Tale of Two Shakshuka's

Sometimes owning two cookbooks by the same author is a problem.  For example, last night, after a week of eating lots of meat and "fancy" (although not really fancy, just different than what we eat) food, I wanted comfort food.  I remembered the velvety warmth of Ottolenghi's Shakshuka---roasted red peppers with an ample dose of seasoning which cradled soft cooked eggs.  Although the red peppers aren't in season, this dish screams winter comfort food.

I am usually a mostly organized person.  I can find what I need and I have things arranged that make sense for me.  Usually.  When I make new recipes, I make annotations in my cookbooks, so I can remember how I made it or what I would do differently next time.  Usually.  Once I decided to make shakshuka last night for supper, I looked first in Jerusalem and then in Plenty.  In Jerusalem, I saw no notes, in Plenty, there were notes.  I proceeded to make the recipe from Plenty, thinking as I went, that this recipe seemed different.

When I was just a couple of minutes out from finishing the dish, I read the note I had written in Plenty.  The note said, "Curtis and I love the version in Jerusalem."  What???  Turns out, I never had made this version before.  Why in the world would I write a note on the recipe I didn't want to make?

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, Curtis and I loved the Plenty version of shakshuka too.  I fed the kids plain fried eggs, along with roasted root vegetables and orange slices.  It was a wonderful winter, light meal and I am looking forward to recreating it this morning for breakfast.

Here are the two versions.  They're both good.  Choose the recipe you want to make based on the ingredients you have or the time you have (the version from Jerusalem is just a hair faster).  Each recipe will serve 4.  To adjust the serving size, just change the number of eggs you use--for just the two of us, I make a full recipe, but only use two eggs.

The First Shakshuka

adapted from Jerusalem

2 T olive oil

+/- 2 T harissa (I use store bought--this is the spiciness in the dish)

2 t tomato paste

2 lg red bell peppers, diced (about 1/4" pieces)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 t cumin

2 (14-oz) cans diced tomatoes or 5 c fresh tomatoes, chopped

4 eggs

crusty white bread (toasted if you feel like it)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the harissa, tomato paste, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and 3/4 t salt.  Stir and cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, until the peppers have softened.  Add the diced tomatoes, simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Make 4 little holes in the bell pepper/tomato sauce.  Gently break each egg into a hole.  Simmer gently, covering with a lid, for 8 - 10 minutes until eggs are at your desired doneness (I like a runny yolk, Curtis doesn't.  I try to customize, but have yet to been successful.  If you are more adept with eggs than I am, this shouldn't be a problem).  Remove from heat and serve with bread--I like my eggs and peppers on top of bread, Curtis likes the bread on the side.

The Second Shakshuka

adapted from Plenty

1/2 t cumin seeds

2 T olive oil

1 large onions, sliced

2 red (or a combination of red and yellow) bell peppers, cut into 3/4" thickness

2 t sugar

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped (optional if you don't have it)

1 (15-oz can) diced tomatoes (or 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped)

a pinch of saffron threads

a dash or two of cayenne, depending on your heat tolerance

4 eggs

crusty white bread

In a large skillet, dry roast the cumin seeds on med-high heat for a couple of minutes.  Add the oil and onions and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and cilantro and cook for another 5 - 10 minutes on med-high heat until the peppers are soft and the onions have a nice brown color.

Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, and salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add a bit of additional water at a time to achieve and maintain a pasta sauce consistency.  Taste and adjust seasonings (salt and cayenne primarily).

Make 4 little holes in the bell pepper/tomato sauce.  Gently break each egg into a hole.  Simmer gently, covering with a lid, for 8 - 10 minutes until eggs are at your desired doneness (I like a runny yolk, Curtis doesn't.  I try to customize, but have yet to been successful.  If you are more adept with eggs than I am, this shouldn't be a problem).  Remove from heat and serve with bread--I like my eggs and peppers on top of bread, Curtis likes the bread on the side.