Joy the Baker

Tomatillo Shakshuka and Over Easy Pre-Order!

by 50 Comments

How loosely can we use the term ‘shakshuka’?  For the sake of naming, brunch, and simple deliciousness… I’m going to say we can be loose, very loose.  

Shakshuka, typically and traditionally, is a common Israeli dish that involves simmering eggs in a brothy nest of stewed tomatoes and peppers.  The eggs bake in the spiced tomatoes and, served with warm pita, makes for a deeply heart satisfying breakfast.  

My shakshuka dish is hardly the traditional bright red, and is clearly sprinkled with more roasted corn than salty feta cheese.  I thought we’d simmer eggs in a brightly flavored green sauce made of tomatillos, topped with sweet toasted corn and salty cotija cheese. It’s a curtsey to all that is good about spicy shakshuka, a curtsey with a shimey shake, served with toasted corn tortillas instead of pita… just as good for dinner as it is for brunch.  

While we’ve got Brunch on the brain, now is as good a time as any to let you know that my latest book, OVER EASY, is available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! 

The book is out on March 21st.  Just in time for all of our Spring Brunch endeavours… and you know there are many of those in our future! 

AND… I’m coming to see you! 

I’ll be hopping around signing books, doing cooking demonstrations, and hosting brunch in the few weeks after Over Easy hits the shelves.  I hope you’ll come out and see me!  These are the dates that are taking shape to start, and we’ll add cities to this list throughout the spring and summer. 

Come say hi, will you?  I’m hoping for a hug and a Bloody Mary!  

More details and dates can be found, and will be updated- HERE. 

Let’s get to the shakshuka.  

I can vouch for this dish being a most excellent breakfast, a stellar brunch, and really… a great dinner served with cilantro rice.  If you’re counting, I’ve eaten it thrice, for every meal except dessert. 

You’ll need a handful of eggs (large-handed handful), onions and garlic, cheese and cilantro, corn and seasoning.  

I used canned tomatillos as the base for this recipe because I wanted the tomatillos to break down quickly and easily.  If you use fresh tomatillos, husk the little beauties and cook down for a good long while until they’re softened supreme.  

I understand if you’re feeling a bit baffled by the tomatillo.  

A tomatillo looks like a small, husked green tomato.  They’re common in Mexican and Central-American cooking, often made into perfectly bright and spiced green salsa.  Think of tomatillos as living in the space between a green tomato and pepper. 

In this iteration, canned tomatillos are cooked down into a warm, chunky, almost-salsa that we’ll nestle eggs into to bake.  

The tomatillos are bright in taste.  We’ll add some grounding spices to root the mixture.  

Cumin, black pepper, onion and garlic powder.  Salt, too. 

We’ll crack eggs into the warm tomatillo mixture and set the whole dish to bake in the oven.  

The sauce will bubble and thicken as the eggs cook through.  The oven is where things like this go to get just thaaat much more delicious.  

While the shakshuka bakes, we have the privilege of charring corn over a gas stove.  Charred corn is tastier corn. Sweet and toasty. Serve warm with toasted tortillas, coffee and bloody mary cocktails!  

Tomatillo Shakshuka with Charred Corn

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes  Cook time:  30 minutes

1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 28-ounce can whole tomatillos, mostly drained 
5 large eggs
small handful coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup cotija cheese (or you could use feta cheese)
2 ears fresh corn, husked and charred over an open stovetop

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven t o 375 degrees F.  

In  a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil.  Add the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes more.  Add the tomatillos with 1/4 cup of the juice from the can.  Break up the tomatillos with the back of a spoon.  Add the cumin, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and lime juice. 

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  

Transfer the mixture to an oven proof baking dish if your skillet isn’t oven-proof (or you want to go with something for fancy).  Crack eggs into the mixture, just a few inches apart.  Place in the oven and bake until the egg whites are cooked through and the yolks begin to solidify, about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the dish bakes, husk the corn and char the corn over the gas flame on the stovetop.  Carefully cut the charred corn from the cob.

When the eggs have baked to your liking, remove from the oven, drizzle with corn, fresh cilantro, cheese, and more salt and pepper if you’d like.  Serve warm. 

Photos with Jon Melendez

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LytLady

    Tried this tonight as a back-up meal (the original meal needed more marinating than I figured). It was a hit!! We had it with a side of tamales with New Mexico red chile sauce. Will do again with a few adjustments… more onion, less lime, less oven time on eggs.

