**The Art of Shakshuka: A Versatile North African Dish**

Shakshuka is a popular North African dish that has gained worldwide recognition for its simplicity, flavor, and versatility. This traditional egg-based breakfast or brunch option can be easily made at home with just a few ingredients, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to try something new in the kitchen. In this article, we'll explore the world of shakshuka, including various regional twists and flavor combinations.

**The Basic Recipe**

To make traditional shakshuka, you'll need a few pantry staples, including olive oil, onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, and spices. The process begins by heating some oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then adding the onions and sautéing until they're translucent and soft. Next, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute before adding the bell peppers and cooking until tender. This mixture serves as the base of your shakshuka sauce.

To bring everything together, add canned tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the skillet, stirring well to combine. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Finally, create wells in the sauce by pressing down on it with a spoon or spatula, then crack an egg into each well. Cover the skillet and let the eggs cook until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your desired doneness.

**Regional Variations**

While traditional shakshuka is a staple of North African cuisine, many regions have put their own unique spin on this beloved dish. One popular variation is the **Shack Shuka**, which originated in Turkey and has since spread to other parts of the world. This version typically includes crumbled feta cheese, parsley or cilantro garnish, and a drizzle of honey for added sweetness.

For an Italian-inspired Shakshuka, swap out traditional sausage for spicy Italian sausage and add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and oregano to the sauce. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil for an authentic touch. Alternatively, try a Mexican or Spanish-inspired Shakshuka by substituting chorizo or merguez sausage, adding cumin and smoked paprika to the sauce, and garnishing with sliced jalapenos, crumbled cotija cheese, and cilantro.

**The Secret to Perfect Shakshuka**

So what makes shakshuka truly special? The key lies in allowing the flavors to meld together slowly over low heat. This process allows the natural sweetness of the tomatoes to shine through, while also developing a rich, savory sauce that complements the eggs perfectly. To achieve this, it's essential to simmer the sauce for at least 20-30 minutes before adding the eggs.

When cracking the egg into the sauce, be gentle to avoid breaking the yolks or whites. Let the eggs cook undisturbed for 5-10 minutes, then check on them by gently poking the whites with a spoon. If the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, cover the skillet and continue cooking until the desired consistency is reached.

**The Benefits of Shakshuka**

Shakshuka is more than just a delicious breakfast option – it's also an excellent way to bring people together. This dish is perfect for crowds, as individual wells can be made in advance and cooked simultaneously. Plus, its photogenic nature makes it a great choice for social media enthusiasts.

But shakshuka's benefits extend beyond the kitchen. By using pantry staples and minimizing waste, this dish encourages home cooks to think creatively about meal planning and cooking. It also offers a delicious way to explore different regional flavors and cuisines, making it an excellent addition to any cookbook collection.

**A Quick and Easy Recipe with Bounty Paper Towels**

In partnership with Batsy, who together with Feeding America is helping to provide 10 million meals to people in need, we're excited to share a quick and easy recipe for shakshuka. This version uses Bounty paper towels to make cleanup a breeze, making it perfect for busy home cooks.

To start, simply brown some spicy sausage and cook the onions until they're soft. Then, add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, cooking until fragrant. Next, stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Create wells in the sauce by pressing down on it with a spoon or spatula, then crack an egg into each well. Cover the skillet and cook until the eggs are set to your liking.

