Ori Apple's Shakshuka

I've had my appetite whetted for eggs cooked with tomatoes since Molly's gratin, and reading about Lindy's breakfast of champignons and Deb's version with lettuce pesto has only served to deepen this hunger as of late. So when the New York Times ran an article about hummus in July (not to be outdone, the Los Angeles Times swiftly followed suit six weeks later - though their article actually included a recipe for the stuff) and featured hummus guru Ori Apple's shakshuka - a North African breakfast dish of stewy tomatoes and peppers with just-set eggs - I considered the whole thing a fait accompli.

But once I got around to actually reading the recipe and writing down my grocery list, it didn't take long for me to realize that something wasn't right. My first tip-off? Oh, I don't know, maybe those two entire 28-ounce cans of tomatoes in addition to eight fresh plum tomatoes in a recipe meant for two people? Obliging blogger that I am, I bought both cans, but in case you're wondering, one of them still stands unopened in my cupboard.

The next thing that seemed odd was the entire honking tablespoon of salt. Now, as we all know (don't we?), canned tomatoes have salt added to them, so even if I had resorted to following the recipe and using both cans, that much salt would have been insane. And finally, I'm just not sure I understand the concept of za'atar being used as a garnish here. Not in this stewy, soupy dish. Why not just stir the fragrant mixture into the stew, so that when you eat a spoonful dusty, dry herbs don't get lodged in your windpipe while you try to chew?

I made my shakshuka with two red peppers (because the green ones, well, I hate them), no jalapenos (and it was remarkably spicy all the same), eight fresh plum tomatoes, a cup of tomato juice, water instead of vegetable broth, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and still this dish was so salty that I found myself diluting the mixture at the end with water (I didn't have any potatoes around).

I don't know - did Ori ever actually use these quantities for the stuff he serves at the Hummus Place? Do his customers leave the restaurant in water-starved delirium? People, I love salt. I'll happily sprinkle it on almost anything I eat. But for God's sakes, if you make this, start out with no salt at all and proceed cautiously. Okay? Let Mama Wednesday help you.

With all those adjustments, this could be such a nice dinner meal, especially with warmed pita (we ate it with La Brea bread that I saw for the first time at D'Agostino's and was so overcome by that I had to buy it. The verdict? Oh, Nancy. What were you thinking?). But proceed with caution. That's all I'm saying.

Shakshuka
Serves 2

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced, seeded jalapeño (optional)
2 red or green bell peppers, roughly chopped
8 fresh plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 28-ounce cans peeled Italian plum tomatoes, strained (juices reserved) and roughly chopped (I used 1 cup of tomato juice instead of this)
½ teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon salt, more to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
1 teaspoon sugar (I left this out)
1 cup vegetable broth (I used water)
4 large eggs
Za'atar, for serving
Warm pita bread, for serving. 

1. Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and heat oil. Add onion and sauté until lightly browned. Add garlic, jalapeño and bell peppers, and sauté 2 minutes more. Add fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add hot paprika, sweet paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir for 1 minute. Add 1 cup canned tomato juice, and ½ cup vegetable broth. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until mixture is very thick and has little liquid left, about 1 hour; stir occasionally to make sure vegetables do not stick to bottom of pan, and add more tomato juice or vegetable broth as needed.

3. To serve, season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently crack eggs into pan, taking care not to break yolks. Simmer until whites start to solidify but yolks remain runny, 6 to 8 minutes. Ladle equal portions of vegetables and eggs into two serving bowls. Sprinkle with za'atar to taste, and serve with warm pita bread.

Comments

[ann]

thank you for this!!
my boyfriend sent me this recipe back when it published with a quiet little plea "can we please have this when it gets cold?"
i was intimidated by the list of ingredients, but now i know i can do it.
thanks luisa!

[jenny]

I remember having this for breakfast in israel. Mmmm.

[deb]

I always feel extra-frustrated when I follow a recipe diligently even though something about it screams wrong and I was right(!) but it's still all we have for dinner. Tsk-tsk, recipe testers.

