Shakshuka is a peasant dish that comes to us from Tunisia and is widely prepared throughout the middle east. Typically eaten for breakfast, it really is perfect for anytime of the day, or even a delicious dinner. We love it for brunch for several reasons; the base can be made well in advance, it can be prepared in one pot or can be served in individual ramekins or oven-proof dishes of your choice. I have made it in my heavy bottomed Le Creuset dutch oven available at http://www.lecreuset.com which allows you to really cook the tomatoes and peppers down to a nice thick sauce. Your friends and family will be impressed with the presentation and last but not least, its delicious! An incredibly easy dish to make that is perfect for summer, because it leans heavily on tomatoes (although canned can be used). The combination of flavors border on downright exotic. Tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper, garlic, toasted cumin and yogurt (or Labneh*) and fresh eggs are the basic ingredients, but there are plenty of variations with onion, parsley, spinach, feta cheese, potatoes, eggplant and more.
My obsession with all things Ottolenghi continues and this recipe (below) is adapted from his masterpiece cookbook “Jerusalem” available at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Shakshuka
Yield 4 to 6
Ingredients
t tbl olive oil
2 tbls tomato paste
2 large red peppers - chopped
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin (roasted and ground yourself is best)
5 very large ripe, organic tomatoes chopped (canned can be used)
4 to 6 large organic, free range eggs
Greek yogurt or Labneh* (a thick, tangy Middle Eastern yogurt that can be found in specialty stores)
Instructions
Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a ditch oven or deep frying pan
add tomato paste, peppers garlic and cumin and saute for approx 8 to 10 minutes
add tomatoes and gently cook for an additional 10 minutes or until you have a nice thick sauce
Make little wells in the sauce and crack and egg into the wells. At this point you can do this step in individual vessels. Cover and place in a warm over to allow the eggs to set. You want the whites set, but the yolk a little runny.
Serve with a simple green salad and some warm crusty bread.
