Eggs In The Middle Food

EASY SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably stainless steel) over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and turning translucent, about 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until nice and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices and add the cilantro. Stir, and let the mixture come to a simmer. Reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to give the flavors time to meld.
• Turn off the heat. Taste (careful, it's hot), and add salt and pepper as necessary. Use the back of a spoon to make a well near the perimeter and crack the egg directly into it. Gently spoon a bit of the tomato mixture over the whites to help contain the egg. Repeat with the remaining 4 to 5 eggs, depending on how many you can fit. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the eggs.
• Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven (it's heavy) and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking often once you reach 8 minutes. They're done when the egg whites are an opaque white and the yolks have risen a bit but are still soft. They should still jiggle in the centers when you shimmy the pan. (Keep in mind that they'll continue cooking after you pull the dish out of the oven.)
• Using oven mitts (both hands!), transfer the hot skillet to a heat-safe surface like the stove. Top with the crumbled feta, fresh cilantro leaves, and more red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve in bowls with crusty bread on the side.

EASY SHAKSHUKA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add the onions, green peppers, garlic, spices, pinch salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook a bit longer to allow the mixture to reduce and thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• Using a wooden spoon, make 6 indentations, or "wells," in the tomato mixture (make sure the indentations are spaced out). Gently crack an egg into each indention.
• Reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook on low until the egg whites are set.
• Uncover and add the fresh parsley and mint. You can add more black pepper or crushed red pepper, if you like. Serve with warm pita, challah, or crusty bread of your choice.

CLOUD EGGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
• Coat 4 small bowls with nonstick cooking spray. Separate the eggs and put the whites into a medium bowl and the yolks in the small bowls (1 yolk per bowl). Add a large pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Dollop 4 large spoonfuls of the egg whites onto the prepared baking sheet and make a small well in the middle of each with the back of a spoon. Bake the whites until they are firm, no longer wet and just beginning to turn brown, about 6 minutes. Gently pour 1 yolk into the well of each white. Bake until the edges of the yolk just start to set while still being runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt.
• Serve on top of buttered brioche toast.

EGG-IN-A-HOLE

Steps:

• With a biscuit cutter or the rim of a glass, press a hole in the center of the slice of bread.
• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and melt in the butter. When the butter is all spread out, place the slice of bread in the skillet and crack the egg straight into the center of the hole.
• Cook until the egg sets a bit on the bottom, 30 to 45 seconds. Sprinkle the egg with salt and pepper. After about a minute, flip it over with a spatula and salt and pepper the other side.
• Move the toast around in the skillet, soaking up all of the glorious butter. Let it cook until the yolk feels soft. Here's the key: golden brown toast, white (not browned/burned) whites, soft unbroken yolk. Perfect.

ED'S MOTHER'S MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Refresh them in cold water.
• Peel and chop the onions, and heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden and catching in the fat. Remove to a bowl to cool.
• Put the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.
• Add the remaining raw egg and mix again before finally adding the breadcrumbs.
• Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a flattish ovoid shape approximately 9 inches long. Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.
• Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.
• Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, as if it were a terrine, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can to avoid its curling up as it cooks.
• Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing, do it generously, so everyone gets some egg. Pour meat juices over as you serve or do what you will gravy-wise.