Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 400 g green tomatoes, diced
- 100 g yellow onion, diced
- 15 g jalapeno pepper, minced, seeds removed
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Pantry & Spices
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g ground cumin
- 2 g ground coriander
- 2 g kosher salt
Protein
- 4 large eggs, whole
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 147 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 282 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 186 mg
- Potassium
- 364 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 145 mg
- Zinc
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 127 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 32 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.29 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 41 mcg
- Water
- 162 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and minced jalapeno pepper, cooking until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic, ground cumin, and ground coriander using a wooden spoon. Cook stirring continuously until the spices are highly fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the diced green tomatoes and kosher salt to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer. Stir occasionally until the green tomatoes break down and release their juices to form a chunky, thickened sauce, about 10 minutes.
Use the back of your wooden spoon to make four shallow indentations in the tomato mixture. Carefully crack one large egg into each well.
Cover the skillet and poach the eggs in the sauce until the whites are opaque and fully set, but the yolks remain fluid, about 5 to 7 minutes. For food safety, particularly for vulnerable populations, ensure the yolks reach an internal temperature of 74C or 165F.
Remove the skillet from the heat immediately. Garnish generously with the chopped fresh cilantro and serve straight from the pan.
Chef's Notes
- Green tomatoes are simply unripe regular tomatoes. Their firm pectin structure means they hold their shape better than ripe tomatoes, creating a wonderfully textured and hearty base.
- The residual heat of the cast iron or heavy skillet will continue to cook the eggs for several minutes after removing them from the stove. Pull the pan off the heat just before the eggs look perfectly done.
- To ensure pristine egg yolks without broken membranes, crack each egg into a small ramekin or fine mesh strainer first, then gently tip it into the skillet indentations.
- Because this dish relies heavily on acidity, using a high quality, fruity extra virgin olive oil helps bridge the gap between the tart tomatoes and the rich egg yolks.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the tomato base separately. Cooked eggs do not reheat well without overcooking.
Reheating: Warm the green tomato base gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water if too thick. Crack fresh eggs into the hot base to serve.
Troubleshooting
The tomato base is overwhelmingly sour or tart
Cause: Green tomatoes vary wildly in acidity depending on their growing environment and exact harvest time.
Fix: Stir a tiny pinch of baking soda into the sauce before adding the eggs to neutralize the acid, or balance it with a very small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Prevention: Taste a piece of the raw green tomato before cooking to gauge its natural acidity levels.
Egg yolks are hard and chalky
Cause: The eggs were left covered in the skillet for too long, or the residual heat overcooked them after removing from the stove.
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Serve with extra olive oil to add moisture back to the dish.
Prevention: Check the eggs a minute or two before you think they are done, as they cook rapidly once the whites turn opaque.
Cultural Context
This dish draws structural inspiration from classic Middle Eastern and North African shakshuka. By substituting traditional ripe red tomatoes with unripe green ones, it introduces an American agricultural staple to an ancient Mediterranean technique, resulting in a unique cross-cultural flavor profile.
