Shakshuka. Not only is it fun to say, but it is delicious! What is it, you ask? It’s eggs poached in a chunky, spicy tomato sauce and it’s so popular that many different countries claim it as their own. Tunisia, Morocco, Israel…wherever it originated, I’m pretty thankful! Since I’ve been making it for a while now I’ve made it my own, so I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a traditional shakshuka recipe but I love it.
So what’s not traditional about my recipe? Mostly the addition of olives, substitution of goat cheese for feta cheese, and sprinkling Italian gremolata on top instead of parsley alone. I also make it a bit spicier than most so if you’re not a huge fan of spice dial back the jalapeños some. Shakshuka is traditionally served with pita bread, but I like it with grilled rustic whole grain bread. Sometimes I even push my Italian influence on the dish a little further and serve it over polenta, yum.
So whether you go the more traditional route or try this SavoryGirl twist to Shakshuka I promise it will become a favorite in your household as well. Enjoy!
Makes 3 servings
4 TBS olive oil
1 small can of diced hot jalapeños
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (un-drained and crushed with your hands in a large bowl)
10-12 mixed olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 eggs
Gremolata:
3 TBS chopped Italian parsley
1TBS lemon rind
1 garlic clove finely diced
½ cup goat cheese, crumbled (or shredded Parmesan will also do in a pinch!)
Grilled (or toasted) rustic whole grain bread, for serving
Heat oil in a large skillet (or dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and cumin. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to the pan along with ½ cup water. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 20 minutes. Season sauce with salt and ground pepper to taste.
While tomato mixture is cooking, prepare toppings for the shakshuka. Make gremolata by mixing together the chopped parsley, lemon rind and finely diced garlic. Crumble goat cheese into a separate bowl.
Crack eggs into small, individual dishes and then gently pour each one into the sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed. Cover and cook until yolks are just set but still soft, about 5-10 minutes.
While the eggs are cooking, slice and grill (or toast) bread.
Gently scoop shakshuka and two eggs into each bowl. Sprinkle shakshuka with gremolata and goat cheese and serve with bread, for dipping. For a heartier dish, serve shakshuka and eggs over polenta or couscous.
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