    Reply

  2. J-Mom

    I made the regular version from your Over Easy book. So I had to try this. Something about tomato (in this case tomatillo) and egg that’s comforting. This was great! Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply

  4. Lori

    Joy- This shakshuka looks amazing, and I’m so glad you’re coming to Austin. I’ve always wished I had gone to the signing from Homemade Decadence, and I hope I can make it out to say hi on the 5th :)

    Reply

  7. Liz

    Shakshuka is one of those things that feels too decadent and fancy pants for me to make at home. This recipe has definitely inspired me to try it out! Sooo pumped for the new book too :)

    Reply

  9. InColderWeather

    I am so excited about this book! My fiance (a chef) and I LOVE breakfast and leisurely days equally, and I can imagine that my Saturday mornings are about to get a lot tastier. These breakfast posts always come at the perfect time, as I’m sitting at my desk on a Friday, daydreaming about the food I’m going to eat 20 hours from now (we all do that, right?)

    Cheers to Bloody Marys, breakfast, and book travels!

    Reply

  10. mallory

    preeee ordered :)) looking forward to the “more to come” on the book tour…wishful thinking you’ll come anywhere close to arkansas!

    Reply

  15. Rachel

    So excited for you to come to New York! Do you know when you’ll have more details/should I preorder the book now or will getting the book be part of the events?

    Also I wanted to let you know that I made your chocolate waffles and blueberry waffles (sans blueberries because winter) for Galentine’s Day and they were both SO GOOD. I’m obsessed with waffles but had yet to make a good chocolate waffle, and I somehow didn’t really have a go-to regular waffle recipe until the blueberryless ones. I think the potential of more waffle recipes is making me even more excited about this book.

    Reply

  19. Meghan

    Totally proud of you, Joy! I pre-ordered. COME TO CANADA! We have our own problems, of course, but for the sake of convincing you- we are a land that welcomes immigrants and newcomers, has a feminist Prime Minister and ample amounts of Maple Syrup. Doesn’t that go well with brunch? :)

    Reply

  20. Mom24_4evermom

    Congratulations. This looks so intriguing, but I am in awe that you live somewhere where you can get corn on the cob in February?

    Reply

  21. Ellen

    I’ll admit I almost skipped reading this because I am intimidated by tomatillos. Which is weird considering I break down artichokes all the time. But if I can use canned tomatillos I’m in:)

    Reply

  22. Tracy Genheimer

    I already pre-ordered your cookbook – I CANNOT wait!!! I love all that you do, Joy, and this brunch cookbook is sure to be as wonderful as your other cookbooks! I hope to come to a book signing if you have any closer to me in Oklahoma City! :-) :-)

    Reply

  24. Ashtin B

    I literally squealed out loud the moment I saw Austin on your book tour! I cannot wait to get my hands on your new book; the brunch recipes you share are all the heart-eyed emojis and I’m thrilled that they’re all coming together in Over Easy. Counting down the days… I’m looking forward to meeting you! : )

    Reply

  26. Amanda

    I work at a bookstore in DC (One More Page) that sells books, wine, and chocolate… could be right up your alley, hint hint. =P

    Reply

  27. fusilliamy

    I read this and got teary eyed. I’m so happy and excited and proud for you annnnd stoked to finally get my paws on the book! I am pre-ordered and RED TA GO. Good news (?) is I will be newly unemployed (GULP) and moving to PA as the book is released so I would to love to see you in NYC or crossing fingers for Philly/DC area locations. Hugs and high-fives!!

    Reply

  31. lalaforte

    I’m going to miss you in NYC by less than a day! It’d be wonderful if there could be an event on the 20th too… :)

    Reply

  32. Catherine

    Please have a book event in New Orleans the first week of Jazz Fest! Or in Houston, on dates other than the first week of the festival ????

    Reply

  33. Nicole

    You’re coming to NYC?!?! Heck yes!!!!!! Can’t wait to see you then!!!!!!! Also, this breakfast/dinner/goodness looks delicious! Any tips on how to make the corn if you’re lacking a gas oven (I know, it’s a sad state of affairs).

    Reply

  39. Kat

    Please add Philly to that travel list!! Pretty please! I’ll bring some brunch! *crosses fingers for a Philly date in the summer*

    Reply

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