SEATTLE —
Green Shakshuka
Serves 3 or 4 as a main course, or 6 as part of a breakfast spread
Ingredients:
- 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 head fennel, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch of Aleppo-style pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1 small bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 small bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped (about 2 cups)
- ½ bunch fresh parsley
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about ¼ cup)
- 6 large eggs
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cup)
- Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, for garnish
Directions:
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in the leeks and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leeks are very soft. Add the fennel, garlic, and pepper and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the fennel is soft.
Add another tablespoon or two of oil. Add the kale and Swiss chard and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the greens have wilted, about 5 minutes. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water if the pan becomes dry.
Spoon half of the leek-and-greens mixture into a blender. Add the parsley. Blend until smooth, adding a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to keep it moving. Pour the puree back into the skillet with the remaining leeks and greens and stir them together. If the mixture seems dry, stir in a couple of tablespoons of water. Stir in the parmesan.
Using the back of a large serving spoon, make six wells in the leek and greens mixture. Crack an egg and carefully place it in one of the wells. Repeat with remaining eggs. Using a fork, scramble the whites into the sauce, being careful not to crack the yolks. Partially cover the pan with a lid, allowing steam to escape. Cook until the egg whites are firm but the yolks are custardy in the middle, 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve the shakshuka in the skillet, garnished with the feta and pumpkin seeds. Serve hot, with the gluten-free sourdough flatbread from Room at the Table.
Cooking Tips
If you are not familiar with working with kale or chard, it’s quite simple. To remove the leaves from the stems, hold the stem in one hand. Using the other hand, run your fingers down either side of the stem, removing the leaves. Slice or chop the leaves. Kale stems are tough and should be discarded. Chard stems can be chopped and sauteed. They have a similar texture to celery.
It can be tricky to get the eggs just right, with the whites cooked but the yolks still runny. With practice, you can do it! It’s a matter of keeping the heat low and keeping a lid partially on to cook the eggs from below and above. But if your egg yolks cook until they are hard, it’s okay. It's still delicious.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.