Shakshuka and Laffa to Share!

Author: Charlie Eden

Photographer: Phoebe Fingold

Pancakes, Waffles, and French Toast: the holy trinity of the American brunch. And for good cause; these favorites never fail to satisfy the craving for a sweet treat. But what if, on a lovely weekend morning, as peak brunch hours approach, your sweet tooth is not acting up? What can you make?

You could always go with the simple scrambled eggs on toast, but where is the fun in that? Instead, upgrade that egg and bread combo and try shakshuka with your own homemade laffa!

Shakshuka, popular in North Africa and the Middle East, consists of poached eggs in a delicious tomato base, making it an excellent savory and healthy option. Pair that tasty shakshuka with handmade laffas—a middle eastern flatbread—and you have got the perfect dish for your next brunch get-together!

Note: You want the shakshuka and laffas to be ready at the same time. To do so, you should do steps 1-6 of the laffa making first, then steps 1-3 of the shakshuka. Steps 7-11 of the laffa and steps 4-9 of the shakshuka should be done simultaneously (don’t worry, it’s not too difficult); you should start cooking the laffas at the same time you add the sauce into the shakshuka.

 

Recipe: Laffa

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Wait Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp yeast

1 tsp salt

2 ½ tbsp butter, room temp for the dough

1 ½ cups warm water (105° F)

8 tsp butter for cooking

*Bonus: Add your favorite spices to the butter to infuse your laffas with a little extra flavor. (Zatar is my recommendation!)

 

Instructions:

1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Add the butter and mix until the ingredients are barely combined.

3. Pour in the water and mix until a solid dough is formed. The dough should be flexible but not sticky. If it is too sticky, sprinkle in a little flour; if the dough is too dry, add more warm water 2 tbsp at a time.

4. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead for 5-10 minutes. The dough should bounce back when poked.

5. Place your dough back into the bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it sit for an hour.

6. After the hour has passed, split your dough into eight equal portions. Flatten each portion into a small disk shape. Cover your dough disks with parchment paper and let them sit for 10 minutes.

7. Lightly flour your countertop. Take one of the disks and roll it out with a rolling pin until the diameter is about 10 inches.

8. Heat 1 tsp of butter (and the extra spices if you are using them) in a large pan over medium heat. When the butter just starts to bubble, immediately place your rolled out laffa in the pan.

9. Let cook for 2 minutes, flip, and then let cook for another two minutes. There should be golden brown spots on your laffa which indicate that the laffa is cooked properly. After both sides are cooked, remove the cooked laffa from the pan and transfer to a plate.

10.  Repeat steps 7-9 for each laffa.  

Finished Laffas

Recipe: Shakshuka

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

 

Ingredients:

½ large onion

3 rosa tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 ½ cup mushrooms (about 5 small white cap mushrooms)

*Bonus: Feel free to play around with the vegetables. Add any other veggies that you love or play around with the amounts in the recipe! (Spinach is a favorite add-in of mine.)

1 26. Oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I love Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara)

½ tbsp paprika

½ tbsp garlic powder

½ tbsp oregano

½ tbsp red chili pepper flakes (for those who like a spicy kick)

2 tbsp olive oil/butter  

Salt & pepper to taste

4-6 eggs

 

Instructions:

1. Dice the onion, tomato, and red pepper. Slice the mushrooms.

2. Combine the paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and red chili flakes in a small bowl.

3. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil/butter to a shallow pot over medium-low heat. After the oil/butter is hot, add the vegetables and spices to the pot. Let the vegetables sauté for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour in the tomato sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Let the tomato sauce come to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low.

5. Crack in the desired number of eggs. Cover the pot, leaving a very slight crack for some steam to escape.

6. Let the eggs cook until the egg-whites are fully cooked.

7. At this point, the eggs will be very runny; let the shakshuka cook for longer to continue cooking the yolks. You can check the yolk consistency by momentarily uncovering the pot and very lightly tapping the yolks with a fork; make sure you do not let the egg yolks leak out.

8. Once desired yolk temperature is reached, uncover the pot and turn the heat down to very low. Let the shakshuka sit for a minute or two to let some moisture out.

9. Serve with laffas and enjoy!

Boiling Shakshuka

In preparation for this article, I hosted a mini brunch party and cooked this recipe for myself and some friends; it was a huge hit! Especially on a chilly morning, it was a true pleasure to sit with friends and enjoy a fresh, warm, and delicious shakshuka meal. 

And although my shakshuka party was just five friends eating brunch, if you love hosting full-sized feasts, this shakshuka-laffa recipe can be made just as easily in any quantity you want without sacrificing taste or freshness! Just make sure to set out an array of shakshuka toppings–tahini, hummus, feta cheese, olives, to name a few–to make your shakshuka feast the real talk of the town!

Shakshuka and Laffa