Shakshuka Melissa Clark Food

SHAKSHUKA WITH FETA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook gently until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in cumin, paprika and cayenne, and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; simmer until tomatoes have thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in crumbled feta.
• Gently crack eggs into skillet over tomatoes. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with hot sauce.

SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, garlic, cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is softened and the vegetables are coated with the spices, about 1 minute.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir the tomatoes with their juices into the skillet. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Use the back of a spoon to make 4 wells in the sauce, 1 to 2 inches apart. Crack an egg into each well. Run the edge of a rubber spatula through the egg whites to break them slightly, being careful not to break the yolks (this allows the egg whites to cook faster). Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are just set, 15 to 18 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with the cilantro leaves. Serve with pita bread.

MOROCCAN SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Over an open flame on the stove top or under the broiler, roast the red pepper until skin is black and blistered all over, 8 to 12 minutes, turning the pepper as needed. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with a plate or plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Uncover and rub the skin off, then seed and finely chop the pepper.
• In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and cook until starting to brown, 7 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic and roasted red pepper, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in tomatoes, carrot juice, thyme, salt, paprika, cumin, white pepper, cayenne and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium-low heat until mixture is reduced by a third, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
• While the sauce simmers, make the kefta: Drizzle olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and turn on your broiler.
• In a large bowl, mix the salt, paprika, cumin, white pepper, cayenne, red onion, parsley, cilantro and garlic. Mix in the beef, lamb and beaten egg just to combine, then scoop out 1 1/2-inch balls, transferring to prepared baking sheet. Flatten balls slightly, then broil without turning until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
• When ready to serve, stir the preserved lemon, parsley and cilantro into the sauce and bring to a simmer. Arrange kefta in sauce along the outer edges of the skillet, leaving room for the egg yolks in the middle. Simmer kefta balls in sauce until they are cooked through and the sauce has reduced a little more, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
• Slip yolks into the center of the pan, cover pan and heat gently until yolks are warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro sprigs.