Every so often you stumble across a dish and wonder where its been your whole life.
Shakshuka is one of those dishes.
And the sad part of it for me is that I have been hearing about it for a few years now, but just never got around to making it and trying it out. Well, that has changed, and with it, breakfast and brunch has gotten a whole lot more exciting.
Shakshuka is a North African/Middle Eastern breakfast that is made by essentially poaching eggs in a tomato sauce. And like so many other great dishes, it has migrated around the world, changing and morphing to meet the tastes of those who are eating it.
In this version, I used:
1/2 can of tomatoes, chopped
diced red onion
diced red and green bell pepper
chopped oyster mushrooms
minced garlic
crushed red chillies
crushed purple basil
2 eggs
I began by sautéing the onions, adding the peppers, and then the mushrooms so that each would be cooked about the same amount by considering how long each item took. I then added the garlic, followed by the chili flakes, and basil. As the aroma was growing, I added the tomatoes, turned the heat low, and allowed the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the sauce to develop and reduce.
With the sauce ready and seasoned to my liking, I created a couple of little divots and added my eggs into each. Top the pan with a lid, and allow the eggs to cook until they are right for you. To finish, I sprinkled a few sliced green onions over the top, and served it with a couple of slices of my beautiful sourdough bread.
Now, there is no need to follow my recipe. Really, the key to it is the tomato sauce and the eggs. Feel free to add as much or as little of any other item that you like. Feel like eating a Mexican style, and you could add some chorizo sausage and top with some cilantro. For more of a Greek style, you could toss in some olives and top with some feta cheese. The sky is really the limit.