The secret of a heavenly shakshuka

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: the secret of a heavenly shakshuka.

Shakshuka is a popular breakfast with eggs from the Middle East. It consists of eggs that are slowly poached in a nice thick sauce with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices. But what tip does Ottolenghi give for our favorite variation? A bit of preserved lemon takes the dish to a whole new level.

Preserved lemons
Preserved lemons are a commonly used ingredient in stews and soups from the Middle East and North Africa. You can make them yourself with unwaxed lemons, a generous scoop of salt, some spices, and a whole lot of patience (it takes at least a month before they are tasty to eat). But for those who prefer to be lazy rather than tired: almost every Arabic supermarket sells them ready-made.

Sour, salty, and spicy
There are various ways to preserve vegetables and fruits, but the preservation technique for these lemons is based on salt. The simple salt (sea salt or regular table salt) transforms the sour taste of lemon into something very spicy with a fine aroma.

Most of the flavor is in the peel, but you can use the fruit whole. The peel and seeds have become completely soft due to the preserving process. This way, you won't have to deal with hard pieces when you chop it finely. A small warning beforehand is to use it in moderation, otherwise your dish may quickly taste a bit off.

Stewing or garnishing

You can finely chop the preserved lemon, add it, and stew it in the basic recipe for shakshuka, but you can also sprinkle it over the dish at the last moment as a garnish. Delicious with some feta and coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley.