Saffron Shakshouka

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Yield: 2 servings

Shakshouka is a traditional Middle-Eastern dish that takes your poached eggs recipe from basic, to unbelievable! Ripe tomatoes are simmered with veggies and spices to make a velvety vegetable stew, spiked with floral saffron and spicy Tunisian harissa. Then? It’s time to crack some eggs! When the eggs are poached to jammy perfection, this filling and warming breakfast is ready to eat! It is also fantastic with fresh bread, so forget the forks, friends, tear off a piece of pita and get a scoop-a… the Shakshouka!

Ingredients:

3-4 large ripe tomatoes
Boiling water, ice water
1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Harissa chili paste
6-10 threads saffron (pinch)
1 cup (240 mL) warm water (more if needed)
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Parsley, to garnish
Flatbread, warmed

Method:

Score the base of the tomatoes by making an “x” with a sharp knife. Blanch and shock the tomatoes by immersing them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, until the skins start to loosen, then transferring them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Starting at the “x”, remove the skins, they should peel off easily. Core and dice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) cubes and reserve.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion, and bell pepper; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, harissa, saffron, and the water; stir. Simmer for about 25 minutes.

Crack the eggs directly over the top of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, 5-6 minutes. If the tomato sauce gets dry, add a few more tablespoons of water. Serve with bread, garnish with chopped parsley.