A North African and Middle Eastern breakfast classic that works brilliantly any time of day. Vibrant, bubbling tomato sauce scented with cumin, paprika, and harissa, with eggs poached right in the pan. Served straight from the skillet with crusty bread — it doesn't get more satisfying than this.
Tick off ingredients as you go
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep ovenproof frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 10 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelise at the edges.
Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, paprika, and coriander. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Pour in both cans of tomatoes and add the sugar. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the flavours meld. Taste and adjust — add more harissa for heat, more sugar to balance acidity.
Use a spoon to create 6 small wells in the sauce. Crack an egg into each well. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Tip: Crack eggs into a small cup first to avoid shells in the pan
Cover the pan and cook over low-medium heat for 8–10 minutes. Check at 8 minutes — the whites should be set but the yolks still runny. Cook longer for firmer yolks.
Remove from the heat. Scatter with fresh herbs and crumbled feta if using. Serve straight from the pan with plenty of crusty bread for dunking.
Use a combination of tinned tomatoes — one chopped, one whole cherry — for a more complex, textured sauce
Don't overcook the eggs. They continue to cook in the residual heat after removing from the hob
A cast iron pan is ideal — it retains heat beautifully and looks stunning on the table
Make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and reheat before adding eggs
Instead of Harissa → use Sriracha or chilli flakes
Use less, as they're hotter — start with half a teaspoon
Instead of Red peppers → use Yellow peppers or courgette
Any soft vegetable works well
Instead of Tinned tomatoes → use Fresh ripe tomatoes
Use 600g, roughly chopped — perfect in peak summer
Store the tomato sauce (without eggs) in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months. Always add fresh eggs when reheating.
Reheat the sauce in the pan, then crack in fresh eggs and cook as above.
Per 1 portion with 1.5 eggs (without bread)
280kcal
Calories
16g
Protein
22g
Carbs
14g
Fat
5g
Fibre
* Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a guide only. Values may vary depending on exact ingredients used.
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