Here’s a recipe for shakshouka based on what I threw together the other day. You can change things up as you like, of course. This is a dish featuring eggs poached in a tomato sauce with peppers, onions, and spices. This recipe originated in Tunisia. Serve it for any meal of the day!
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion
- 1 cup bell peppers, diced
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
- Cumin, turmeric, and other spices to taste
- 28 oz tomatoes, crushed
- 6 eggs
- Feta crumbles
- Sumac (traditional but not totally necessary if you can’t find it)
- Cilantro or parsley for garnish
- Pancakes or toast to accompany
Directions
Sautee onion, with a dash of salt, in olive oil on medium heat until translucent.
Add a splash of Balsamic vinegar.
Add bell peppers and another dash of salt and olive oil, and cook until slightly soft.
Add 1/2 tsp each of cumin, turmeric, black pepper, garam masala, and maybe some other stuff. Paprika? Basil? Nutmeg? Use your judgment.
Cook for about 2 minutes to wake it up, then add 28 oz crushed tomatoes. I used fire roasted and crushed. Lacking that, I would have used San Marzano style and crushed them myself.
Drop the heat and simmer for 15 minutes without the lid, stirring sometimes, until enough liquid has evaporated that you can make dimples in the sauce with a spoon.
Make dimples in the sauce and put an egg in each. I used a ramekin to break each egg into, then poured it from there.
Add feta cheese crumbles on top. Sprinkle sumac and black pepper over eggs.
Put the cover on and wait until it’s cooked, however much you want it cooked. Reminder: the egg will continue to cook until the sauce cools off, so if you want it soft at all, take it off a little early.
Serving suggestions: To serve at breakfast or brunch, spoon over plain buttermilk pancakes. For lunch or dinner, serve over thick toast or cornbread.
Spoon out a little sauce, then an egg or two with some sauce, and put it on top. Scoop up some more sauce. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
Joseph Thiebes 