Shakshuka : 7 '16

All week long we have been eating dishes prepared from Recipes in one or the other of CCs two favorite middle eastern cookbooks:

 Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi, and Plenty by Sami Tamimi,

This morning's breakfast was a North African ( Tunisian) egg and tomato dish called Shakasuka whose spiciness is sure to get your heart pumping.

I used the recipe in Jerusalem which called for 2 tablespoons of a pre-made spicy garlic chili paste called Pilpelchuma or Harissa. Having made, and used,  this paste earlier in the week, I knew 2 tablespoons would be too fiery for our American palates, so I cut the Pilpelchuma paste down to 1 heaping teaspoon (which still infused a lot of heat.)

Since most of you won't have Harissa or Pilpelchuma paste in your pantry, I am providing a similar Kosher recipe from Tori Avery's blog post about the Dr Shakshuka Restaurant in Jaffa which lists out all the individual spices used rather than calling for Harissa or Pilpelchuma paste.

Shakshuka  

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder (mild)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste-- spicy!)
• Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5-6 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
• Note  added a heaping tablespoon of Greek Yogurt which helps  to balance the spiciness

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Servings: 5-6

Heat a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.

Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.


Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till blended. Add spices and sugar, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce.

At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka (be careful with the cayenne... it is extremely spicy!).


Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. I usually place 4-5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook "over easy" style on top of the tomato sauce.

Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't reduce too much, which can lead to burning. Some people prefer their shakshuka eggs more runny. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top-- then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste.

Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired. Shakshuka can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast, serve with warm crusty bread or pita that can be dipped into the sauce (if you’re gluten-intolerant or celebrating Passover, skip the bread). For dinner, serve with a green side salad for a light, easy meal.

See Tori Avery's full post at:
http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2010/07/summer-2010-travel-blog-shakshuka/#8Ks7mfPLXZy57tLR.99