It used to be that on Saturday mornings, after my long runs, I would eat huevos rancheros. I like eggs and I like tortillas and the act of having run double digit miles seemed to justify and indulgence in something that is probably forbidden or at least frowned upon during heart health month. Eggs fried in butter topped with cheese? Yes, please!
That is until recently, when shakshuka stole my heart away. Shakshuka is about as easy as huevos rancheros to make, but it seems a bit more hearty and filling after running around in the cold all morning. The dish comes from the Middle East, or maybe North Africa, but I ran into it where else? Israel.
For Brumalia, my Sweet Lady gave me a cast iron skillet to make it with, although I reckon you could use an everyday pan like the one above so long as it is not teflon. You eat it right out of the pan. I’ll usually saute some garlic in olive oil and then add in a can of diced tomatoes. Maybe when the season comes around I’ll use a fresh one.
Anyway, I’ll let that simmer for a bit until the tomato pieces get pretty soft and then I’ll mash ’em up with a potato masher or whatnot. A small bit of tomato paste to thicken things up is not a bad idea nor is some Tobasco. Once all that is biled down like cabbage, I turn the flame up to get it on a high simmer. Then the magic begins.
I make a little divot in the tomatoes and crack in an egg. A raw egg. Another divot, another egg. “Isn’t that dangerous?” you ask. Eating raw egg may be bad, but eating poached egg is good. The egg poaches in the tomatoes and “voila!” shakshuka. It’s best when the yoke is the consistency of jello that has not quite set. Good luck figuring out when that happens.