Shakshuka with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Easily one of my favorite breakfast dishes ever is Shakshuka.

What is it exactly? It’s a Mediterranean baked egg dish, comprised of a hearty tomato, onion, and pepper sauce, spiced with paprika and cumin. Some folks add feta or goat cheese, then finish it off with a nice sprinkle of cilantro to cool it all down.

Of course, I have an aversion towards cilantro (it tastes like soap to me), so I used parsley and chives as my coolant of choice. I also didn’t have peppers on hand, so I used shallots and bacon. Bacon is not a normal substitute for peppers, and I know that, I just like the smoky, salty flavor it adds. Obviously if you’re keeping this vegetarian, you can omit it entirely.

A cast iron skillet is my weapon of choice for this dish, but any oven-safe skillet will work. You can even cook it all the way on the stove top, but I don’t think it tastes the same. I like to add the cheese at the end and broil it too, so maybe that’s part of it. You definitely can’t duplicate that on the stove unless you have a torch (like the ones you use for creme brulee).

Also shout out to Replica Surfaces for these gorgeous, stain-proof backdrops I use for my food photos! They have a variety of colors and styles, and I’m obsessed with all of them. This one is “concrete”.

Shakshuka with Bacon and Goat Cheese

  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch strips
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2-4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
  • parsley and chives for garnish, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  2. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When skillet/oil is hot, add bacon pieces. Cook for a few minutes until lightly browned, not too crisp.
  3. Add shallots and stir into the bacon mixture until fragrant and a little soft, 2 minutes.
  4. Add garlic and stir in for another 30 seconds or so. Garlic burns quickly and you don’t want that!
  5. Add both cans of tomatoes and sauce, stir to combine. Season with chili powder, paprika, cumin, and salt. Let simmer together for a few minutes, stirring occasionally as the sauce might bubble a little.
  6. Crack the eggs into the sauce – keeping them separated in the pan as best as you can. But if they come together a little, it’s no biggie.
  7. Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny. I find ovens tend to vary, so just keep an eye on it. Mine was in there for about 8 minutes and the yolks were perfect.
  8. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the goat cheese. If you want, switch the oven to broil and pop back in the oven to make it all bubbly and browned! Then sprinkle with chopped chives and parsley. Delish!

As always, thanks to FreshDirect for the ingredients! #FDambassador

One Comment

  1. Adding this to my “weekend cooking” list! Excellent additions with the bacon and goat cheese. Obvi. 😉

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