Eggs in Tomato Sauce
Description
This is a variation on shakshuka, menemen, huevos rancheros, eggs in purgatory, etc. It’s an idea and a technique more than a recipe and is great as a quick meal any time of day.
If you are going to increase this recipe - double or triple it - make sure the pan you are using looks about the same as ours for the amount of tomatoes/sauce. Make sure it covers the bottom of the pan but isn't too thick and make as many wells/divots as you have eggs.
See the notes section for other flavour ideas.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a pan that is big enough to accommodate the number of eggs you're using but not a lot larger. Heat over fairly high heat.
When the pan is hot, add the onions and toss them in the oil a bit, then add the optional chili pepper and then the tomatoes. This is when you could add legumes like beans or lentils. Keep stirring over high heat to break the tomatoes down without burning the sauce. Add salt and pepper. You sauce may be runnier than mine, and that's just fine.
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When the onions are somewhat translucent and the tomatoes are starting to collapse, make a couple of wells in the sauce. Break an egg into each one of the wells. Add a little more salt and pepper, if you like.
Using a rubber/silicone spatula, work gently around the yolks (unless you want them to break and be hard) to move the egg whites to come in contact with the pan or to be in the lower, hotter part of the sauce. Sometimes you can tilt the pan to help the egg whites cook or you can spoon some of the bubbling sauce over the whites. When the whites are mostly opaque, pop a lid on top for just a minute or so (this is a good time to add cheese if you want it).
When the whites are opaque and there's bit of a film over the yolks (and the optional cheese is melted), you're done. Add chopped herbs and/or hot sauce and eat immediately.
Note
Other optional ingredients could include --
other spices: garam masala, curry powder, sumac, oregano, cumin, coriander, za'atar
legumes to bulk it up: drained canned or cooked chickpeas, black beans, white beans or lentils
other vegetables: grated zucchini, small dice eggplant, mushrooms, leftover cooked green beans
top with cheese: crumbled bits of feta, grated monterey jack with jalapeño, mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar
other flavour hits: olives, finely minced preserved lemon, capers, sun-dried tomatoes
top with hot sauce: zhug, tabasco, chili oil