A good sauce does not depend on a particular brand or tomato variety. What matters is ripeness, water content and reducing the sauce. Choose whichever tomato base is available and adapt the cooking method to its consistency.
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Our main recipe for two servings uses 400 g chopped tomatoes with their juice. Do not drain them at the start: the liquid is part of the base. Chop whole tinned tomatoes beforehand or crush them with a spoon. Smaller pieces spread more evenly through the sauce and make it easier to create wells for the eggs.
Passata makes a sauce without larger pieces of tomato. Start with a similar quantity to the basic recipe and keep an eye on the thickness as it simmers. Products vary, so the same cooking time will not always work. Check the label to see whether salt or herbs have already been added.
Finely dice ripe tomatoes. Firm, underripe tomatoes are harder to cook down into a flavoursome sauce. If you dislike the skin in the finished dish, you can remove it before chopping. Fresh tomatoes often take longer to soften and reduce than a prepared tinned tomato base.
Tomato purée is highly concentrated. Do not use it to replace the 400 g tomatoes on a one-to-one basis. A small amount can supplement the base, but it will not provide the full volume of sauce needed for four eggs. If the sauce already tastes good, you do not need any extra purée.
First let the onion and pepper soften and the tomatoes simmer in the sauce. Taste after seasoning. Sweetness and acidity vary from product to product, so sugar is not essential. Also take into account any salt already present in the tinned tomatoes, harissa and optional feta.
Use a spoon to make a shallow well. If watery liquid immediately runs into it, continue reducing the sauce uncovered, stirring as it cooks. If the base starts to catch, reduce the heat and add water a tablespoon at a time. Adjust the consistency before adding the eggs: afterwards, it is harder to stir the sauce without breaking them.
Choose a pan for shakshuka with the right size, lid and material. Find advice on space for four eggs, gentle heat and tomato sauce in cast iron.
Serve shakshuka with bread, salad, feta or yoghurt. Find sides for a meal for two and get everything ready before the eggs finish cooking.
