Half-an-Onion Shakshuka
for one

Shakshuka is the egg dish that handles a nearly empty kitchen. The core of it is a spiced tomato sauce with eggs poached directly in the sauce. The ingredients are a half onion, a can of tomatoes, two eggs, and whatever spices you have. That's it. The whole thing takes twenty minutes.

Most shakshuka recipes are written for a crowd — a big skillet, six eggs, enough for brunch guests. This one is designed for Tuesday night when it's just you and the fridge contains mostly condiments and that half an onion you wrapped in cling film last week. The scaled-down version works exactly as well, and it has the added advantage of being done before you've had time to talk yourself out of cooking.

The can of tomatoes is not optional. Fresh tomatoes can work but they release less liquid and tend to take longer to cook down into a proper sauce. Canned crushed or diced tomatoes give you a ready sauce base in under ten minutes. Keep a few cans on the shelf and this recipe is always available.

What you need

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (400g / 14oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika — smoked is better, sweet works fine
• Pinch of cayenne or chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil to finish — optional but lifts it considerably
• Bread or toast for serving

How to make it

Step 1: Cook the onion. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion. Cook for five to six minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and starting to turn golden at the edges. Don't rush this step — soft, sweet onion is the foundation of a good sauce.

Step 2: Toast the spices. Add the minced garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne directly to the pan with the onion. Stir constantly for about sixty seconds. The spices will bloom in the residual oil and become fragrant — you'll smell the difference. This step takes the spices from raw and grainy to something more rounded and deep.

Step 3: Build the sauce. Pour in the canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together and let it come to a gentle simmer. Cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the color has deepened from bright red to a darker, richer shade. Taste it. Adjust the seasoning now, before the eggs go in.

Step 4: Add the eggs. Use the back of a spoon to make two shallow wells in the sauce, about the size of an egg. Crack one egg carefully into each well. Cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil. Cook for four to six minutes. At four minutes, the whites will be just set and the yolks still very runny. At six minutes, the whites are fully set and the yolks are jammy. Somewhere in that range is where you want to stop.

Step 5: Serve immediately. Shakshuka waits for no one — the eggs continue cooking in the residual heat even after you pull it off the stove. Scatter whatever herbs you have over the top. Eat directly from the pan with plenty of bread to scoop up the sauce.

The egg timing question

There's a real difference between a runny yolk and a set yolk in shakshuka, and which you want is personal. Cover the pan and check at four minutes. If the whites look translucent and wobbly, give it another minute. The key is to watch the whites, not the yolks — once the whites are opaque and set all the way to the edge, you have about ninety seconds before the yolks firm up.

What to add

Crumbled feta on top before serving adds salt and richness. A spoonful of yogurt spooned in at the end adds creaminess. A handful of wilting spinach stirred into the sauce before the eggs go in cooks down to almost nothing. Leftover roasted peppers from the fridge, roughly chopped, are excellent in the sauce. None of these are required — the base recipe stands on its own.

See also: The frittata that handles any fridge · The 5-minute fancy eggs upgrade · Kitchen journal