Weekend Brunch Idea - Shakshuka with Feta

A change of scene here, put the eggs Benedict and French toast aside, let's spice up our usual brunch meal with a little Mediterranean flair.

Shakshuka with feta -

Ingredients?

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 can/400 grams diced tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 eggs
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small bundle cilantro 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 100 grams feta
• Some pita or sourdough (optional)

How?

Cast iron pan should be a more photogenic option, but I only have smaller sized cast iron pan, and it's not as easy to clean compared to skillet. Either way, make sure to use something that can withstand the oven heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190.5 degrees Celsius. 

Peel and dice the onion. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Remove the seeds and thinly slice bell pepper. Chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the cilantro and separate the stem and leafy sections.

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet and turn to medium heat. Add in onion and bell pepper. Cook till softened, about 10 minutes.

Add in garlic, cilantro stems, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Give it a quick stir and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add in chopped tomatoes, canned tomatoes along with its juice. Switch to medium high heat. Add in 3/4 teaspoon of salt along with 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. I purposely reduced the amount of salt used because feta can be quite salty, try to avoid over-season the shakshuka, more salt can always be added in the end if needed.

Mix and cook till the sauce thickens a little bit, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust with additional seasonings if needed.

Make four wells with the back of the spoon, crack the eggs into each well. Slightly mix the egg white with thickened sauce, so it'll cook faster. Crumble some feta throughout.

Sprinkle tiny amount of salt and black pepper on top of each well. 

Into the oven and bake till the yolks nearly set, about 8 to 10 minutes. If not too sure, it's always a good idea to remove the skillet from the oven sooner and check. Remember that some residual heat will continue to harden the eggs even after being removed from the oven.

Once ready, sprinkle some chopped cilantro leaves right before serving. Preferably serve with pita or sourdough on the side, which can be used to dip in the sauce and gooey yolk. Some like the eggs to be fully cooked through, which is fine. In that case, no need to check the doneness as often, just leave the skillet in the oven for about 10 minutes.

At first, I was a little intimidated by the idea of making shakshuka, since I'm not quite familiar with Mediterranean flavors. But after some research, this oven baked egg recipe seems pretty doable. I've got all the basic spices stored in the pantry, and it doesn't require much effort to put together. 

The end result was satisfying too, especially when dipping bread into gooey centered yolk, combined with spices and sourish tomatoes. It's actually a fun brunch idea, one that comes with a small punch of seasonings.


Extended reading:

• Cheesy brioche French toast