Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Fennel
This baked-egg recipe is perfect when you’re hosting a weekend brunch—or craving breakfast for dinner. It’s our spin on the popular dish known as shakshuka, which originated in North Africa. To mop up the spicy tomato sauce, accompany with grilled or toasted bread.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced, plus celery leaves for garnish
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced, plus fronds for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbs. sweet smoked paprika
- 1 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1 Tbs. fennel seeds
- 2 Tbs. tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz./875 g) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 can (28 oz./875 g) tomato puree
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 6 eggs
- Flaky sea salt
- Grilled or toasted bread for serving
Directions
Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a wide, deep ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery and fennel bulb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin and fennel seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, whole tomatoes, tomato puree and a large pinch each of kosher salt and pepper. Cook, breaking the tomatoes apart with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with kosher salt and pepper. Gently crack the eggs on top of the tomato mixture.
Transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the egg whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes, or until done to your liking.
Sprinkle the eggs with flaky sea salt and a few grindings of pepper. Garnish with celery leaves and fennel fronds and serve with grilled bread alongside. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen