SHAKSHUKA

So one of my favourite weekend activities is to head out for brunch, with The Terrace in Yarmouth being a spot I frequent most often (it also featured in our recent Pocket Guide to the West Wight)!

The ‘Terrace Shakshuka’ is my go-to-dish! Baked eggs in a rich tomatoey sauce with a side of their renowned grilled focaccia, looking out across the Solent (I mean does brunch get better than that?). Now when I found myself stuck inside this weekend isolating with COVID (made worse by the glorious sunshine - but really in the grand scheme of things I have nothing to complain about), I decided I would attempt to recreate my favourite dish at home! 

Shakshuka at The Terrace

Shakshuka originated from North Africa, and is popular breakfast food throughout the Middle East. It’s a simple dish made up of eggs cooked in a tomato sauce with peppers and sometimes onions, usually served in the pan it was cooked in. My recipe is honestly really easy to create and can be super versatile:

  • Don’t have fresh tomatoes use 1/2 a tin (although I would very much recommend using Isle of Wight Tomatoes of course!

  • No peppers then leave out or sub in for another veg like courgette, aubergine or broccoli (if using broccoli I would boil or steam first before adding to the sauce, so it’s not too tough)

  • No spinach, try kale

  • The name essentially means ‘all mixed up’, so get creative and chuck anything in!

  • Want to make this dish vegan - try adding cubes of tofu, dollops of tahini, and/or add slices of avocado! 


Recipe

Servings: 1

Time to create: 15 minutes

Equipment: chopping board, small non-stick pan, small baking dish (greased with a little olive oil), wooden spoon, knife, tsp, tbsp

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 red onion (finely diced)

  • 1 clove of garlic (finely diced)

  • 1 red pepper (deseeded and chopped into small cubes) 

  • 2 large tomatoes (finely diced)

  • 2-3 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped) 

  • 1 tbsp of tomato puree 

  • Handful of spinach 

  • 1/2 tsp of cumin

  • 1/2 tsp of paprika

  • Salt + Pepper to taste

  • Olive Oil to cook

  • Additional extras: crumbled feta (sprinkle over the top before baking), parsley (chop and sprinkle over the top after serving, 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper for an extra kick (add in at the same time as the other spices) 

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to it’s hottest temperature.

  2. Add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and pepper. Sauté for 5-8 minutes, until tender. Add the spices and stir for a further 1 minute. 

  3. Add the chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook for a further 3 minutes, regularly stirring the mixture with the wooden spoon. Add the spinach and cook for a further 1 minute, until it has wilted.

  4. Decant the tomato sauce into the baking dish and using the back of a spoon, make 2 wells for the eggs. Crack one egg in each well. 

  5. Place into the centre of the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. The longer you leave it the oven the harder the egg will become. If you want a runny egg, take out closer to the 8 minute mark. 

  6. Be careful taking the dish out of the oven (it will be very HOT), and leave the dish to cool for 5 minutes before diving in! 

Enjoy! 

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