Brick-Red Shakshuka with Chickpeas, Feta and Smoked Paprika

Method

1. Step 1: Set a 12-inch (30cm) skillet or shallow braising pan over medium heat and add the 2 tsp olive oil. When the oil shimmers and a single fleck of onion dropped in starts to fizz immediately, add the diced onion with a pinch of salt. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds, until the pieces turn translucent and the edges pick up a pale gold colour. The sizzle should drop from a sharp crackle to a steady, low fizz — that is your cue that the water has cooked off.

2. Step 2: Add the sliced red peppers and cook 7-8 minutes more. They will soften, slump, and release a sweet, faintly grassy aroma. Do not rush this stage; peppers that still squeak when bitten will stay crunchy in the finished sauce.

3. Step 3: Push the vegetables to the edge of the pan, drop the minced garlic and tomato paste into the bare centre, and scatter over the cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander and cayenne. Stir the paste and spices in that hot spot for 60 seconds — it will darken from bright red to a rusty brick tone and the cumin will smell toasted and nutty rather than dusty. This 60 seconds is the difference between a flat sauce and a fragrant one.

4. Step 4: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the drained chickpeas. Stir to combine, scraping the browned film off the base of the pan. Bring to a bare simmer, then cook uncovered 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by roughly a quarter. Drag a wooden spoon through the middle: the trail should hold for two seconds before the sauce creeps back. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and several grinds of black pepper.

5. Step 5: Using the back of a spoon, press 8 shallow wells into the sauce, spacing them evenly around the pan and leaving a clear channel between each. Crack one egg into a small cup first, then slide it into a well — this keeps the yolk intact and lets you fish out any stray shell. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

6. Step 6: Cover the pan and cook 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat. Check at 8 minutes: the whites should be fully opaque and firm to the touch, and the yolks should have filmed over with a soft, creamy set — press one gently with a fingertip and it should give slightly, not wobble like liquid. If the whites are still glassy, cover and give them 2 more minutes. Do not stir once the eggs are in.

7. Step 7: Take the pan off the heat. Crumble the feta over the top in irregular, thumb-sized pieces so some sink into the hot sauce and some stay cool and salty on the surface. Scatter over the olives, parsley and cilantro. Let the pan rest 2 minutes — the residual heat finishes the eggs and the herbs perfume the oil on the surface.

8. Step 8: Warm the pita breads directly over a gas flame for 20 seconds a side, or in a dry pan, until pliable and lightly blistered. Tear into wedges and serve alongside the pan so each person can scoop sauce, chickpeas and an egg together.