Hi, Guys! We're back with another "Eggs! It's What's for Dinner" recipe. We'd love to see some of your recipes as well...feel free to add them to this thread, but in the interim, here's a twist on one of our favourite eggs-for-dinner dishes: Shakshuka.
From the Southeast Asian country of Burma and the egg curry we made in the previous recipe, we travel over 6000 miles to the west and land on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. I travelled here during college and was fortunate to explore some fairly remote villages where I was introduced to many new recipes. When we first got our ducks, I began revisiting some of the recipes from my various travels around the globe that included eggs, and a shakshuka may have been the first.
The traditional shakshuka (the etymology I've been told is Arabic and means either "stick together, clump together, adhere or coalesce" or "a mixture") is a tomato-based affair. It's sort of a thick stew with eggs poached directly in the stew at the end of cooking. The traditional flavor profile tends toward spicy, and you can expect cumin, cayenne and paprika. I've made shakshuka in both a traditional tagine and in a cast iron pan--both work great, although I may use the cast iron more for this dish.
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 375F.
I said up front that this shakshuka recipe is one with a twist (I'll post a more traditional one later), and the first thing you'll notice is that there are no tomatoes. Instead, I start with two large leaks, a celery stalk and a giant handful of mushrooms.
I cook this down with some olive oil over med-low heat for 15 or 20 minutes. You want the leaks and celery to soften and the mushrooms to release and reabsorb their water.
Then I had three minced garlic cloves and a minced chili pepper and cook while stirring for a few minutes. You'll start to smell the garlic!
Next I add a good handful of chopped fresh spinach and a big handful of Swiss chard cut lengthwise to form large strips. Allow the spinach and chard to wilt down--a few minutes.
While the veggies are wilting, start your cous cous. I use pearled cous with this dish, and I start it dry in a large skillet with a little butter. Keep it moving over medium heat until it's browned all over. Then add water, bring it to a boil, put the top on and turn the heat off.
When the veggies are wilted, gently pat the mixture down into the pan, making sure none is left on the sides.
If you can get your hands on some ayibe (an African cheese), sprinkle some on the top. I use feta more often than not, and its saltiness is perfect for this shakshuka.
Gently make four small wells in the mixture and crack a duck egg into each, then pop the whole thing in the pre-heated over for 6-10 minutes (depending on how runny you want your eggs--we like them runny!).
Serve the shakshuka over the cous cous with toasted wedges of pita bread. Garnish with a liberal amount of fresh mint and enjoy!
Do you have a favorite eggs-for-dinner recipe? We'd love to see it!
