Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2 sweet peppers (I used Round of Hungary, a.k.a., pimento cheese, peppers)
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions (14 ounces / 400 g), finely chopped (I used one Rossa di Milano and one sweet onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14.5 ounces / 41 g) organic fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin (best if freshly ground from cumin seed you toast in a dry skillet)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• fine sea salt, to taste
• 4 large eggs, possibly from pastured poultry
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Instructions

How to roast the peppers

Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Place the peppers on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the peppers 90 or 180 degrees, depending on their width.

Roast for 15 more minutes, then turn the peppers. Repeat after 10 minutes. Continue roasting until they are ready, i.e., when the skin has turned dark and is detaching in places. (The time depends on the type and size of peppers.) Put the peppers in a lidded container or paper bag to steam, then peel off skin, discard stem and seeds, and the liquid they release. Dice and set aside.

How to prepare shakshouka

In a 10-inch / 25.5 cm skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium-low until tender and beginning to brown.

Add the garlic and sauté for a 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes. Rinse the can with a tablespoon / 15 ml water and pour into the skillet. Add the diced roasted peppers, all the spices and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a rich sauce. If it is too thick, add a bit of water, stir well and simmer for another minute. Adjust the salt to taste.

Make 4 hollows in the sauce then crack an egg into each hollow without breaking the yolk. Cover the skillet and continue simmering until the whites are cooked through and the egg yolks are… the way you like them (in my case, runny).

Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the parsley on top. Serve immediately with some nice bread (like my pear sourdough) to dip into the rich shakshouka.

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