Shakshuka is a delicious and beautiful dish that looks complicated but is actually very easy to pull together. Serve it for brunch with thick slices of toast or whip it up for an easy dinner and serve with flatbread. This recipe contains items you most likely already have in your pantry and comes together in 30 minutes or less.
The special ingredient in our recipe is Entube Harissa Paste. This North African staple packs a mighty flavor punch with a pleasantly mild heat. We've also added chèvre to compliment the mild spice of the harissa, but you can use any cheese you have on hand – parmesan, fontina, feta, or even mozzarella – or leave it out altogether for a more traditional shakshuka.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly
- 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Harissa Paste
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Sea Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked Black Tellicherry Pepper
- 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes with juices (you can use a 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juices as well)
- 4–6 large eggs (depending on the size of your pan)
- 5 ounces chèvre cheese (we love the classic chèvres from Briar Rose Creamery and Portland Creamery)
- chopped parsley for finishing
- Jacobsen Salt Co. Infused Lemon Zest Salt for finishing
PROCESS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat (if you do not have an oven-proof skillet, you can make the sauce and then transfer to a baking dish, as pictured). Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the garlic for about one minute and then add the harissa paste, spices, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute more.
Add the can of tomatoes with the juices to the skillet and break up the tomatoes into medium-small pieces. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Crack the eggs into the skillet or baking dish over the tomatoes. Larger dishes will allow for more eggs. Spoon little blobs of chèvre cheese around the eggs. These can be any size you like. Place the skillet or baking dish in the oven and bake until the eggs are set, about 7–10 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with parsley and a generous pinch of Infused Lemon Zest Salt.
Adapted from the New York Times.