With Bounty paper towels on hand, cleanup is a snap. Simply wipe down the skillet and utensils, then enjoy the fruits of your labor – delicious shakshuka that's sure to become a staple in your kitchen.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what's up guys today we are making shakshuka and easy and delicious up ah I forgot to use a plate again it's a good thing that my sponsor this week is Bounty paper towels they're here to help me bring you some quick and easy recipes quicker picker-upper style like my trusty sidekick this Shack shuka recipe is so quick you'll be cleaned up and showering down in no time let's get down to basics there are countless recipes for shakshuka out there hailing from nearly every culture and continent but they all have one thing in common tomatoes and eggs eggs that don't seem to want to be a good little egg and stand still for the camera come on little guy everybody's watching there we go good job and as with most tomato-based sauces and stews there's usually onions and garlic just about the only things that you're gonna have to demonstrate your knife skills on this morning just finely dice the onion and use the heel of your chef's knife to press down on the garlic cloves so it's easy to peel then you can either leave them whole mince them or press them through a garlic crusher dealer's choice now that all of our means is decidedly on+ it's time to talk cookware most recipes and Instagram accounts reach for the cast-iron skillet but there is a problem any time you stew something acidic like tomatoes for more than 20 or 30 minutes in a cast-iron pan it can leach metallic flavors into your stew this is perfectly safe but for the sake of your breakfasts flavor integrity I suggest that you instead reach for the stainless steel skillet which while not being as pretty is nonreactive and therefore will not affect the flavor of your two months so over on the stovetop in our stainless steel skillet we are preheating a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and once shimmering tossing in maybe a quarter of our diced onion we're gonna sweat the onions meaning saute over moderate heat for about three minutes until they begin to soften and turn translucent around the edges then we're gonna add two or three cloves of garlic and the form factor of our choice saute for an additional 30 seconds and then it's time to quickly toast some spices for this first batch I'm going for a sort of North African Middle Eastern vibe so in goes a teaspoon of Rozelle knut half a teaspoon of Aleppo and half a teaspoon of whole cumin seeds we're testing these guys together removing from the heat if things get too hot for about another 30 seconds or until very fragrant before adding a 28-ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes we'll bring that to a simmer adding maybe a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper a generous tablespoon or so of a smoked paprika and maybe a teaspoon and a half of harissa paste I also like that about a half a cup of roasted red peppers this brings a nice sweetness to the party now I know I'm getting fancy with the spices right now and that's not very basic so to speak but there's a multitude of different spices and flavors that you can put your Shack shuka to determine its regionality once everybody's in the hot tub it's time to bring the whole thing to a simmer and lower the heat and let it bubble away for about 20 minutes so all the flavors gets to know each other also we want the sauce to reach a certain consistency we want it to be thick enough that we can make little wells in which to crack our eggs so using your stirring utensil or a large spoon presses some sort of little divots into your sauce and crack an egg inside you can really crack as many eggs as you would like in there or as many as will fit I'm going with five and then I'm gently spooning the sauce up and around the whites of each egg to help them cook more evenly then I'm lowering the heats making sure my lid is squeaky-clean covering and letting gently simmer without peeking for five minutes this could take anywhere from five up to twelve minutes but we're gonna check for the first time after five just look to see if your whites have set and give the eggs a little poke you want the yolks to be totally runny and the egg whites to be just shy of where you eventually want them because this is gonna keep cooking off the heat so take it off the stove and then it's time to dress it up a little bit the most common toppings for this variation are crumbled feta cheese a little parsley or cilantro garnish and then something decidedly uncommon but something I like to do is give it a drizzle of honey this tomato sauce doesn't get cooked very long and a little sweetness is a welcome addition then we are serving immediately with some toasted pita or if you can't find pita just crusty bread give you yokes of poke to make sure that everybody's good and runny and dig in overall shakshuka it takes about a half an hour to prepare it's mostly pantry ingredients it's great for a crowd and it's very photogenic for all your social media needs oh and of course it's totally delicious and there are endless ways in which you can mix it up how about an Italian inspired check shuka for that we're gonna start by browning some spicy Italian sausage and a little bit of oil crushing it up and sauteing over medium heat for four to five minutes until it's nicely browned and no longer pink in the middle set that aside and this time we're sauteing the onions and all that nice sausage fat get those nice and soft and translucent and then we're gonna add the garlic this time five whole crushed cloves and how about a little handful of sun-dried tomatoes you can also add oregano anchovy paste any number of red sauce staples saute those together until fragrant and then we're adding 28 ounces of ideally crushed tomatoes but if you don't have crushed Tomatoes you just gotta crush them yourself and to continue treating like an Italian red sauce we're gonna add a quarter cup of chopped fresh basil at the sausage back to the party mix everybody up and let him simmer for 20 or 30 minutes until the flavors have melded and it's reached the right consistency for egg depositor then I'm also gonna add some chunks of whole milk low-moisture mozzarella lower the heat cover and stewed checking for egg consistency after 5 minutes and we're moving from the heat when nearly done serve immediately garnished with some freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil and there you have it another quick and delicious breakfast this time inspired by Italian flavors but what about a Mexican or Spanish inspired Shack should go well for that swap out the Italian sausage for chorizo or mirga's add back the cumin and smoked paprika garnish with some sliced jalapenos some crumbled cotija or shredded menchaca keys and if you really want to be authentic some cilantro just make sure that you've washed and dried it first both to remove any potential dirt or pesticides and to try to wash away the horrible cilantro flavor serve immediately with the usual crusty bread or a toasted tortilla just like the other variations this is quick easy delicious and pretty and as you can see there's a million different ways you can switch up the ingredients to suit your tastes or to celebrate regional flavors likewise there's a million different ways that Bounty paper towels can help you in the kitchen thank you very much again to the quicker picker-upper for sponsoring this super quick and easy recipe stay tuned for next week when I'll be bringing you another quick recipe for French toast once again with the help of my trusty kitchen tool I'm proud to partner with Batsy who together with