Shakshuka Risotto
Creamy arborio risotto built on the smoky, spiced tomato and pepper base of shakshuka, finished with eggs poached right in the rice, tangy feta and fresh herbs. It's a one-pan vegetarian dinner with runny yolks that melt into the rice.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Wait
- 2 min
- Total
- 1 hr 12 min
- Makes
- 4 generous main-course servings (1 egg each)
Steps
Before you start
- Chop all the vegetables and measure the spices before you turn on the heat. Risotto needs steady stirring once it starts.
- Use a wide, deep 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid. The lid is needed to set the eggs at the end.
- Take the eggs out of the fridge when you start prepping so they're not ice-cold when they go into the hot rice.
- Taste your stock before you start. If it's salty, add less salt to the recipe, because the rice absorbs the stock's salt.
Heat the stock
- Pour the vegetable stock into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and keep it hot next to your skillet for the whole recipe.
- Adding cold stock to risotto slows the cooking and makes the rice cook unevenly.
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Ready when: Small bubbles break the surface and steam rises
Tip: Keep the lid off and the heat low so the stock doesn't reduce and get saltier.
Soften onion and pepper
- Heat the olive oil in the 12-inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion, bell peppers and the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is translucent and the pepper pieces are soft and slightly wrinkled, with no browning
Tip: Don't let the onion brown. Browned onion makes the base taste bitter instead of sweet.
Bloom garlic and spices
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, coriander and cayenne.
- Stir constantly for 1½ to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan.
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Ready when: The paste darkens to a brick red and the spices smell toasty and fragrant
Tip: If the pan looks dry or anything sticks, add a splash of hot stock rather than letting the spices scorch.
Toast the rice
- Add the arborio rice and stir to coat every grain in the spiced oil.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Ready when: The edges of the grains turn translucent while the centers stay white and opaque
Add the tomatoes
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes with their juices.
- Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes.
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Ready when: Most of the tomato liquid has been absorbed and a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that closes slowly
Tip: Lower the heat if the tomatoes spit and splatter.
Add stock gradually
- Add 1 ladleful of hot stock (about ¾ cup / 180 ml) and stir.
- Keep the heat at a lively simmer.
- When the liquid is almost absorbed, add another ladleful.
- Repeat, stirring frequently, for 18 to 20 minutes.
- Save about ½ cup (120 ml) of stock for the finishing and egg steps.
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Ready when: The rice is tender outside with a slight bite in the center, and the risotto is creamy and flows slowly when you tilt the pan
Tip: Taste a grain at 16 minutes. If it's still chalky in the center, keep adding stock.
Finish and season
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the butter, lemon juice and half the crumbled feta (about 2 oz / 58 g).
- Add a splash of the reserved stock if it looks stiff.
- Taste and add salt and plenty of black pepper.
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Ready when: The risotto is glossy, loose and creamy, spreading easily like thick porridge
Tip: Keep it a little looser than you'd like to serve it. It thickens while the eggs cook.
Make wells and add eggs
- Return the pan to low heat.
- Use the back of a spoon to make 4 evenly spaced wells in the risotto.
- Crack one egg into each well and sprinkle the whites lightly with salt and pepper.
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Ready when: Each egg sits in its own well, with the yolk intact
Tip: Crack each egg into a small bowl first, then slide it in so a broken yolk or shell doesn't land in the pan.
Cover and poach eggs
- Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved stock around the edge of the pan.
- Cover tightly and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Don't lift the lid for the first 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The whites are completely opaque and set, and the yolks look glossy and jiggle slightly when the pan is nudged. Cook 2 minutes longer for firm yolks.
Tip: If the whites are still translucent near the yolk, re-cover and cook 1 minute more.
Garnish and serve
- Let the pan sit, covered, off the heat for 2 minutes.
- Scatter the remaining feta and the chopped herbs over the top.
- Serve straight from the pan, spooning rice and one egg into each warm shallow bowl.
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Ready when: Risotto is creamy and loose, eggs still have a soft center
Tip: Serve right away. Risotto stiffens quickly as it cools.
Good to know
Tips
- Stir often but not constantly. Regular stirring releases starch for creaminess, and it isn't necessary to stir every second.
- Don't rush by adding all the stock at once. Adding it in stages gives the creamy texture risotto is known for.
- Use a wide pan. A larger surface area helps the liquid absorb evenly and gives the eggs room to cook in separate wells.
- If you prefer firmer eggs, cook them 2 to 3 minutes longer, or poach the eggs separately and place them on top.
Make ahead
"The tomato, pepper and spice base (steps 2 to 3) can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it in the skillet before toasting the rice. Risotto itself is best made fresh."
Storage & reheating
"Best eaten immediately. Leftover risotto (without eggs, or with fully cooked eggs) keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of stock or water, stirring until hot throughout. Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Freezing isn't recommended because the rice turns mushy, and cooked eggs get rubbery."
Substitutions
- arborio rice → carnaroli or vialone nano rice. Use the same weight. Both are short-grain rice that produce a similar creamy texture.
- feta cheese → goat cheese or ricotta salata. Goat cheese melts into the rice for a creamier finish. Ricotta salata stays crumbly like feta.
- unsalted butter → extra-virgin olive oil. Use 1½ tablespoons for a dairy-free finish, and skip the feta or use a vegan alternative.
- cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes → 1 tbsp harissa paste. Stir it in with the tomato paste for a smokier, more North African flavor. Reduce the salt slightly as harissa can be salty.