I made this dish at a rare Black Trumpet brunch for the regional governors of Slow Food. I had made it before and not called it Shakshuka, but someone who apparently knew better pointed out that it was the best Shakshuka they’d had, so I determined I would call it that from then on. No worries if you can’t find duck eggs; large local chicken eggs are also delicious in this recipe.
Ingredients
Herbed Semolina Dumplings
- •1 large russet potato
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt
- •285 grams (1¾ cups) semolina flour
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) black pepper
- •25 grams (¼ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
- •2 egg yolks (36 grams)
- •2 whole eggs (100 grams liquid egg)
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) chopped Italian parsley
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) chopped fresh tarragon
- •5 chopped chives
For the Shakshuka
- •60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
- •1 red onion, medium dice
- •2 red bell peppers, medium dice
- •2 green bell peppers, medium dice
- •4 serrano peppers, small dice
- •8 cloves garlic, minced
- •120 ml (½ cup) red wine
- •Juice of 1 orange
- •115 grams (½ cup) harissa
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) brown sugar
- •1.4 liter (1½ quarts) tomato puree
- •235 ml (1 cup) vegetable stock
- •10 Herbed Semolina Dumplings
- •5 duck eggs (can substitute any other type of egg)
Preparation
For the herbed semolina dumplings: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Pierce the potato with a fork over its surface, place on a baking sheet, and bake 1 hour. Let the potato cool slightly, cut in half, and squeeze through a ricer into a large mixing bowl.
Bring the 945 ml (4 cups) water and the salt to a boil in a 3- to 4-liter (3 to 4 quart) pot over high heat. Pour the semolina into the pot slowly and steadily, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue whisking for 2 minutes. Off the flame, using a rubber spatula, add the black pepper, cheese, and mashed potato, folding to combine. Add the yolks and whole eggs one at a time, combining each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next. Fold in the herbs.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. In batches, drop 15 ml (1 tablespoon)-sized balls of the dough (shaped into quenelles, if desired) into the boiling water, being careful not to crowd the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and repeat with the remaining dough. These dumplings may be made in advance and held in the refrigerator for up to a day.
For the shakshuka: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Heat the olive oil in a wide, high-sided pan over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the wine and boil 2 to 3 minutes, until the alcohol scent wears off. Add the orange juice, harissa, and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add the tomato puree and stock, stir, and simmer 5 minutes.
Transfer the simmering liquid to a terra-cotta baking dish (at home, I use a 40 cm [16-inch] round Spanish cazuela, but any large casserole dish will do nicely). Add the dumplings carefully, making sure they don’t sink down into the tomato liquid but also leaving room for the eggs (you want them to cook in the liquid, not on the dumplings). Crack the duck eggs into the open spaces between dumplings, nestling them on top of the tomato liquid.
Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the egg whites are set.