Shakshuka with Goat Cheese
When I went college-visiting in Boston, I had brunch at Tatte on Massachusetts Avenue, a long-time favorite cafe of mine that I frequented during annual debate tournaments in Boston. While I adore Tatte’s assortment of pastries and iconic black and white layout, with Balthazar’s Bakery-esque vibes, I was determined to try their shakshuka. Per usual, the queue was long, but so worth it: a cast-iron skillet of still-bubbling eggs and chunky feta came out with buttered challah. Quite the glorious meal. After that enlightenment, I grew determined to replicate it at home.
Shakshuka (also spelled shakshouka in Maghreb) is a tomato-stew dish originating in the Middle East — it is disputed whether it came from the Ottoman Empire, Morocco, or Yemen. As it spread throughout the Middle East, it grew into a staple in North African and Arab cuisine. Made with eggs poached in fiery red sea of tomato, peppers, onions, and garlic, shakshuka also holds an apt nickname of “eggs in purgatory.”
You can serve shakshuka with any type of bread (buttered and toasted brioche, challah, and sourdough are my top choices) and dip the bread into the runny yolks. Each bite promises a unique punch of flavor and texture!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 cloves of garlic
half yellow onion
4-5 mini bell peppers or 1 large bell pepper
10-15 cherry tomatoes
1/2 28oz can of fire roasted tomatoes OR 1 14.5oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
2” log of goat cheese (or feta)
Parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds, or ground cumin powder
2 tsp coriander seeds, or ground coriander powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp harissa
1 tsp cayenne
Steps:
Take eggs out to sit at room temperature.
Skip this step if using ground coriander/cumin powder: Placing the coriander and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle and break apart any whole seeds. Alternatively, place seeds on a cutting board and press firmly with the bottom of a skillet several times until crushing the seeds.
Smash garlic cloves and mince. Cut onion in half lengthwise and slice half into thin pieces. Similarly, slice bell pepper(s) into thin strips.
In a skillet, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, and crushed coriander and cumin seeds/powder. Heat over medium and cook until seeds begin “dancing” in the oil and garlic turns a fragrant, golden brown.
Turn heat to medium high and add onions and peppers into the skillet. Season with salt to help onions and peppers caramelize. Add in smoked paprika, harissa, cayenne and black pepper. Continue to sauté until onions have been almost translucent and peppers are soft.
Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Stir occasionally to ensure the vegetables don’t burn at the bottom of the pan. After a few minutes, using the back of a wooden spatula or spoon, press down on the cherry tomatoes to pop them. By now, the tomatoes should have become soft enough to burst on their own or with a gentle press of the spatula/spoon. If tomatoes are still firm, cover with the skillet with a lid and let tomatoes simmer in the sauce for another 2-3 minutes.
Once all cherry tomatoes have burst, add the either half of a 28oz can or a full 14.5oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes to the skillet and let sauce simmer.
Stirring frequently, cook shakshuka until thickened and it holds its shape when a spoon is run through. Around 5-10 minutes.
Turn heat to low. Using the spatula or back of the spoon, create four, evenly-spaced 2-3” divots in the shakshuka. Carefully crack one egg into each divot at a time.
Sprinkle salt and black pepper onto the eggs and cover the skillet with a lid. Let eggs simmer gently (watch the heat), until whites have set and the yolks are jiggly. Around 5-10 minutes.
Turn heat off. Uncover the skillet and remove from heat. Crumble of the goat cheese into small chunks and sprinkle over shakshuka and eggs. Roughly chop parsley and garnish.
Serve shakshuka warm with toasted, buttered bread.
Additional Notes:
I used Muir Glen’s Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes — they have a wonderful rich flavor. However, beware while salting your shakshuka as the diced tomatoes are already quite salty, taste as you go.
My goat cheese is Trader Joe’s Chèvre with Honey Goat’s Milk Cheese. I would highly recommend trying it as I’m not a big fan of goat cheese but the one from TJ’s is very mild and faintly sweet.
My bread is my homemade sourdough bread.