feeding America is helping to provide 10 million meals to people in need head to the link in the description for more infohey what's up guys today we are making shakshuka and easy and delicious up ah I forgot to use a plate again it's a good thing that my sponsor this week is Bounty paper towels they're here to help me bring you some quick and easy recipes quicker picker-upper style like my trusty sidekick this Shack shuka recipe is so quick you'll be cleaned up and showering down in no time let's get down to basics there are countless recipes for shakshuka out there hailing from nearly every culture and continent but they all have one thing in common tomatoes and eggs eggs that don't seem to want to be a good little egg and stand still for the camera come on little guy everybody's watching there we go good job and as with most tomato-based sauces and stews there's usually onions and garlic just about the only things that you're gonna have to demonstrate your knife skills on this morning just finely dice the onion and use the heel of your chef's knife to press down on the garlic cloves so it's easy to peel then you can either leave them whole mince them or press them through a garlic crusher dealer's choice now that all of our means is decidedly on+ it's time to talk cookware most recipes and Instagram accounts reach for the cast-iron skillet but there is a problem any time you stew something acidic like tomatoes for more than 20 or 30 minutes in a cast-iron pan it can leach metallic flavors into your stew this is perfectly safe but for the sake of your breakfasts flavor integrity I suggest that you instead reach for the stainless steel skillet which while not being as pretty is nonreactive and therefore will not affect the flavor of your two months so over on the stovetop in our stainless steel skillet we are preheating a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and once shimmering tossing in maybe a quarter of our diced onion we're gonna sweat the onions meaning saute over moderate heat for about three minutes until they begin to soften and turn translucent around the edges then we're gonna add two or three cloves of garlic and the form factor of our choice saute for an additional 30 seconds and then it's time to quickly toast some spices for this first batch I'm going for a sort of North African Middle Eastern vibe so in goes a teaspoon of Rozelle knut half a teaspoon of Aleppo and half a teaspoon of whole cumin seeds we're testing these guys together removing from the heat if things get too hot for about another 30 seconds or until very fragrant before adding a 28-ounce can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes we'll bring that to a simmer adding maybe a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper a generous tablespoon or so of a smoked paprika and maybe a teaspoon and a half of harissa paste I also like that about a half a cup of roasted red peppers this brings a nice sweetness to the party now I know I'm getting fancy with the spices right now and that's not very basic so to speak but there's a multitude of different spices and flavors that you can put your Shack shuka to determine its regionality once everybody's in the hot tub it's time to bring the whole thing to a simmer and lower the heat and let it bubble away for about 20 minutes so all the flavors gets to know each other also we want the sauce to reach a certain consistency we want it to be thick enough that we can make little wells in which to crack our eggs so using your stirring utensil or a large spoon presses some sort of little divots into your sauce and crack an egg inside you can really crack as many eggs as you would like in there or as many as will fit I'm going with five and then I'm gently spooning the sauce up and around the whites of each egg to help them cook more evenly then I'm lowering the heats making sure my lid is squeaky-clean covering and letting gently simmer without peeking for five minutes this could take anywhere from five up to twelve minutes but we're gonna check for the first time after five just look to see if your whites have set and give the eggs a little poke you want the yolks to be totally runny and the egg whites to be just shy of where you eventually want them because this is gonna keep cooking off the heat so take it off the stove and then it's time to dress it up a little bit the most common toppings for this variation are crumbled feta cheese a little parsley or cilantro garnish and then something decidedly uncommon but something I like to do is give it a drizzle of honey this tomato sauce doesn't get cooked very long and a little sweetness is a welcome addition then we are serving immediately with some toasted pita or if you can't find pita just crusty bread give you yokes of poke to make sure that everybody's good and runny and dig in overall shakshuka it takes about a half an hour to prepare it's mostly pantry ingredients it's great for a crowd and it's very photogenic for all your social media needs oh and of course it's totally delicious and there are endless ways in which you can mix it up how about an Italian inspired check shuka for that we're gonna start by browning some spicy Italian sausage and a little bit of oil crushing it up and sauteing over medium heat for four to five minutes until it's nicely browned and no longer pink in the middle set that aside and this time we're sauteing the onions and all that nice sausage fat get those nice and soft and translucent and then we're gonna add the garlic this time five whole crushed cloves and how about a little handful of sun-dried tomatoes you can also add oregano anchovy paste any number of red sauce staples saute those together until fragrant and then we're adding 28 ounces of ideally crushed tomatoes but if you don't have crushed Tomatoes you just gotta crush them yourself and to continue treating like an Italian red sauce we're gonna add a quarter cup of chopped fresh basil at the sausage back to the party mix everybody up and let him simmer for 20 or 30 minutes until the flavors have melded and it's reached the right consistency for egg depositor then I'm also gonna add some chunks of whole milk low-moisture mozzarella lower the heat cover and stewed checking for egg consistency after 5 minutes and we're moving from the heat when nearly done serve immediately garnished with some freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil and there you have it another quick and delicious breakfast this time inspired by Italian flavors but what about a Mexican or Spanish inspired Shack should go well for that swap out the Italian sausage for chorizo or mirga's add back the cumin and smoked paprika garnish with some sliced jalapenos some crumbled cotija or shredded menchaca keys and if you really want to be authentic some cilantro just make sure that you've washed and dried it first both to remove any potential dirt or pesticides and to try to wash away the horrible cilantro flavor serve immediately with the usual crusty bread or a toasted tortilla just like the other variations this is quick easy delicious and pretty and as you can see there's a million different ways you can switch up the ingredients to suit your tastes or to celebrate regional flavors likewise there's a million different ways that Bounty paper towels can help you in the kitchen thank you very much again to the quicker picker-upper for sponsoring this super quick and easy recipe stay tuned for next week when I'll be bringing you another quick recipe for French toast once again with the help of my trusty kitchen tool I'm proud to partner with Batsy who together with feeding America is helping to provide 10 million meals to people in need head to the link in the description for more info\n"