand for 5 minutes, then add a little more water if it has tightened.

Quick Red Shatta

A coarse red chile relish supplies bright heat and acidity in small, concentrated spoonfuls.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces fresh red Fresno chiles, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Pulse the chiles and garlic in a small food processor until finely chopped but not puréed.
2. Stir in the vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Let stand for at least 20 minutes before serving.
3. Taste a small amount and adjust the vinegar or salt. Spoon over the tahina rather than mixing it throughout the bowl.

Notes

• Remove some seeds and inner ribs before chopping for a gentler relish. This quick version must be refrigerated; it is not a fermented or shelf-stable preserve.

Coarse Green Zhug

Fresh herbs, green chiles, and warm spices bring the aromatic contrast that makes the rich eggs and tahina lively.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Toast the cumin, coriander, and peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and grind, then mix with the cardamom.
2. Pulse the herbs, chiles, garlic, salt, and spices in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape the bowl as needed.
3. Add the lemon juice and pulse briefly. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the olive oil by hand, keeping the sauce coarse rather than emulsified.
4. Taste for salt and heat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• For less heat, seed one or both serranos. Stop processing while the herbs still have visible texture.

Kraut with Harissa

Cool, crunchy fermented cabbage cuts through the soft eggs and sesame sauce. Harissa connects the side to the warm chile flavors in the main bowl.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain sauerkraut, lightly drained
• 1–2 tablespoons gluten-free harissa, such as Zwita, made without added sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Toss the sauerkraut with 1 tablespoon harissa and the olive oil.
2. Taste and add more harissa if desired. Serve cool or at room temperature in a separate bowl.

Notes

• Do not rinse the kraut unless it is excessively salty; its acidity is part of the balance.

Arabic Spiced Coffee with Seven-Spice Hawaj

Cardamom and ginger lead a small dose of warming spices, making the coffee aromatic without obscuring its roasted flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground fennel seeds
• 40 grams very finely ground medium-roast coffee
• 600 milliliters water

Instructions

1. Mix all seven spices to make the hawaj. Measure 1 teaspoon for this batch of coffee and reserve the remainder in an airtight jar.
2. Combine the water, coffee, and measured hawaj in a small tall saucepan or large cezve. Stir once.
3. Heat slowly over medium-low heat until foam begins to rise, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat before it boils over.
4. Let the foam settle briefly, return to low heat once more until it rises, then remove. Rest for 1–2 minutes so the grounds settle.
5. Pour gently into four small cups, leaving the sediment behind.

Notes

• Start with 1 teaspoon hawaj per batch; increase to 1 1/2 teaspoons if you prefer a more assertively spiced cup.

Overall Timing / Workflow

Prepare the cold condiments while the tomato base reduces, then cook the eggs only when everything else is ready.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Start heating the sous vide bath to 75°C. Chop the onion and peppers and begin the shakshuka base.
2. 0:15 — Add the tomatoes and let the base reduce. Make the shatta so it has time to rest.
3. 0:25 — Make the zhug and tahina. Toss the kraut with harissa and set out the serving bowls.
4. 0:40 — Check the tomato base for thickness and seasoning; keep it gently warm. Put the eggs into the fully heated bath for 13 minutes.
5. 0:44 — Mix the coffee hawaj and begin heating the coffee. Warm the main bowls.
6. 0:53 — Briefly cool the egg shells, crack and drain the eggs, then assemble the bowls. Pour the coffee and serve immediately.

Notes

• The tomato base can be made a day ahead. Reheat it thoroughly before starting the eggs.

Plating

Keeping the three sauces in distinct areas lets each bite move between rich sesame, fresh herbs, and concentrated red chile.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Urfa chile flakes, or to taste
• to taste flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Divide the hot tomato-pepper base among four warm shallow bowls. Set two drained eggs into each bowl without breaking the yolks.
2. Add a generous dollop of tahina to one side and top it with a small spoonful of shatta. Add 1–2 tablespoons zhug on the opposite side.
3. Scatter cilantro over the tomatoes and finish the eggs with Urfa chile and a little flaky salt.
4. Serve the remaining sauces at the table, with the harissa kraut in separate small bowls and the spiced coffee alongside.

Leftover Path

Storing the components separately preserves fresh herb flavor and keeps the tahina from disappearing into the tomato sauce.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the tomato base in a shallow airtight container within 2 hours; use within 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan until bubbling, loosening with a splash of water.
2. Store tahina, shatta, and zhug in separate covered containers and use within 3–4 days. Stir the tahina and loosen with cold water before serving.
3. Refrigerate the dressed kraut separately and use within 4 days for best texture. Keep unused plain kraut according to its package directions.
4. Cook only as many fudgy eggs as you plan to serve. For another meal, reheat the sauce and cook fresh eggs rather than trying to preserve the original yolk texture.
5. Use extra zhug on roasted vegetables, shatta in a lemon dressing, and tahina over a cabbage or cucumber salad. Store the dry hawaj airtight and use within a month for its brightest aroma.