Shakshuka (Middle Eastern style Baked Eggs)
Have you ever noticed how a recipe can be authentic in a particular culture or part of the world, yet there is often a clear similarity in the ingredients, the technique and the intention of a recipe eaten elsewhere on the planet? For this Queen, that is when you know you are onto something. A great example is the good old noodle - it can be authentically Italian when it’s spaghetti or tagliatelle but also an Asian staple in many guises from thin vermicelli in the South Eastern parts to thick slurpy egg varieties in Chinese cooking and then there is the famous udon or soba noodles famous in Japanese ramen.
This recipe is a little bit like that. So I know it’s a winner. I am calling it Shakshuka which is the name given to it in the middle eastern parts of the world where it is often served with flatbread. But it can also be taken in a Mexican direction known as huevos rancheros paired up with some fresh salsa and tortillas. And then in Basque areas of Spain it might be known as huevos a la espanola with the addition of perhaps some chorizo in the saucy base. So now that you know, you can take this recipe as a starting point and travel to whatever part of the world takes your fancy by giving it a little royal twist to suit. Whatever way you go it’s delicious and a brilliant option for feeding a few for breakfast or brunch, but there is also nothing stopping you from enjoying it any time of the day. Using your combination steaming function, with both your convection oven heat and your steam simultaneously, will allow you to simmer away the sauce first and then make it simple and easy to crack in the eggs when you are ready and cook them to gooey perfection.
Really what we are doing here in creating a delicious thick and rich ‘tomatoey’ sauce that is made even better with the addition of some classic spices like paprika and cumin, which will give it pizazz without too much heat and then dropping in the eggs once the sauce magic is complete to bring it all together. Comforting, delicious and kind of basic in a sense but elevated too! It can be served dressed up as you like - pita or flatbread, natural yoghurt or hommus (just get it out of a pre made tub - it’s just as good!) and even some felafels if you’re going all out or just with some basic toasted bread. I’m not here to judge. I mean in the end, this is the kind of food I love - it looks impressive enough to share with guests but also is easy and relaxed enough to whip up on a lazy Sunday in your best pyjamas.
So let’s get right into it shall we?
Serves 2-4 (but can easily be multiplied and done in a bigger dish to suit)
2 tbs olive oil (doesn’t need to be EV)
1 red capsicum/bell pepper (core removed, deseeded and diced about 1cm)
1 brown onion (diced about 1cm)*
1/4 bunch fresh flat leave parlsey (stalks finely sliced and leaves picked/roughly chopped separately)
400g can diced tomatoes
2 fresh ripe tomatoes (roughy chopped)
1/2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic (crushed/minced or finely chopped)
1/2 tsp salt flakes (or to taste)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika (you can use other paprikas but smoked is best)
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup water
4-6 eggs
To Make:
Grab a large relatively shallow oven proof dish.*
Add the olive oil, onion, capsicum, and parsley stalks (not the leaves). Place the dish into your Combi-Steam oven (don’t need to preheat). Select Hot Air with Steaming (Combination Steam). Set the temperature to 180°C. Allow to cook (we’re sautéing here) for 10 minutes or until softened and fragrant.
Remove the dish from the oven (don’t turn it off!) and add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley leaves and the eggs. Return the dish to the oven and allow to cook for 20 minutes or until it is nice and bubbly and looks thickened. (If it gets too thick you can add a little bit more water but you don’t want it runny!)
Remove the dish again (don’t turn if off!). Make a little indent into the sauce with the back of a big spoon about the size of the egg to help hold it in place. Then add the egg. Repeat for all the eggs. (I like to crack them one by one into a little dish or ramekin first so that I can pour them into the sauce more gently but up to you). Return the dish to the oven.
Cook for an additional 4-8 minutes depending on how runny you like the eggs.
Remove and serve topped with the parsley alongside the extras of your choice.
I like to let everyone scoop out their own egg/s and sauce at the table and get into it as they like but that is completely up to you. There is something really impressive about bringing the whole dish to the table though!
For the dish, you can use ceramic or enamel or even a frying pan if it has an oven proof or removable handle. A small roasting dish is also great. Or even a shallow pyrex glass dish will work.
If you want to warm up you flat bread or felafels to go alongside you can just leave the oven on the Hot Air with Steaming function when you take the eggs out and thrown them in on a tray for a few minutes at the end. If you do this I would cook the eggs for a minute or two less as they will continue to cook as they sit in the sauce.
For some extra spice feel free to add some freshly chopped or dried chilli flakes. If you like a little bit of acidic zing you can also add a splash of red wine vinegar to the sauce with the tomatoes in Step 3.
Try this one out and take a trip to somewhere more exotic while still in your Sunday pj’s!
Until next time,
Happy Combi-Steaming!
Yours in the kitchen,
The CSQ. x
As a little post script, I know that it has been way too long between recipes. Apologies to you all, my loyal (and new) subjects. I will try to do better and keep the inspiration coming!