Israeli Shakshuka

I know, I know - a post about my Israel trip with pictures is LONG overdue! It's on its way soon, I promise. But for now I must share with you my latest food obsession: shakshuka. It's actually a Moroccan/Tunisian dish, but it's become a staple of Israeli food - for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'd had shakshuka before at Hummus Place in the city, but I never fully appreciated its splendor until I had it at the famous Doktor Shakshuka restaurant in old Jaffa, the seaport area of Tel Aviv. When I came back to NY I found this recipe, which is allegedly THE Doktor Shakshuka recipe, and made it for brunch on Sunday. It's so easy, and delicious, and healthy...and did I mention delicious?

(Sadly, this picture is not mine, because I forgot to photograph it, but it was equally beautiful, I assure you.)

The Shakshuka Recipe

from The Foods of Israel Today

Yield: six servings (*we made it a meal and each ate two eggs, so it only yielded three 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 theshakshuka.

Note: Alternatively, you can make individual portions, as they do at Doktor Shakshuka, by ladling some of the sauce into a very small pan and poaching one egg in it.