My first introduction to Shakshuka was several years ago when my local and new favorite café, Sofra, a Turkish coffee shop started serving it. If you want to make or try their traditional version, you can find their recipe here. This Shakshuka takes this popular mishmash of an Israeli breakfast and throws in some flavors of the American South.  If you have time, I recommend making it with collard greens. However, this version has spinach as the greens to save on time. The addition of yams to the tomato sauce gives it a slight Southern sweetness and richness that is perfect for the colder fall and winter mornings. The remoulade drizzle also adds a taste of the South and you can make it as mild or as spicy as you like.

Shakshuka with a Southern Drawl
(Serves 4 can be doubled or halved. )

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, divided
• 1 green pepper, divided
• 1/2 Tbsp. of ketchup
• 1/2 Tbsp. of yellow mustard
• 1 clove of garlic
• Tabasco Sauce, divided – quantity to taste
• 2 tsp. of pickle juice
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 2 small yams
• 3 Tbsp. of grape seed or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. of Kosher salt, divided
• 1 pinch of smoked salt
• 1 tsp. of pepper
• 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. of your favorite spice (thyme, Creole spice mix, old bay seasoning or oregano)
• 8-12 cups of fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
• 4 cups of tomato purée, or diced tomatoes (For a smoother sauce, use the purée.)
• 4 slices of fresh tomato
• 1 can of ready to bake biscuits or try this recipe to make your own.
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Bake your biscuits as directed on the package or make some quick and easy Southern biscuits from scratch.

2. The Southern drizzle is a remoulade sauce made with sour cream and mayonnaise. In a blender, add 1/4 of a small yellow onion roughly chopped, 1/8 of your green pepper, 1/2 Tbsp. of ketchup, 1/2 Tbsp. of yellow mustard, 1 clove of garlic, a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, 2 tsp. of pickle juice and a 1/2 cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream. Blend until smooth and put in the refrigerator to chill.

3. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Then, cut a yam in half and slice four thin slices off the middle of the yam, about 1/8 inch thick, and pat them dry. Heat 3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a small sauté or saucepan. Thinly slice and cube your four yam slices to make mini croutons. Once the oil is hot enough that it starts to ripple, toss in the cubed yams and cook until golden over medium high heat. Remove the crispy yams and place on a paper towel to drain. Pour out half the oil from the pan. Dice and sauté the rest of the onion and green pepper over medium low heat just until the onion becomes slightly transparent. Remove the onions and green peppers with a slotted spoon and place into an oven safe pan or dish. You can use a small cast iron pan or a baking dish.

4. Without cleaning the pan, toss in your 8-12 cups of washed and trimmed spinach and cook until wilted. Remove and sprinkle with smoked salt. You can use regular salt here if you like, but the smokey flavor adds a little extra Southern flare. If you have time to prepare collard greens instead of spinach, just replace the sour cream above with all mayonnaise.

5. Grate the rest of your yams and add them to the pan. Pour in the 4 cups of tomato purée. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens a little. Once the grated yams are very soft, pour the mixture over your onions and peppers.

6. Crack all four eggs into your dish, or spoon the tomato and vegetable mixture into individual dishes and crack one egg in each dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the egg is just set. Ideally, you want the yolk runny.

7. Remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle each slice of fresh tomato lightly with salt and pepper. Split your biscuits and slide a slice of tomato in the middle of each one. Add the spinach to the dish next to your eggs and toss the yam croutons over the dish. Drizzle the Southern sauce over the eggs and spinach, add a few extra dashes of Tabasco and serve.