Shakshuka
Shakshuka. I have so many happy memories of this dish, both ones that I grew up with and enjoying my own when hosting.
Yield 8 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time About 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 head garlic, peeled, and thinly sliced (like in Goodfellas) (about ⅓ cup total)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
3 to 4 medium yellow onions, chopped small
1½ teaspoons garlic powder (to taste)
1½ teaspoons adobo seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder (optional)
½ teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 large ripe tomatoes roughly chopped or 1 cup (170g) additional marinara sauce
1½ cups (375g) marinara sauce (If I don’t have my own stored, my go-to jarred faves are Raos, Carbone, or Monte’s Fine Foods)
8 to 10 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Pita, sliced sourdough bread, sliced baguette, and/or crackers, for serving
Special Equipment:
12- to 14-inch (30.5 to 35.5cm) heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron (see Note)
Directions:
Heat the oil and garlic together in a 12 to 14-inch (30.5cm to 35.5cm) cast-iron or heavy stainless steel skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 2 to 4 minutes. Watch it closely because the garlic can burn quickly. Add the onions and cook until golden and translucent, about 15 minutes .
Stir in the garlic powder, adobo seasoning, cumin, and cayenne (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and continue to stir constantly. It will take roughly 10 minutes to cook down the tomatoes. Stir in the marinara. Cook until thickened, roughly 5 minutes.
Using the back of a spoon, press 8 to 10 divots, equally spaced apart, into the sauce. One at a time, carefully crack the eggs into the sauce.
Sprinkle with half the parsley and/or feta, olives, or whatever else you decide to add in. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the egg whites are set and the yolks reach your desired firmness (about 5 minutes for a soft yolk and 7 minutes for a firmer yolk). Keep in mind that the eggs will continue cooking a bit even after you remove them from the heat.
Scatter the remaining parsley for garnish and serve hot, right from the skillet, with your bread(s) of choice.
Note:
While you can use a quality, heavy-bottom stainless steel skillet (I love my All-Clad!), I strongly recommend that you use cast iron. It heats uniformly, which is crucial to not burning the sauce during cooking.