Eggs in purgatory is a traditional Mediterranean dish (also referred to as shakshuka) that’s a customer (and chef) favorite on the brunch menu at Indaco in Charleston. Eggs get poached in a simmering mixture of tomatoes with fresh herbs and aromatics and then served warm with crusty bread. While the eggs feel breakfast or brunch worthy, this dish is hearty enough to serve for dinner.
recipe 
yields
Serves 4
¼ cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 basil bunch, roughly chopped
1 parsley bunch, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chili flake
1 cup white wine
1 28-ounce can tomatoes (DOP recommended)
Salt
Pepper
6 eggs
6 bread slices, such as sourdough or baguette, grilled or toasted
1 parmesan chunk
ingredients
steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small sauce pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the oil starts shimmering, add onions and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add chopped basil, parsley, and chili flakes and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits on the bottom. Cook mixture down by half.
- Once the mixture cooks down, add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Let cook on low-medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and more chili flake if desired. Transfer hot mixture to a deep, oven-safe casserole dish.* (See chef’s note)
- Crack eggs directly into sauce, evenly spaced apart, and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the eggs are no longer translucent but still jiggle slightly (you want a runny yolk but the rest to be cooked), about 12 minutes.
- Garnish with grated parmesan and serve with bread for dipping.
*You want sauce to be about 1-inch deep or so, enough for an egg to float in it but be slightly exposed at the surface.
Date Published: 05.27.22
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- Created by Mark Bolchoz, Indaco, Charleston
