Shakshuka

Overview

This beautiful savory dish traces its origins to North Africa and Israel, but truly is representative of the growing intermingling of the New World and the Old World starting in the 15th century. Unbeknownst to many, tomatoes are actually native to South America, Mexico, and Central America. Tomatoes were brought to Europe and spread throughout Africa and into the Middle East during a period known as the “Columbian exchange”.

Shakshuka is a breakfast dish typically eaten in the morning (although can be easily enjoyed during all hours of the day). Eggs poached in tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and spices…what’s not to like?!

The recipe includes a nice creaminess from addition of yogurt, a fresh herbal bite from mint and cilantro, and a satisfying crunch from crispy garlic and shallots.

Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Norman Hardie Riesling

Wine Pairing

Shakshuka is a great brunch item and it so happens to pair well with the classic brunch wines, such as Prosecco and Champagne. However, this is a dish that can fit with a few different pairing options, so we will give you a quick walk through of a few options.

Red Pairing

For pairing red wines with this dish, you need something light. Anything bold is going to overtake the flavours of this dish. We personally find Pinot Noir does very well here, especially those from new world regions such as New Zealand and Argentina. The old world pinot such as those from Burgundy do not pair well with this dish.

White Pairing

For pairing white wines, they need to be crisp and dry to semi-dry with a medium body. We found that an unoaked Chardonnay, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc works well. You can also pair a Prosecco or Champagne. Honestly most styles of both types worked for us in this. If you are having a classic brunch, some sparkling wine may be just what you want to grab for this. Also, some sweetness in the wine works here, but make sure you choose something that is off-dry at most. Anything truly “sweet” will clash with the flavours too much and make the dish seem bitter.

Our Pairing

We paired a Riesling with this dish and it worked perfectly. The flavours worked extremely will with the dish, as it had the underlying acidity and slightest sweetness to work with all of the ingredients. It never overwhelmed any of the great flavours in the dish, and found ways to compliment the richness of the spices. You can read the full tasting notes and review here.

Ingredients (~4 Servings)

• 4 eggs

• 12oz jar of roasted red pepper

• 1 cup of spinach

• 1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

• 6 cloves of garlic

• 2 shallots

• 1/3 cup of olive oil

• 2 tablespoons of spicy harissa paste

• 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt

• 1 teaspoon or coriander seeds

• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

Steps

• Prepare Garnish

  • Thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic.

  • Cut 1 shallot in half. Thinly slice the half shallot.

  • In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds. Place in a bowl.

  • Add the 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic and half thinly sliced shallot to spice mix.