Shakshouka

 

This post is a tribute to Anthony Bourdain who was such an integral part of our lives for the last decade or more.  In my family of four where no one ever agrees on the TV shows or movies to watch, we are always unanimous in our vote for Bourdain’s shows.  Because of his shows, both my boys have grown up with an open mind for food and experimentation.  Where parents would be trying to cater to picky kids to eat, I would be reminding my kids to make sure it was food and they weren’t allergic to it.  My kids epitomize “No Reservations” just the way Anthony Bourdain dreamed of.

I was also exposed to a Tagine by Anthony Bourdain when he covered the food from Morocco on one of his shows almost a decade ago. I was fascinated by the clay pot with a dome shaped lid that the food  was cooked in.  I soon found one and now I can’t seem to have enough.

The Tagine is a Maghrebi dish named after the clay pot it is cooked in and is usually a slow-cooked stew made with meats, poultry or fish, vegetables, spices with a base of onions and garlic.

I first heard about Shashouka from Anthony Bourdain on one of his shows featured on the Middle East. The origin of Shakshouka is North-African, but the dish is quite popular in the Middle East and Israel.  Although traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch, it is a hearty dish that can be easily eaten as a meal with a crusty bread and side salad. The easiest way to cook Shakshouka would be in a cast-iron skillet on the stove, but I prefer to cook it in a Tagine because Bourdain opened up my world of food and how it is cooked.  I love the earthy taste that the clay pot gives to the dish.

A vegetarian version of the dish can be made by substituting the eggs with chickpeas. The chickpeas can be added along with the tomatoes and spices and simmered. Kalamata olives may be added to this version if preferred.

 INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 (14-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes with juices, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, as per taste
• Sugar, a pinch as per taste
• 1-2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (as per taste)
• 6 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
• Chopped cilantro, for serving
• Chopped parsley, for serving
• Crusty bread

VEGETARIAN VERSION

•  1 can (15 oz) Chickpeas, drained
• 4-5 Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or a tagine over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 mins until browned.

2. Add onion and bell pepper. Cover the skillet or tagine and cook gently until very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Pour in tomatoes and season salt, sugar, cumin, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

4. Simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes.

5. Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes and sprinkle Parmesan cheese making sure to leave egg yolk exposed.

6. Cover tagine with the lid and cook until eggs are poached well.

7. Sprinkle with cilantro and parsley.
8. Serve with any crusty bread.

Tip:

1. If cooking in a skillet, pre-heat oven to 375F and if desired, transfer skillet to oven. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. If preferred, crumbled feta cheese can be substituted for parmesan cheese
3. You can skip the cheese and add olives or artichokes to the dish.