Sunday Shakshuka with Zhug, Tahina, Shatta, and Hawaij Coffee

Shakshuka

Reducing the vegetables and tomatoes before adding the eggs produces a rich sauce that supports them rather than drowning them. Gentle covered cooking sets the whites while keeping the yolks soft.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 28 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with their juices
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for finishing
• 8 large eggs

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a wide, lidded 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and a pinch of the salt. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to turn golden.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and paprika; cook for 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens slightly.
3. Add the tomatoes, remaining salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for 18–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and spoonable, with no watery layer around the edges. Taste and adjust the salt.
4. Make eight shallow wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well, cover, and cook over low heat for 5–8 minutes. Check frequently: the whites should be opaque and set, while the yolks still wobble. Spoon a little hot sauce over any stubborn clear patches of white, avoiding the yolks.
5. Remove from the heat as soon as the eggs reach the desired doneness. Finish with black pepper and serve immediately with the separate sauces.

Notes

• Use pasteurized eggs if serving soft yolks to anyone at increased risk from undercooked eggs; otherwise cook the eggs until both whites and yolks are firm.
• For a particularly generous serving bowl, reserve a little tomato mixture before adding the eggs and serve it alongside.

Green Zhug

Fresh herbs, green chile, and warm spices cut through the rich eggs and sesame sauce. A coarse texture gives each spoonful distinct bursts of herb and heat.

Ingredients

• 1 packed cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
• ½ packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 2 serrano chiles, roughly chopped, seeds removed if desired
• 2 small cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Pulse the cilantro, parsley, chiles, garlic, cumin, cardamom, and salt in a small food processor until finely chopped but not puréed.
2. Add the lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse briefly to make a loose, coarse sauce.
3. Taste and adjust the salt or lemon. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Begin with one chile if its heat is unfamiliar, then add more to taste.

Lemony Tahina

Lemon and cold water turn sesame paste into a pale, flowing sauce that softens the chile heat without hiding it.

Ingredients

• ½ cup well-stirred tahini
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ⅓–½ cup cold water, as needed

Instructions

1. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. The mixture will initially tighten.
2. Whisk in the cold water gradually until smooth, pale, and thickly pourable. It should fall from a spoon in a ribbon.
3. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt. Loosen with another splash of water just before serving if necessary.

Red Shatta

A short refrigerated salt cure develops the chiles' flavor, while vinegar and lemon provide the sharpness needed beside eggs and tahini.

Ingredients

• 100 grams fresh red chiles, such as Fresno, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 4 grams fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix the sliced chiles and salt in a clean jar. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days, stirring once daily with a clean utensil. Keep refrigerated throughout; this is not a room-temperature fermentation.
2. Drain away the liquid released by the chiles. Pulse the chiles with the vinegar and lemon juice into a coarse paste.
3. Stir in the olive oil, transfer to a clean covered jar, and refrigerate until serving. Spoon out only what is needed.

Notes

• Keep refrigerated at 40°F / 4°C or below and use within 1 week after blending. This is not a shelf-stable preserve.
• For a same-day version, pulse fresh chiles with ¼ teaspoon salt, the vinegar, lemon, and oil; the result will be fresher and less rounded.

Iced Hawaij Coffee

Cardamom and ginger bring aromatic warmth to strong black coffee. Brewing it slightly concentrated keeps the flavor clear once poured over ice.

Ingredients

• 50 grams ground coffee, suitable for a French press
• 600 milliliters hot water, just off the boil
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 small pinch ground cloves
• 2–3 cups ice cubes

Instructions

1. Combine the coffee and spices in a French press. Add the hot water, stir, and steep for 4 minutes.
2. Plunge and decant promptly. For less spice sediment, pour through a rinsed paper coffee filter.
3. Cool, then refrigerate until cold. Divide the ice among four small glasses and pour the coffee over it.

Notes

• The same coffee can be served hot; use 750 milliliters water for a less concentrated brew.

Overall Timing / Workflow

Preparing the condiments and coffee ahead leaves only the eggs to manage at the last moment.

Instructions

1. 3 days ahead: Salt the chiles for the shatta and refrigerate.
2. The night before or early that morning: Finish the shatta, brew the coffee, and chill it.
3. 0:00 - Slice the shakshuka vegetables and begin cooking the onion and pepper.
4. 0:15 - Add the aromatics and tomatoes. While the sauce reduces, prepare the zhug and tahina.
5. 0:35 - Check that the tomato sauce is thick and well seasoned. Set out the sauces, warm the serving bowls, and fill the coffee glasses with ice.
6. 0:40 - Add the eggs and cook gently until the whites set. Plate immediately and pour the coffee.

Plating

Broad ribbons of tahina and a concentrated spoonful of zhug keep the sauces distinct, allowing each bite to be mixed to taste.

Instructions

1. Spoon tomato sauce into four warm, shallow bowls and carefully transfer two eggs to each.
2. Spoon tahina generously around and partly over the eggs, leaving some yolk and tomato visible.
3. Add a spoonful of zhug toward one side of each bowl. Serve the remaining zhug and tahina at the table.
4. Pass the shatta separately so diners can control the heat. Serve the iced hawaij coffee alongside.

Leftover Path

The tomato base reheats well, while storing the fresh sauces separately preserves their texture and brightness.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store the shakshuka, tahina, zhug, and shatta in separate covered containers.
2. Use cooked shakshuka within 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water until it reaches 165°F / 74°C; leftover yolks will firm up.
3. For the best next-day breakfast, reserve tomato sauce without eggs and cook fresh eggs in it when reheating.
4. Use tahina within 4 days and zhug within 3 days. Stir the tahina with a little cold water if it thickens. Keep shatta refrigerated and use within 1 week after blending.
5. Keep the black coffee refrigerated for up to 3 days and pour over fresh ice.