Shakshuka

I LOVE SHAKSHUKA! If its on a menu, you better believe I’m ordering it! Shakshuka is North African in origin, but has been made popular throughout the Middle East. I love eating this dish at different restaurants because everyone puts their unique twist on it! It’s essentially baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce and its hands down, one of my favorite dishes to eat for brunch!

I decided I wanted to take a stab at making it at home.

My recipe inspiration was taken from Serious Eats with a local twist!

 

 

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Ingredients/ Equipment:

  • 3 tablespoons EVOO

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 large red pepper, thinly sliced

  • 1 fresh small hot chili (we used a serrano from our garden) stems, seeds, and ribs removed, thinly sliced

  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

  • 2 teaspoons whole or ground cumin seed

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by squeezing between your fingers

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Large handful minced cilantro, parsley, or a mix (we used just cilantro)

  • 6 eggs (thank you Stehly Farms!)

  • Sliced oil-cured black olives, feta cheese, or artichoke hearts, for serving (all optional- we used sheeps milk feta)

  • Crusty bread, for serving (thank you Prager Brothers!)

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or straight-sided sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Add onion, red pepper, and chili and spread into an even layer. Cook, without moving, until vegetables on the bottom are deeply browned and beginning to char in spots, about 6 minutes. Stir and repeat. Continue to cook until vegetables are fully softened and spottily charred, about another 4 minutes. We also added some broccoli greens from our friends Wild Willow Farm. We got a beautiful head of broccoli in our CSA and didn’t want to waste the greens. They were a delicious add-on!

Next, add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add paprika and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Immediately add tomatoes and stir to combine (see note). Reduce heat to a bare simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in half of cilantro or parsley.

Using a large spoon, make a well near the perimeter of the pan and break an egg directly into it. Spoon a little sauce over edges of egg white to partially submerge and contain it, leaving yolk exposed. Repeat with remaining 5 eggs, working around pan as you go. Season eggs with a little salt, cover, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook until egg whites are barely set and yolks are still runny, 5 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and feta cheese. Serve immediately with crusty bread and some house made bacon from Stehly Farms!