Recipe of the Month: Shakshouka

Welcome to the newest series here on Melancholic Magpie – Recipe of the Month! As most everyone knows, the only things I can successfully make in the kitchen is a cup of tea and pan of burnt cookies. Therefore, I’m turning this monthly installment over to my favorite chef, California Carter.

A true epicurean, Carter Goffigon loves all things food, cooking and entertaining. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she grew up surrounded by fresh ingredients and year-round inspiration. She decided to pursue that passion as a teenager, working and training in some of LA’s best restaurants as a pastry extern. In college, she was introduced to the fascinating study of food history and power of food activism. Upon moving back to LA after graduation, Carter started a small (but growing) pop-up dinner series, called Food With Friends as a way to get back in the kitchen and bring together new friends in a metropolitan city. She’s passionate about changing the way Americans interact with food and believe how and what we eat can truly revolutionize our society.

I love eggs. Any time or day, scrambled, fried, poached, baked. Gimme. I’ve been reading a lot of recipes lately for Shakshouka, a Tunisian dish, in which you poach eggs in a spiced tomato sauce. Feeling inspired and, obviously, craving eggs, I thought I’d try my hand at a variation on this savory breakfast with what I had in my fridge. Mine turned out a bit more like a hash than a sauce but it was delicious, nonetheless. Here is a hearty and slightly Italian version, full of veggies, protein and flavor – perfect to set you up for an active and productive day!

January 2015 Recipe: Spicy Tomato Poached Eggs

Serves: 2 or 1 if you’re hungry

Ingredients.

1 cup roughly chopped tomatoes

2 garlic cloves

6-7 Calvetrano olives, pitted

¼ of a small red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup cooked vegetables (I used kale, mushrooms and diced sweet potatoes from a stir fry, I’d made the night before)

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

A pinch of cumin

1 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce

A pinch salt

2 eggs

1 tablespoon basil, sliced in a chiffonade

Supplies you’ll need

Small non-stick sauté pan

Food Processor (optional)

Steps

1. If you have a food processor, chop together the tomatoes, garlic and olives until finely chopped and incorporated. If you don’t have a food processor, you can finely chop these ingredients by hand, it just may take a few extra minutes.
2. In your sauté pan, heat the olive oil over a medium-low heat and add the sliced onions. Stirring a few times, cook your onions until they are soft and slightly caramelized, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add your cooked vegetables to the pan and toss with the sautéed onions. At this point, you’re building the base of your sauce, so its important to let the veggies cook together for a few minutes and develop some caramelization in the pan. (Really any vegetables will work for this recipe, just make sure they are all cut to about the same size, so they heat at the same rate)
4. Add your tomato mixture to the pan and turn the heat to low. The tomato juice will begin to simmer, bubble and thicken, this is good!
5. Add your vinegar, cayenne pepper, cumin, sriracha and salt. Stir to combine and let reduce for another minute.
6. Crack your eggs into a separate bowl. One at a time, make a small well in the sauce and carefully pour the egg into the pan. Repeat with the second egg. Cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes. You’re looking for the whites to be cooked through while the yolk should still be runny – test this by carefully touching both parts. The sauce will be pretty thick at this point, as much of the liquid has cooked off and been absorbed by the vegetables.
7. Turn off your heat and gently scoop your eggs into two bowls. Surround the eggs with the vegetables and extra sauce. Garnish with some chopped basil, a sprinkle of kosher salt and a little drizzle of olive oil. (I serve mine with a slice of crusty bread to soak up the juices, but that is optional)

Note: If you want a more vibrant red tomato sauce, I would suggest using a vinegar like Red wine or champagne. I only had balsamic on hand, which has a delicious sweet flavor but will turn the sauce slightly brown.