I would have fallen for this dish, too, in a heartbeat. Minus the Middle Eastern spices, it reminds me of this dish I love at Viceroy (18th/8th Ave) where they bake eggs in a tangy tomato sauce and then sprinkle them with parmesan so they get a nice crust on top. It's never over-salted and I heartily recommend it.

[Sarah]

I've been meaning to try this at Hummus Place, where I get my lunch sometimes (I work in the East Village.) Now I'm extra curious. Sometimes I wonder if chefs actually give out their real recipes. It reminds me of the time, years ago, that I made jerk chicken from a perfectly respectable cookbook--it was supposedly the recipe of this really famous jerk chicken guy in Harlem--and per the instructions, I put a half-pound of pureed Scotch bonnet chiles in the marinade. Well, you can imagine the result. The most frustrating thing was that the flavor was wonderful for the first bite--but no one could eat more than that (after which you couldn't taste anything, anyway).

--Sarah

[Anne N]

Yum!

You are a smart cookie for not giving into the salt of this recipe. I would've done it per instructions and ending up with sky high blood pressure.

How much do you think would've been right? 1/2 teaspoon?

Also, are the eggs runny? I'd think they would be, but I wanna know for sure.

[Lindy]

This really looks yummy, though I can't imagine where the other can of tomatoes would go...

When I was in college, a housemate often made a dish pretty regularly which was basically creamed spinach in a saucepan with poached eggs nestled in it, and nutmeg. She poured a little cream on top, then browned it for a sec.. It looked like this, only green. Delicious.
My daughter bakes eggs in the oven on top of a baking dish of ratatouille. Also yummy.
There are probably a whole slew of things that would make excellent egg bases along these lines...

[Natalia]

Shouldn't they test these things before they print them? Those quantities are way off! Oh well, that's why we have you, right?

[Jessika]

I remember reading an article written by a food mag editor who spent alot of time making sense of recipes that chefs handed in for publication. Was the circa 2 tbsp of oil closer to three or even four or maybe 5? And was it really 3 tsp of pepper that makes up 10 grams when the mags own kitchen reported that 1 tsp well covered it. It was very entertaining. It's probably what happened with this recipe -- noone actually reviewed the measurements and questioned if it was sensible or not.

[Lisa (Homesick Texan)]

Yeah, I have to agree with everyone that a T of salt is ridiculolus. Of course, I hardly ever follow a recipe's spice measurements because you always feel like the writer just made them up in their head. And most of the fun in cooking is throwing stuff in the pot and tasting it until it's as spicy as you want it to be.

[canDIshhh]

this looks absolutely amazing.. my mouth is getting watery now...

[Red]

The Italians have a similar dish: Uova in Brodetto. It's simply eggs poached in a basic tomato sauce. Another variation is made with a spicy tomato sauce and is called Uova nell'Inferno (Eggs in Hell). Both are quick and simple dishes, as you can make the sauce with canned tomatoes in the skillet right before adding the eggs. I usually serve the eggs over grilled/toasted bread that has been rubbed with a clove of garlic.

[Luisa]

Ann - fantastic! And, have you made it yet? Is your boyfriend happy? :)

Jenny - mmm is right. Ben also had it when he was there.

Deb - I live right near the Viceroy! I've never had brunch there, though it seems like a popular place. Those eggs sound nice...

Sarah - yow, that sounds like a painful experience. I think that it's quite common, actually, for chefs to fudge the numbers in their recipes. More common than we think in any case. It's silly really, as if anybody armed with one good recipe for baked eggs or banana bread or whatever it is is going to put the chef who came up with the recipe in the first place out of business. Isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery? Anyway.

Anne - 1/2 tsp could be right, though I'd say taste as you go... As for the eggs, they weren't runny, though they do look it. I let them go a bit too long - they were actually too firm!

Lindy - that spinach-egg thing sounds great. In Germany a staple dinner is creamed spinach with fried eggs and potatoes, so that sounds reminiscent of it.

Natalia - well...yeah! :)

Jessika - that sounds exactly right. Frustrating when it happens, though.

Lisa - You're right, though sometimes people really rely on those measurements!

Candishhh - thank you!

Red - Italian peasant food at its finest, indeed. ;)