Alaska News

Shannon Kuhn: Spice up your day with shakshuka

In the midst of winter, there's nothing better than fresh eggs. I've been caring for a friend's chickens ("chicken-sitting," if you will) and reaping the bounty daily. I love finding the light blue, green and brown eggs, lightly speckled. Each one is a tasty gift and a reminder of the simple pleasures in life.

One of my all-time favorite egg recipes is for a dish rooted in North Africa called shakshuka. It's a bright and spicy Israeli breakfast classic, but I recommend eating it as a main course any time of the day. Imagine eggs poached in a rich, reduced tomato-red-pepper sauce that's spiced with cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper and sopping that up with crusty bread or a warm pita. That's shakshuka. The meal is easy to prepare and adapt, depending on what you have on hand in the fridge or pantry. If you canned tomatoes this summer, pull them out. I make my own chèvre and crumble that on top, but also love using chunks of feta or gooey mozzarella.

Locally grown, internationally delicious. You'll wish you had a larger skillet.

Shakshuka

Serves 3-5

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

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Optional: diced jalapenos or Anaheim peppers for heat

3 garlic cloves, crushed, then diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or 2 14-ounce cans), undrained or a jar of marinara sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste

1 cup crumbled chèvre or feta cheese

6 large eggs

Chopped cilantro, for serving

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook until soft and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about six minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne and cook about two more minutes.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in crumbled feta or chèvre.

3. Gently crack eggs into sauce. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes*, being careful not to overcook them. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with warmed pita bread or crusty baguette for dipping.

*Note: You can cover the skillet and cook the eggs on the stove if you don't want to finish them in the oven.

Shannon Kuhn lives in Anchorage, where she writes about food and culture and co-founded the Anchorage Food Mosaic. You can reach her at play@alaskadispatch.com (Subject line: Shannon Kuhn).

Shannon Kuhn

Shannon Kuhn lives in Anchorage and is co-founder of the Anchorage Food Mosaic. She writes about food and culture and can be reached at play@alaskadispatch.com (subject line: Shannon Kuhn).

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