There's an entire section in my Israeli cookbook all about Shakshuka. And I couldn't skip over said section once I saw photos of what Shakshuka was supposed to look like -- Huevos Rancheros (another one of my faves).
As with many dishes in Israeli cuisine, I had never heard of Shakshuka before I received my cookbook. The basic recipe is made primarily of eggs, tomatoes and some sort of hot sauce -- but you can add anything from peppers to spinach to potatoes to sausages to feta cheese. It is to be served in a frying pan along with (what else?) soft bread and a salad. It's a hearty, filling meal that I'd be happy eating either at noon or midnight.
The first thing I did in preparation the day before actually, was I made the hot sauce, which was a huge time-saver. Per the recipe I used, you can use one of many kinds of hot sauces (all of which I want to try eventually), but for my first time, I went with filfel chuma -- a condiment favored by Libyan Jews (which makes sense, considering Shakshuka is originally a Libyan recipe). I think filfel chuma is delicious -- and so does A! It's spicy but it doesn't set your mouth on fire. We were too busy mopping this stuff up with pita that we almost didn't have enough left for the Shakshuka!
Filfel Chuma
Recipe courtesy of The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey, by Janna Gur
Ingredients (makes 1 cup)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon high quality hot paprika (cayenne pepper)
4 tablespoons high quality sweet paprika
1 level teaspoon ground caraway
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup oil, plus more oil, to cover
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Mix the ingredients into a smooth paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a sterilized jar, cover with two tablespoons of oil to prevent spoilage, and store in the refrigerator. It keeps for a long time.
Now on to the Shakshuka itself. I won't lie -- it has the potential to be time-consuming, so definitely make your hot sauce the day before. Between baking fresh pita and peeling and dicing tomatoes, it can take up a good portion of the morning. But it's SO worth it :-)
Shakshuka -- Basic Recipe
Recipe courtesy of The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey, by Janna Gur
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 tablespoons oil, for frying
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 large tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, crushed) Note: I used fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon zhug, filfel chuma or harissa or a mixture of crushed garlic, paprika and hot peppers Note: I used filfel chuma
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional) Note: I didn't bother -- the filfel chuma was more than enough seasoning
Pinch of ground caraway (optional) Note: See above
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 eggs
1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet and lightly fry the garlic. Add the tomatoes and seasonings and cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat, partly covered.
2. Add the tomato paste, cover and simmer for a few more minutes. Adjust the seasoning -- the sauce should have a strong, piquant flavor.
3. Break the eggs one by one and slide onto the tomato sauce, arranging the yolks around the pan.
4. Turn heat to low and cook until the egg whites set (about 5-7 minutes). Partly cover the pan to prevent the sauce from spraying around the kitchen. Cover completely if you like your eggs "over hard."
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