There’s one staple that requires cooking, but still fits summer dinners (or brunches) really well, and that is shakshuka. Shakshuka is a Northern African dish of cooked eggs in tomato and red pepper or paprika stew, usually with the addition of hot pepper. It was brought to Israel by the Tunisian Jewish immigrants and is popular both in Israeli homes and restaurants. The most common version is made of cooked tomatoes, crushed garlic and paprika. Some recipes include sliced chorizos, some call for feta cheese, and there’s also a green version of Swiss chard or spinach stew with eggs cooked in it is gaining popularity as well.
Shakshuka made with canned tomatoes can be quite good, but there’s really nothing like one made of fresh summer tomatoes. The dish has such few ingredients- it relies on the tomatoes alone, and those must be of the best flavor. Try mixing different heirloom tomatoes- but any good, red, ripe tomatoes will work well.
With slices of ciabatta or sourdough bread, this is a whole vegetarian meal on its own. I just wish I could say it was cheap, since no meat is saved. Unfortunately, if you’re living in America, tomatoes, even in the summer, can be as expensive as meat, or even more expensive- something I still cannot understand. But you’ll be comforted to know you’re following the MyPlate recommendations of the USDA, and serving your family real goodness in a skillet.
Tomato shakshuka
The origin of this recipe is North African, Tunisian and Algerian, but it is popular all over the Middle East.
This version is for the classic shakshuka, available everywhere in Israel. You can add toppings as you desire. Some popular toppings are crumbled feta, fried or roasted eggplant and sliced cooked sausage.
Ingredients
- 4 lb. fresh ripe tomatoes or a mix of heirloom tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper seeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- 6 eggs
- Bread for serving
Instructions
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Cut the tomatoes in eight, keeping all juices. Put oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add jalapeño, cook for 10 seconds, then add tomatoes all at once, let cook for 8 minutes, only shaking the pan, to get some of the tomatoes burnt a little at the bottom (nothing smells better than a slightly burnt tomato). Add paprika and garlic and mix. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the stew has thickened, 30-40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add salt to taste.
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Using the back of a spoon, make 6 wells in the tomato sauce. Gently break the eggs into each well and continue to cook to your preferred doneness. You can cover the pan while cooking to eggs to cook them faster.
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Divide between 6 plates. Serve with good bread to absorb so you can finish the tomatoes to last drop.
