Shakshuka
Today, we’re going to have a little chat about eggs and tomato sauce.
More specifically, egg and tomato sauce for breakfast.
Say whaaaa?
I know. That was my initial reaction too. But just hear me out, because it’s not as out there as it may sound.
I know more than a few of you guys have heard of Eggs in Purgatory, right? How about Huevos Rancheros?
This really isn’t so far off from those dishes.
I first heard of Shakshua from watching a cooking show where the host said that they first tried it at a tiny hole in the wall spot in Jerusalem, Israel. It was a meal that was regularly eaten for breakfast/brunch. Normally, I tend to not go much more ‘savory’ than an omelette for breakfast in my preferences, but this dish caught my eye because it just looked SO good. It stuck in my head–and you guys know what happens when a particular dish gets stuck in my head. I just have to try it for myself.
So. Shakshuka. After you’ve tried to say it three times fast, you’re probably wondering what it is, right?
The base is a tomato sauce of peppers and onions that’s heavily seasoned with garlic and smoky spices, then has eggs poached inside of it. It’s also mostly eaten with pita bread that gets dunked in the sauce. The foundation was a great starter for me to start with, then add some of those personal ‘Jess’ touches.
Most of the traditional Shakshukas I’ve seen were vegetarian friendly, with either chickpeas or mushrooms giving the sauce the ‘meaty’ texture. But, well um…we’re carnivores around here so I knew that there was no way that meat was NOT going to make an appearance in a dinner I made. Not a lot; but enough to make it’s presence known. I used ground beef, but ground turkey or sausage would work just as well for any other carnivores. (Oh, and you can absolutely throw in the chickpeas WITH the meat too. Extra protein is nice.)
The second major addition I made to the recipe was a particular spice that I got introduced to a little while ago called ras el hanout. It’s a Moroccan spice blend that’s very smoky, slightly sweet, a little bit spicy, and extremely delicious. It’s often used in curries or in rice/couscous, but I thought that it would work pretty well to liven up that acidic and potentially flat tomato flavor of the shakshuka sauce. I was right. For my American friends, you can find a pouch of the ras el hanout at World Market for a very inexpensive price. If there are any Middle Eastern markets in your area then they’ll most likely have some there too. You can of course find it on Amazon too. However, if you’d rather do without, that’s fine: just substitute it with additional cumin.
After you give the sauce time to cook down, it becomes robust and slightly thick with the added body from the meat and veggies. The flavors are really outstanding. You’ve got the acidity from the tomato, the smoky punch of flavor from the ras el hanout/cumin/paprika, the slight sweetness from the honey and the added flavor that the meat itself gives to it. You’ll kinda feel a little indulgent adding the eggs to finish the dish off, but who cares? I sure didn’t. Cook them until just set, then feel freed to spread and drag that runny yolk all through the sauce.
I got myself a short stack of sturdy pita bread and ate this dish entirely with my hands, using the bread as a spoon to dip and scoop up every single bit of the meaty/eggy sauce. And yes; I absolutely did use it to scrape the last bits up off the bottom until I’d pretty much wiped the bottom clean. Do.not.judge.me.
I hope you guys at Fiesta Friday #153 are hungry. I brought some Shakshuka and pita to share. Thanks to this week’s cohosts, Quinn @ Dad What’s 4 Dinner and Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes.
Shakshuka
Recipe Adapted from Serious Eats
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- One large sweet Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- One red bell pepper, thinly sliced,
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 heaping tablespoons ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
- 2 heaping tablespoons cumin
- 1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 (28 ounce can) of pre-crushed tomatoes (or 1 -28 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes that you crush with a potato masher or whisk yourself)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- About 1 1/2 cups of browned ground beef, turkey or sausage (optional)
- 4-6 large eggs
- Handful of spinach, roughly chopped
- Pita bread, for serving
Directions
Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet that’s around 2 inches deep. Add the red bell pepper and saute until softened and pepper begins to get limp, around 3-5 minutes. Add the onions and stir together with pepper until both soften and become slightly charred.
Add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant about 1 minute more.
Add in the tomato paste, ras el hanout, cumin, and smoked paprika. Allow to cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes until the spices release their fragrance, stirring frequently.
Add the crushed tomatoes, honey, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to just barely a simmer. Stir in the meat, if using. Allow to cook for about 15-20 more minutes until flavors have blended and sauce has begun to reduce/thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper if needed. (If sauce becomes too thick, you can always add about 1/2 cup of water and stir to loosen)
Using a spoon, make small wells in the sauce around the perimeter of the skillet. Carefully crack eggs into the wells, spooning some of the sauce onto the whites and sprinkling some salt & pepper onto the eggs. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to lowest setting and allow to cook until eggs have cooked— whites just barely set and yolks have begun to firm—about 5-8 minutes.
Sprinkle sauce with the spinach and serve with the pita for dipping.
I never would have thought of eggs and tomato sauce for breakfast Jess but this looks absolutely delicious!
I’d heard of it before, but this was the first dish that made me really think it was a good idea lol Thank you Heather-stay warm in the Mitten 🙂
Yummy. Loved your recipe.
Thank you Anuradha!
You are welcome.
A plate of that yuminess for breakfast and I think I’d be set for the rest of the day. Great recipe Jess.
It’s the kind of food that feels like it’s giving you a big warm hug lol Thank you Loretta!
Mmmm, Jess! I have been wanting to make this dish for a very long time! Yours looks so mouth-watering! I can’t wait to try it! 😀
So had I! I’m glad I finally got around to making it, it was well worth the wait. Thanks Julianna 🙂
Delicious Jess, love Shakshuka, it’s such a great meal. Never thought of using ras el hanout in this dish I bet that is wonderful. Looks fantastic.
The ras el hanout REALLY adds something special to the flavor profile. I was very impressed with it-thanks Suzanne 😀
I LOVE shakshuka, obviously I make mine vegetarian, but the flavours are the same. It’s great for any meal, any time of the day 🙂
I agree Elaine! It’s a great new find that I fully intend to make a regular part of our rotation. Thank you!
Try it with chickpeas or beans in too..
This recipe looks fabulous, I love the combination of cumin and smoked paprika! Thank you for sharing with FF:)
It makes for a wonderful flavor combination, that’s for sure. Thank you Monika 🙂
I love, love Shakshuka! I always make mine meat-free… wow, did I just say meat-free? Haha! Anyway, your version looks really good! My mouth is watering! Ugh, I regret why I didn’t eat my lunch. 😛
Happy new year, Jess & happy FF!
Thank you so much Jhuls! I finally know what I’ve been missing with this stuff- and meat or no meat, it’s AMAZING. Happy New Year <3 🙂
Looks awesome!
Thank you 🙂
This looks like a delicious hearty start and perfect for any meal of the day.
Honestly, it’s more of a dinner for me as after I got done eating it, I was so full and content I just wanted a nap lol Thanks Julie 🙂
This looks delicious. Reminds me a little bit of Eggs Menemen 🙂
I’ve never heard of that dish before, but just did a quick Google search lol, and you’re right: they do seem very similar 🙂
Great recipe looks delicious!
Thank you very much!
Wishing you the best 2017…
Thank you very much, and the same to you 😀
Looks tasty!
Thank you Pat 🙂