Let’s talk travel recipes.
Last March, I went to Israel. I had some mind-blowing food.
I was absolutely struck by the simplicity and intensity of the regional
flavors. Even the flavor of the raw produce had a different (better?) flavor –
more concentrated. I can’t really explain the difference. At breakfast we would
be offered eggs, potatoes of some fashion, and a fresh salad bar. There was
some canned fruit, but mostly fresh vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, salad,
olives). I thought it was unusual to have fresh salad with my breakfast (but
obviously I tried it). Basically it was like tasting cucumbers for the first
time. My English skills are not advanced enough to appropriately describe the
flavor explosion that happened in my mouth. And that seemed to happen with
everything I tried.
About half-way through the trip, we stopped at our first
market. There were baked goods and fresh produce and breads and olives and nuts
and spices and ALL THE THINGS. All of them. It was like someone took Pike’s
Place Market, put it on steroids, then put Bulked Up Pike’s Place on a flavor
binge, and then rounded up Big Fat Pike’s Place’s fat friends and they all got
together and staged a sit-in all over Israel. THAT much food. And things. And
just… like whoa. (Did I mention I don’t really have the words?)
After visiting a few vendors, and completely gorging on
outrageous baked goods (the highlight of the day being the fresh-from-the-oven
chocolate rugalach. I could literally write a book on how good this pastry is,
but it would be lots of “really really really really really really really good,
like you don’t even know how really really really really really really really
really really baller moist and delicious it is” and that gets boring in 1
sentence, let alone 200 pages) I set out on a spice mission. It was getting
close to our meeting time to head back to the bus, but I happened upon our tour
guide and another group leader having a snack just outside the plaza. First of
all, the tour guide sent me back out IMMEDIATELY because I had failed to buy
any za’atar. When I came back, I was able to try a bite of the left over shakshuka
from our leader’s lunch. It was divine. I’d had baked eggs before, but never
like this. And paired with the flavorful bread (of course it was flavorful) it
was (not to be repetitive) a flavor explosion in MY MOUTH. Later on the bus,
our fearless tour guide gave us his own personal recipe on making shakshuka at
home. Believe you me, it did not take me almost 6 months to make this dish. In
fact, it was one of the first things I made for myself during my stint of
funemployment. But I did hoard the recipe and eat lots of it secretly under the
table away from you because I didn’t want to admit how much this
tomato-loathing Westerner had been shoveling this hand-over-fist. (…Oh and I
kept eating it so fast I forgot to take pictures.)
Shakshuka is really a simple, rustic dish. In Israel it was
on the menus for all times of day, but it seemed to be mostly a breakfast dish.
I’ve eaten it at all times of day and am never mad at it. It’s savory enough to
play with dinner - probably a flavor palate most of us Westerners are used to
having with dinner. But it’s a great day starter – protein from eggs, fruits
from the tomatoes, carbs from the dipping bread, and quick to throw together. The
eggs poach right in the sauce, and it’s encouraged to eat directly from the pan
it’s cooked in – family style! I recently made this for my family in California
– I accommodated a large crowd by cooking the sauce on the stove, then putting
it in a bake-ware pan and finishing the eggs in the oven. It took a little
longer this way, but was easier than cooking in batches. Everyone, from my
gluten-free little cousin, to my picky big cousins, enjoyed it.
Crusty bread is best to dip, but you could probably use just
about anything. As a bread connoisseur, I recommend a French loaf or sourdough
as your first pick. A focaccia or ciabatta would also be a great.
Shakshuka
Serves 3ish
Adapted from my Israeli tour guide
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls butter
1 small onion, diced (yellow or sweet)
1 tsp salt (ish)
A few cloves of garlic, minced (more or less, depending on
your taste. I like ALL OF IT)
28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes (fresh tomatoes are
great, too)
A few generous pinches of za’atar (available in exotic spice
sections or Middle Eastern markets. Fresh parsley may be replaced)
6 eggs (the fresher, the better – I use farm fresh because I
know a guy)
Feta, if you’re getting crazy
1.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high
heat. Add the olive oil and butter (you can use just olive oil if you prefer)
and allow to heat up. Add the onion and salt and cook until the onion is
translucent, but not yet browned.
2.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3.
Add the tomatoes and za’atar (or some parsley –
be sure to reserve some). Stir, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook
without a lid until the sauce reduces slightly. If it sputters, turn down the
heat. If it reduces too quickly, losen it with a few spoonfuls of water. Season
with salt and pepper.
4.
Add the 6 eggs evenly throughout the pan. Add a
lid and cook 5-6 minutes, until the whites are set. You make cook longer if you
aren’t wildly about loose yolks.
5. When the eggs are set, remove from heat.
Sprinkle a little feta (to taste) and some za’atar or parsley. Maybe a salad on
the side. Enjoy!
