Savory

Green shakshuka

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There was a time, only a few months ago, when shakshuka wasn’t part of my cooking rotation.

I’d come across these eggs, baked with Moroccan or Tunisian ingredients – usually a mix of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, and sometimes with some additional spice (e.g. harissa) and/or cheese (e.g. feta). Smitten Kitchen has a version, the New York Times has one too, David Lebovitz – well, of course, he’s based in Paris, a city that thrives on North African food. The Italians even have a version, called “Eggs in Purgatory”. Shakshuka is – as my 102-year-old grandmother would say – all the rage. Check out Feed Feed where your search for shakshuka will deliver nearly 200 results. That’s a lot of spicy eggs.

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Once you’ve made shakshuka – or any kind of spicy baked egg dish, you’ll see why it’s become so popular.

1. It’s super simple, taking only minutes to cook…just a little more tim than it would take to remove the dreaded Eggo from the freezer, pop it into the toaster, and be doused in maple syrup.

2. It’s endlessly adaptable….this version of shakshuka has barely any tomato – and virtually no sauce. The eggs are cooked in a bed of onion and green pepper, and then topped with whatever ingredients I had available in the fridge. Add this dish to the arsenal of fridge dumping meals that includes fried rice and vegetarian lasagna. And don’t we all need a few more fridge dumping meals in our lives? Your wilting vegetables would clearly prefer a spicy shakshuka fate than a trip to the garbage can.

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3. It’s delicious. Take my word for it. Or Lauren’s. I’m not one to share someone’s egg dish, particularly if it includes runny yolks and has been eaten straight from the pan…but Lauren asked for some eggs when I was three quarters through my meal, yolk carnage and all. And she loved every bite. Make sure to have some crusty bread on hand for the final sweep of the pan.

And let’s talk about garnish. Because garnish, I’m slowly realizing, is the most important part of a dish. We all know that we eat with our eyes, so why not give your dish a sexy red dress rather than a T-shirt and jeans. Flaked Maldon salt, green harissa, sea salted yogurt, and chili powder, oh my! Clearly extras – this dish is presentable without – but don’t they turn this dish from good to great? Don’t ask my husband about garnishes. In his opinion, they slow down meal delivery and add little to the finished product.

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And that’s why he doesn’t have a food blog.

So enjoy green shakshuka. Riff on it, switch up your garnishes, inhale it alone or with company. All the best, and happy new year!

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