Shakshuka, Ozark Style

Seasonal recipes are right up my alley, and this one is literally packed full of farm-fresh produce. It's a regional dish consisting of eggs poached in tomato sauce, and it's been served in kitchens all over the Middle East, from Jaffa to Palestine. And to add to the appeal, the recipe hails from a tiny cafe in an ancient Middle Eastern alley.  How intriguing! And exotic.  And even though ancient Palestine is slightly different from the Missouri Ozarks, I couldn't resist trying this dish out in my own kitchen.  I was glad I did.

I discovered Shakshuka during a weekly trip to the Morgan County Library.  Nita, the lovely Library Director was showing me some new "clean food" cookbooks that had just come in, and we were slowly flipping through them, pausing to ooh and aah over the stunning photographs and brilliantly detailed recipes.  Did I mention it was right before lunch? 

I honed in on this recipe from the book Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.  What got my attention first was the gorgeous photo, but when I read the list of ingredients, I knew I had just about every one growing in my garden.  Sold!  I checked out the book and raced home.

I grabbed my basket and went straight to the garden, by way of the chicken coop. 
Here's what I gathered:

1 large onion  (to be sliced)                               3 large tomatoes                               
1 red bell pepper (to be cut into strips)               3 sprigs of thyme                              
1 green bell pepper (repeat above)                      several parsley leaves (2T chopped)     
4 eggs                                                           20 coriander seeds (or 1/2t cumin)      

And here's what I used from my cupboard:

salt & pepper        3/4c olive oil         1/4t Old Bay           2t cane sugar           1c water

There were only a few things I didn't have, like bay leaves, cumin, and saffron, which the recipe calls for.  But Shakshuka is traditionally made using whatever ingredients you have on hand, so I used Old Bay for the bay leaves, coriander for the cumin, and left out the saffron.  I was stretching it for sure, but it worked.  And I'm a big fan of using what you have. 
It's kind of my motto. 

The first step was to dry roast the coriander (or cumin) for a minute or two.  Then add the onions and brown them in a bit of olive oil.  Let's just pause a moment to admire the onions.................scrumptious, aren't they?  Now we must move on....it gets even better.

Toss in the peppers, sugar, and herbs.  Cook them down, about 5 minutes or so.

Time to add the tomatoes and spices.  Reduce the heat and cook this for 15 minutes or so.  Add water as needed to give it a sauce consistency.

Okay, here comes the exciting part....make four wells in the mixture and crack an egg in each well.  Turn the heat way down and simmer this until the eggs are just set.  Don't worry if a yolk breaks, one of mine did and it turned out just fine.

Sprinkle with some salt and chopped parsley, scoop it on a plate, and experience the tsunami of flavor that overtakes you.  It's intense.  And amazing.  And delicious.  Did I mention delicious?

For the complete Shakshuka recipe and more, get a hold of a copy of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.
You'll be glad you did.

And be sure to visit your local library--there's a world of adventure waiting for you there!