Toasted-Spice Shakshouka With Feta
- For the spice mixture (makes extra)
- 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
- For the eggs
- 3 fat cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil plus extra as needed
- 1 chile japones (small hot dried red chile)
- 1 fresh bay leaf, cracked
- 2 cubanelle peppers
- 2 red bell peppers, preferably the sweet, elongated variety
- 1 28-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 14-oz. can-fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or other mildly hot dried red pepper (if using red pepper flakes with seeds, use less according to taste)
- 8 eggs
- rinsed mild feta, crumbled, as a garnish
- minched parsley, as a garnish
- flat bread, wrapped in foil and warmed in oven, as an accompaniment
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small heavy pan over a low flame (I use a long-handled 2-cup measure held a few inches above the grid of the stove). Empty into a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse powder or grind in an electric spice grinder. Toast the chile japones in the same manner and set aside without pounding. (Can be made ahead).
- Empty the ground spices into a small dish. Place the minced garlic into the mortar or spice grinder, add 1-1/2 teaspoons of the spice blend and a pinch of sea salt and pound or whizz until a coarse paste is formed. Set aside.
- Drizzle the olive oil into a large saute pan set over a medium low flame. When oil is hot add the chile japones, stirring and tossing a few times, and then the sliced peppers and bay leaf. Toss and saute until peppers are softened and translucent. Turn up the flame and allow to brown in spots for a few minutes, being careful not to burn.
- Reduce flame, allow pan to cool for about a minute, then make a small opening in the peppers. Drizzle in a little more olive oil then scrape in the spice paste. Sizzle briefly until aromatic, then stir and fry into the pepper mixture to incorporate. Remove the chile japones.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, squeezing each gently before adding to break up. Stir in the Aleppo pepper. Simmer sauce until thickened. Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning. rnThe sauce may be prepared up to this point one day in advance and refrigerated. Before continuing, reheat to simmering.
- With the back of a spoon, make a depression in the sauce for each egg. Break eggs individually into a dish and slide into each depression. Cook until set, about 3-4 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls, crumble feta over, if desired, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot with flat bread as an accompaniment.
cumin seeds, coriander seeds, eggs, garlic, salt, olive oil, chile, bay leaf, cubanelle peppers, red bell peppers, tomatoes, tomatoes, pepper, eggs, feta, parsley, bread
Taken from food52.com/recipes/21024-toasted-spice-shakshouka-with-feta (may not work)