Shakshuka Traditional North African Breakfast Recipe

By: Tristan Guilbeault

Instagram: @tristangcooks

Shakshuka is one of my favourite breakfast options. It's rich and heavy and perfect after a night out. It's also filling enough to feed a large party and enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A luscious tomato and bell pepper sauce, with aromatic spices and eggs. Enjoy it with fresh toasted bread and cheese, it can be made vegetarian or with meat.

Shakshuka is a traditional breakfast dish originating from North Africa, specifically Tunisia. It is a staple of the region, being very popular in Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Israel. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, “Şakşuka” was a dish made up of minced meat and local vegetables. As time passed and trade occurred more vegetables were added. In the 16th century, sailors began coming over from Colombia, bringing the essential tomatoes to Shakshuka. Once immigration took place, and local North Africans moved to Israel, they found themselves quite poor, the addition of eggs and bread made it an economical and filling choice. The direct translation from Arabic is, “mixed up” so no one recipe defines Shakshuka.

Shakshuka

Recipe from Tristan Guilbeault
Total Time (Preparation + Cooking): 30 minutes

Ingredients

● 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil

● 1 tbsp minced garlic

● 1 tbsp Bart’s Harissa paste

● 1 Spolumbo sausage (casing removed, you can also use Sunworks Farm or Gemstone Grass Fed Beef sausage)

● 1 diced sweet pepper (red or yellow)

● 400ml Eat Wholesome strained tomatoes, or similar

● 1⁄2 medium white onion diced

● 1 tsp cumin (whole or ground)

● 1 tsp paprika

● 1 tsp black pepper

● 4 whole Man's eggs

● salt to season

Optional

● Feta cheese (we recommend Springbank Cheese Co, Rockridge or Noble Meadows)

● Parsley, cilantro or mint to garnish

● Sourdough on side (we recommend Homestead Bread from Calgary or Eats by Cole from St. Albert)

Instructions

1. Grab a medium size pan, turn the stove to medium heat and add oil. Add onions and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until onions become slightly translucent, stirring every so often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 2 more minutes, take your caseless sausage and add to pan. Break up lightly with a spatula, lower the heat to medium low, and season with salt.

2. Once the sausage has begun to release its fat, and is slightly cooked, add your spices, and fry them in the oil. Once fragrant, add the Harissa paste, stir together, and then add diced bell peppers. Put on a lid and sweat for 3 minutes. Next add your tomato puree, a pinch of salt, let flavours combine and sauce to reduce; 5-10 minutes. The sauce should look thick and rich.

3. Reduce heat to low. Make four dimples in the sauce with a large spoon. Crack your eggs and add into the dimples. Add lid and cook until whites are cooked through and eggs are beautifully poached. Around 5 minutes. Cook longer if you prefer hard eggs.

4. Garnish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (I use Maldon), feta cheese and fresh herbs. Serve with delicious rustic sourdough (I recommend Homestead Bread) and enjoy!

SUBSTITUTIONS

This “mixed up” breakfast, can be made vegetarian, with meat or even vegan. You can add any extra vegetables you may have such as zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, etc. Amaranth Foods carries every ingredient you need for this recipe, fresh, organic and local. The Bart’s Harissa paste is the real catalyst of this recipe, which can be found in the spice aisle. I like Spolumbo sausage as a local option for extra fat and flavour. Meat such as ground beef, lamb or pork may be used. To make this dish vegan, simply omit the eggs, meat and cheese or add nutritional yeast and plant-based egg substitutes; you will be left with a luscious vegetable sauce to dip bread in. Yogurt, cashew or sour cream can be added to counteract the richness if preferred.