Shakshouka
Shakshouka, aka Shakshuka is traditionally a Middle Eastern dish of eggs poached in a delicious sauce that combines tomatoes with onions, garlic, chili peppers and spices like cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. My spin will combine some of those spices and I’ll also plan to add sumac, which is a tangy Middle Eastern spice; and I’ll finish the eggs with feta and parsley.
What I like about this dish is that it can be made for breakfast, dinner, or anytime in between because of it’s savoriness. I’m preparing this for brunch and lucky for me I have fresh eggs from my sister-in-law and some crispy bread to dip in the yolk 🍳 to scoop up that tomato sauce 🍅
This makes for a good midweek meal because it can be made rather quickly and it is packed with flavor.
Prep Time – 10-15 minutes
Cook Time – 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2TBS of olive oil
- 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
- 2 chili peppers, sliced thinly. You could use reconstituted dried or fresh peppers.
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 small can of crushed tomatoes
- 1TBS of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth or water
- 1tsp of paprika
- 1tsp of cumin
- 1tsp of sumac
- 1/2tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2tsp of salt
- 1/4tsp ground pepper
- 1/4 cup of feta cheese
- 4 eggs, up to 6 eggs can be used
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
1. Begin by warming a cast iron pan and add your olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add your onion, garlic and chili peppers and saute.
2. Once the onions become fragrant and slightly translucent, add your fresh tomatoes.
3. Stir until the tomatoes are broken down a bit, ~10 minutes.
4. Add your canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth/water, paprika, cumin, sumac, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and mix until combine well.
5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ~10 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
6. Make indentations in the tomato sauce and carefully crack the eggs in. Cover your cast iron and poach the eggs until the whites are set but your yolks are still runny (or to your taste).
7. Remove the cover from your cast iron and garnish the eggs with feta and fresh parsley.
8. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy, cheers.
