Moroccans, Tunisians, and Yemenites all claim this quick egg dish as their own. Great for brunch or supper, it’s the Israeli equivalent of huevos rancheros. Keep a supply of matboucha on hand, so you can whip up a hearty meal in minutes.
The term shakshuka comes from either the Hebrew verb “to shake,” as one does to a pan over a hot stove, or from Arabic slang for a mixture or stew. Skip the labneh for a vegan version and feel free to add spinach or cooked lamb sausage to the pan before adding the eggs for other variations.
The foundation for this shakshuka recipe is the spicy tomato condiment called matboucha.
- In a 12-inch (30.5-cm) skillet, thin the Matboucha with water to the consistency of thick spaghetti sauce. Add the olive oil and set over medium heat. When the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Using the back of a large spoon, make an indentation in the sauce at the 12 o’clock position. Crack an egg into the depression. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing them evenly in the pan. Cook until the eggs are set to your liking, about 7 minutes for over easy. Cover the pan to hasten cooking, especially if you like your eggs more well-done.
- Season the eggs with salt, if desired, and shower the parsley over all. Serve directly from the pan into shallow individual bowls, accompanied by labneh and bread or pita.
Reprinted with permission from The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen © 2015 by Amelia Saltsman, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Staci Valentine
Amelia Saltsman is the daughter of a Romanian mother and an Iraqi father who met in the Israeli army and immigrated to Los Angeles, where she was born and raised. Her cooking reflects her eclectic background, with the diverse flavors and cultural touchstones that have made her award-winning first book, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, a beloved classic. Amelia's name is synonymous with intuitive, seasonal cooking, and she is regularly sought out for her expertise by publications such as Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, Vegetarian Times, U.S. Airways, FIt Pregnancy, The Jewish Journal, and Los Angeles Times. She is a frequent guest on KCRW's "Good Food with Evan Kleiman" and a longtime advocate for small family farms. Amelia lives with her family in Santa Monica.
