I had the pleasure of traveling through Israel and Jordan last year and one of the many dishes I fell in love with was, of course, shakshuka. The dish typically consists of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers, onion, and garlic and spiced with cumin, paprika, and cayenne. When I returned home, looking for some of the amazing Middle Eastern flavors I had discovered, I found myself having a remarkable meal at Sofreh, a Persian restaurant in my neighborhood. We had a charred eggplant dish there, topped with a poached egg, that was simply divine. I wondered if I could take the shakshuka concept, lose the peppers and replace them with charred eggplant, and achieve something in-between the Israeli shakshuka and the Persian charred eggplant. The result is this dish. Happy brunching!
CHARRED EGGPLANT “SHAKSHUKA”
Prep time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 large eggs
White vinegar for poaching
1 large eggplant
1 28oz can fire roasted tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
Cayenne and salt to taste
Mint or parsley for garnish
4 tbsp labne, optional for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Prepare your stovetop by placing tin foil around one burner. Using a fork, poke holes in the eggplant and then place on burner over medium heat. Let cook for 30 - 60 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplant, turning and moving with tongs so that it’s evenly charred. Remove from heat and let cool to the touch. Peel the charred skin and then rough chop the eggplant.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and eggplant and season with cumin, paprika, cayenne and salt to taste.
While sauce simmers, poach your eggs. I use a sous vide machine set to 167.5 for 13 minutes, but find a simple method here. Season poached egg with salt and pepper.
Serve charred eggplant “shaksuka” in a bowl with poached egg and fresh herbs on top. A dollop of labne is also delicious!
Don’t forget to punch holes in the eggplant before you start the charring process.
Use tongs to turn the eggplant over the open flame.
Time to peel!
Sauté your onions and garlic.
Add roasted tomatoes and….
Charred eggplant. Simmer while you poach your eggs.
Top with fresh herbs and poached egg. A dollop of labne is delicious as well. Happy brunching!