Shakshuka
Yield: 4-5 servings
Time: Prep 15 minutes, cook 10-15 minutes
If you look at different cultures across the world, you’ll see that many have a version of baked eggs that is filled with regional flavors and ingredients. In Mexico it’s Chilaquiles, baked eggs with tortilla. In Italy they have “Eggs in Purgatory”. Turkey has Menemen. All of these dishes have a similarity of onions, peppers, tomatoes, and of course eggs. My favorite rendition is Shakshuka. It originated in Northern Africa but has become strongly associated with Israel in current culinary scenes. Seasoned with cayenne, paprika, and cumin, these baked eggs are a healthy and hearty way to start your day. Try this recipe straight up or add in your own twists: chorizo, bacon, shredded chicken, and tofu are all great additional proteins to try!
Ingredients:
1 can plum tomatoes
Yellow onion
Bell pepper
Garlic
Olive oil
Butter
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
Smoked paprika
Cumin
1 bay leaf
Red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Eggs
Feta cheese
Cilantro
Special Equipment:
Oven-safe skillet or individual oven-safe bowls
Directions
Step One:
Preheat oven to 375º.
Step Two:
Thinly slice onion and pepper into strips. Heat a few tablespoons each of olive oil and butter in skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and pepper for 2 minutes then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Step Three:
Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic to the skillet. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes until all veggies are soft.
Step Four:
Sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of cumin and 1/2 a tablespoon of smoked paprika. The amount of cayenne and red pepper flakes needed depends on your spice tolerance. One teaspoon of each is a good starting place. Lastly, add in bay leaf. Stir to combine thoroughly.
Step Five:
Shake a few dashes of red wine vinegar into veggies to deglaze pan, cook for 1 minute.
Step Six:
Pour in can of tomatoes with their juices, slightly breaking up tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Cook until mixture comes to a simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and remove skillet from heat.
Step Seven:
At this point, if you are using individual bowls, evenly distribute mixture between them. If not, leave in skillet if it’s oven safe. Crumble a few tablespoons of feta cheese on top of mixture.
Step Eight:
Using the back of a spoon, create individual wells in the veggie mixture for the eggs to rest in. Crack eggs directly into each well, 4-5 eggs depending on size of your skillet. Place on the middle oven rack and bake for 11-13 minutes. When ready, eggs will jiggle slightly and yolks will still be slightly runny.
Step Nine:
When ready to serve, sprinkle shakshuka with freshly chopped cilantro. Also great with crusty bread and Cholula!
