serves 6
ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 6 large tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 large eggs
- Fresh mint leaves, for serving
- Lightly toasted pine nuts, for serving
- Lemony Yogurt (page 56), for serving
- Challah, pita, or other soft white bread, for serving
directions
- In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and lamb and cook until the meat browns and most of the liquid in the pan evaporates, 5 to 7 minutes. Use your spoon to break up any big chunks as the lamb cooks.
- Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle with the salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and form a beautiful caramelized sauce, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Create small wells in the sauce for the eggs to settle in. Crack an egg into each well, taking care not to break the yolks, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve with a sprinkle of mint and pine nuts, a drizzle of yogurt, and alongside your choice of bread.
Lemony Yogurt
Lemony Yogurt
Makes 1 cup
A bright, tangy, garlicky yogurt goes with pretty much anything and everything. And as you’ll see in this book, I find an excuse to use it in a lot of my cooking. It’s the perfect condiment for adding creaminess to a dish, to be the cool counterpart to hot chiles, and to bring out the other flavors on your plate. I love having this yogurt with almost all my egg dishes, on roasted meat and vegetables, and even dolloped on top of soups.
- 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to combine. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Top on Lamb Shakshuka.