Like many people—assuming people think about such things while at the bank or getting their nails done, or whatever—I have a platonic ideal of shakshuka, the North African and pan-Middle Eastern tomato stew with poached eggs. This platonic ideal does not include: spinach, feta, Gorgonzola, ham, potatoes, Gruyere, eggplant, or goddamn chipotles. Not that I’m irritated when clicking a recipe for shakshuka that includes one of these as an ingredient, but—OK fine, I am. I’m irritated. It irritates the hell out of me. Ham and even eggplant might have their place in a breakfast dish featuring some permutation of eggs and tomatoes, but for the love of Hera, just don’t call it shakshuka.
Anyway. Back to my platonic ideal. Shakshuka, in my mind, will always be garlic, peppers, tomato, and eggs, with maybe some parsley, cooked in a small Teflon skillet for one with a large hunk of crusty “worker’s bread” made of soft wheat. It’s served piping hot on a trivet at a small workers’ restaurant by the sweaty, irritable chef, who always has a smile for customers, or his motherly, put-upon, bespectacled wife with the delicately sweet face. But not on Tuesdays, because Tuesday is always couscous day, and you’d be a fool to pass that up, even for shakshuka.
My shakshuka is a time capsule of Or Yehuda, Israel, in the late 90s. I try to evoke the simple, satisfying flavors of Effie’s Tunisian style shakshuka, which he served daily at his family run restaurant The Tunisian Sandwich (known by everyone in the neighborhood as, simply, Effie’s).
You can leave out the hot pepper if you prefer yours mild. You can even switch out onions for the garlic, if you must. If you find your tomatoes too acidic, you can throw in a dash of sugar, I suppose, although I do think the sweet peppers provide enough balance on their own. And what do we call it if we add all sorts of weird crap that doesn’t belong? That’s right. Not-shakshuka. Because it isn’t.
This recipe is the first in a series promoting the Greatest Tomatoes From Europe. I’m taking part in this campaign because I genuinely love canned San Marzano tomatoes from Naples, and their versatility. They’re great for Mediterranean recipes and beyond.
My platonic ideal of shakshuka
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red bell pepper
1 Fresno hot pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
Small handful of parsley
28oz can whole Italian tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 eggs
- Slice the garlic cloves into thin slices, and chop the bell pepper into bite-sized chunks.
- Coarsely chop the parsley.
- Seed the hot pepper and slice it into rings.
- Pull out most of the tomatoes from the can, chop them coarsely, and put them in a bowl. Add the tomato juices from the cutting board to the bowl. You’ll have about half a can of tomato juice and a couple of tomatoes leftover. Reserve these for another recipe.
- In a small skillet (I used a 6 inch skillet with a lid), pour in enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Place the skillet over low heat.
- When the oil is hot and viscous, add the garlic slices.
- When the garlic slices have softened and are turning golden, add the sweet and hot peppers. Turn up heat to medium low, and cook the peppers until they begin to glisten.
- Add in the cumin and paprikas, and stir to distribute. Cook for a minute or two.
- Add in the tomatoes and parsley, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste a piece of bell pepper—it should still have some crunch.
- Gently crack an egg into different areas of the skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you can probably use 2-4 eggs.
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the skillet. Cook, covered, about 4-6 minutes, depending on how runny you like your eggs.
- Serve with a hunk of hearty bread.
