January 24, 2008
The Food Monkey: Eggs Shakshuka at the Beehive
Mike of The Food Monkey shares his thoughts about cooking, food history, restaurant trends, and any other Epicurean issues. He promises to discuss what tastes good, but not always what is in good taste. For more on consuming the opponents and other food news, go to the Food Monkey website. To contact Mike, go to the Food Monkey's contact page.
Chef Rebecca Newell from The Beehive in Boston’s South End, has sent me the recipe for her Eggs Shakshuka, a spicy and savory North African brunch dish.
Shakshuka is a tomato-based stew/sauce with many variations (most with egg on top) that originated in North Africa and made its way into the Middle East. “Shakshuka” comes from the Hebrew word leshakshek meaning “to shake,” and is a popular dish in Israel.
Make it yourself, or head to The Beehive for brunch, which is held on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30AM until 3:00PM.
Post contributed by Mike Prerau. Recipe after the jump! Image from the Food Monkey.
The Beehive’s Eggs Shakshuka
You can modify this recipe depending on what type eggs you plan on serving, at the Beehive; we use over easy, but scrambled, poached or fried can be a wonderful choice.
Shakshuka Sauce
Makes 8 Servings
Yield: 2 Quarts
* 1 Onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 Stalk Celery, coarsely chopped
* 4 Cloves of Chopped Garlic
* 1 T of Blended Oil
* 2 T of Veggie Bouillon
* 2 Cup of White Wine
* 16 Ounces of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
* 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
* 1 Cup of Roasted Red Peppers
* 3 T of marmalade
* 1 Cup of Ketchup
* 2 T Curry
* 2 T Turmeric
* 2 T Zatar Seasoning (Optional, available at most ethnic stores)
* 1 T of Five spice
* Siracha to taste
(Because of the acid in this sauce, it will stay for weeks in the refrigerator or freezes easily)
In a medium sized sauce pan, sweat onions and celery in blended oil. Add chopped garlic and stir. Deglaze with white wine. Simmer gently for one minute and add all of the other ingredients. Turn on low heat and cook for thirty minutes. Puree with either a hand blender or upright blender until smooth. Add siracha or any type of hot sauce you’d like for heat. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Shakshuka
* 2 red Onions, Medium Dice
* 4 red bell peppers, medium dice
* 4 yellow pepper, medium dice
* 2 T of unsalted butter
Sweat the onions and peppers with the butter in a medium stock pot with medium heat. When reduced by half, add shashuka sauce and simmer until onions and peppers are tender.
Polenta
* 2 Cups of Water
* 2 Cups of Milk
* 8 ounces of Butter (optional, for lower fat content, use subsitute water)
* 2 Cups of Polenta
* 3 T Grated Parmesan
In a medium sauce pot, bring the liquid to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. Whisk in polenta and turn down the heat. The mixture will slowly thicken. Whisk in parmesan cheese. Cover and keep warm.
Spray the casserole dish and pour out the polenta into the bottom and spread evenly. Ladle the shakshuka on top of the polenta to create an even layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbling around the edges. Place the eggs of your liking on top and garnish poke pita chips around the edges for garnish. Top with chopped scallions and serve!


