This Tomato and Egg “Shakshuka” is a classic hybrid dish, a clashing of cultures with spectacular results. Two loves combined—Chinese tomato and egg, a dish I tolerated growing up but now adore as an adult, reworked as a shakshuka. The recipe is an unassuming showstopper, offering all the distinctive sweet umami flavor of the classic Chinese dish, but with a very different sensibility. Serve with bread (or dare I say, rice?) to mop up the tomatoey juices.

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'To Asia, With Love' by Hetty McKinnon. Buy the full book on Amazon. Click through for more must-make Hetty McKinnon recipes.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Chile Flakes

　　$11 At Amazon

　　Sichuan Peppercorns

　　$5 At Weee!

　　Gochugaru

　　$9 At Amazon

　　Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

　　$16 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

For the Everything Oil

2 Tbsp. red chile flakes

　　2 Tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns

　　2 Tbsp. gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes)

　　1 Tbsp. sea salt

　　1 cup vegetable or other neutral oil

　　1 (2-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

　　4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

　　2 star anise

　　1 cinnamon stick

　　

For the shakshuka

Ice cubes

　　4 beefsteak tomatoes (about 22 oz.)

　　Extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

　　1 onion, sliced into thin wedges

　　¼ cup brown sugar

　　4 large eggs

　　Handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

　　2 scallions, finely sliced

　　Sea salt

　　White pepper

　　Everything Oil, to serve

　　Bread, to serve (optional)

　　

For the Everything Oil

Step 1

In a heatproof bowl, add the chile flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, gochugaru, and sea salt.

　　

Step 2

Place the oil, ginger, garlic, star anise and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. The oil is ready when it looks thin, like water. Remove from the heat and very carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl with the spices—the oil will sizzle and spit, so stand back. Allow to cool.

　　

For the shakshuka

Step 3

Set up a large bowl with ice and cold water—this is your ice bath for peeling the tomatoes. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Score a small “x” at the bottom of each tomato and add them to the boiling water until the skins wrinkle and split—this should take 1 to 1½ minutes. Remove from the water and drop them straight into your ice bath. Once the tomatoes are cool, lift them out of the water and peel away their skin. Chop the tomato flesh.

　　

Step 4

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil, along with the ginger and onion; stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and a splash of water, and squash the tomato a little to break it up. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Make four little indents in the tomato mixture and gently crack one egg into each hole. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Replace the lid and cook over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites are just set. Scatter with the cilantro and scallions and serve with Everything Oil and bread, if using.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You can substitute 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (tomatoes only, omit the juice) for the fresh beefsteak tomatoes.

　　Adapted from To Asia, With Love by Hetty McKinnon. Copyright 2020 by Hetty McKinnon. Published by Prestel, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Reprinted with permission.