back to notes

Shakshouka

Serves 2.

1 small onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds removed, sliced thinly lengthwise
1/2 t salt
1 T olive oil
1 jalapeño, stemmed and minced (including seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T smoked paprika
1 T ras el hanout (or 1 t ground cumin, 1 t ground coriander, 1/2 t ground cinnamon, 1/2 t ground turmeric) [NOTE: consider ginger, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, or fenugreek]
14 oz canned whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
1/2 t salt
Large handful chopped mint, cilantro, or parsley
4 eggs
Small handful oil-cured black olives, pitted and sliced
Yogurt
Bread, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350.

Sauté the peppers and onions (salt them in the pan) in the oil over medium-high heat for 10" or so until soft.

Add the garlic, jalapeño, and spices and sauté for a minute until fragrant. If the pan dries out with the spice powder , add a little more oil to loosen it. Do not let things brown.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, crush them with a potato masher, and scrape up any fond. Stir in half the chopped herbs, saving the other half for garnish. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10", adding water as necessary.

Make wells in the tomato mixture, crack the eggs into them, and spoon tomato mixture around the edges to help the whites cook faster. Transfer to the oven and cook for around 5 minutes, until the whites are barely set but the yolks are soft.

Garnish with the remaining herbs and the sliced olives. Bring the pan to the table, accompanied with a serving spoon and individual plates with yogurt dollops and slices of crusty bread.


last updated january 2017