Shakshuka comes from the word "leshakshek" in Hebrew which means "to shake or mix up". Shakshuka is a very popular egg dish in Israel and supposedly also in North Africa. It gets it's name from the fact that all the ingredients are literally all "mixed up" or shaken together to create a kind of tomato sauce base with an eggy topping. There are many different ways of making it, but it usually involves a tomato sauce bottom and an egg cracked on top.
The first time I had shakshuka was at my Israeli boyfriend's house. His father (who I had a MAJOR crush on) offered it to me, and even though the name sounded scary, if he were to have offered me anthrax I would have taken it. Happy that I did take the offer, because it became on of my favorite dishes of all times.
I love shakshuka because the word makes me laugh and reminds me to shake life up and not be afraid to mix unlikely combinations.
Enjoy this recipe and explanation!
Yield: six servings
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut in quarters, or one 28-ounce can tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, roughly diced
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 large eggs
1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat until thick, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12-inch frying pan. Bring to a simmer and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the frying pan directly to the table. Set it on a trivet and spoon out the shakshuka.
