Shakshuka — Eggs Poached in Spiced Tomato-Pepper Sauce with Harissa

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 30-cm (12-inch) deep skillet or wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until the onion is fully soft and the edges are lightly golden — not caramelized, but visibly sweetened. Do not rush this stage; the onion's natural sugars are the sweetness base of the sauce.

Add the diced red bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and showing a few lightly blistered edges. Add the sliced garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.

Push the vegetables to the outer edges of the pan, clearing a patch of oil in the center. Add the ground cumin, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika directly to the exposed oil. Stir the spices in the oil for 30–45 seconds until they darken slightly and the pan fills with a toasty aroma. The moment the spices smell fully fragrant — before they smoke — is the sign to move on.

Add the harissa paste and stir it into the spice-oil for 30 seconds. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the black pepper, and the sugar. Stir to combine completely and bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the sauce uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The sauce is ready when it has thickened noticeably and orange dots of olive oil re-emerge on the surface — the signal that enough free water has cooked off. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and harissa. The sauce should taste bold and slightly over-seasoned; the eggs will temper it.

Use the back of a large spoon to press 6 shallow wells into the sauce, evenly spaced. Each well should have a floor of sauce — do not scrape to bare pan. Crack one egg carefully into each well. Season each egg with a pinch of flaky salt and a grind of black pepper.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Cook on medium-low: 5–6 minutes for jammy yolks (whites fully set, yolks jiggle when you shake the pan), or 7–9 minutes for fully set yolks. Check at 5 minutes by shaking the pan gently — set whites turn from translucent to opaque. Do not lift the lid before 5 minutes; releasing steam resets the cooking clock.

Remove the pan from heat immediately once the eggs reach your target doneness — they will continue cooking in the residual heat. Scatter the crumbled feta over the top. Finish with chopped flat-leaf parsley, cilantro if using, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve directly from the pan with crusty bread or challah for scooping.