Breakfast for dinner? Meatless Monday? Comfort food? Adeena Sussman's recipe for Zucchini, Dill, and Feta Shakshuka perfectly fits all three categories.
Earlier this month, I won Adeena Sussman's Cookbook Sababa (published by Avery) on instagram from Ellie Krieger, and decided to make Adeena's shakshuka recipe yesterday for brunch with friends.
I've made my own version of shakshuka many times before, but thought I could learn a thing or two from a published cookbook author.
What I learned is that I've never spent nearly enough time perfecting the sauce by sauteing the aromatics, layering the spices, using 3 types of tomatoes (raw, pureed from a can, and tomato paste), and reducing the sauce to make a flavorful and thick base for the eggs.
Adeena's shakshuka was a great success at brunch, and I had leftovers today for lunch. I am looking forward to making her green shakshuka next!
Zucchini, Dill, and Feta Shakshuka
Reprinted with permission from the author
Serves 4
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizziling
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
6 medium very ripe fresh tomatoes, finely chopped by hand, or pureed in the bowl of a food processor if you like smoother shakshuka
One 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 small, fresh, finely diced red jalapeno, plus more to taste and for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
6 large eggs
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Pita or other bread, for serving
Set a rack in the top third of the oven. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, season in the pan with salt and black pepper, and cook, not stirring too much, until the zucchini has released its water and is golden and slightly charred around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet, then add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is lightly golden and softened but not too dark, 9 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, cumin, paprika, coriander, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant and the tomato paste is slightly caramelized, 2 minutes. Add the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, and jalapeno. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has darkened and thickened slightly, 20 to 25 minutes; season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Preheat the broiler during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Stir in the dill and return the zucchini to the pan, stirring gently. Use a spoon to form 6 wells in the sauce, crack an egg into each well. Sprinkle with feta around the skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the shakshuka to the oven and broil until the top of the sauce is slightly caramelized and the whites of the eggs are just opaque but the yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven (use an oven mitt since the handle will be hot), top with fresh chopped dill and more jalapeno, and serve immediately, or cool to room temperature and serve, sandwich-style, stuffed into pitas or piled on top of bread.
NOTES
1. I used orange pepper because that's what I had.
2. I did not add dill into the sauce itself: only used it as a garnish.
3. I used room temperature eggs as to not shock them too much ;)
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