Shakshuka with Lamb Merguez Sausage on Savory Waffles
Peak eggs for dinner
This menu is a mash-up of several different recipes inspired by what I happened to have on hand. the lamb sausage can be a little difficult to find. Luckily, here in Southern California, Bristol Farms carries it. Middle-eastern or North African shops likely will also have it. If not, you can make a credible version using ground lamb seasoned with harissa, ground cumin, garlic, ground coriander, and ground fennel seeds. (I know harissa typically has cumin and coriander in it, but I like to flesh out the flavor profile by using those spices rather than just adding more harissa so as to temper the spiciness of the dish and make it more red wine friendly.)
There’s a lot of ingredients here, but you end up with a very complex and delicious sauce.
I typically start by making the waffle batter and letting it rest in the refrigerator while I prepare the shakshuka base. Then I make the waffles, which I transfer to a warming over while finishing the shakshuka by adding adding the eggs and feta.
As usual, this recipe is proportioned for two good eaters.
Shakshuka
2 lamb merguez sausages, casings removed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large shallot or medium onion, diced
6 green onions sliced thinly, whites and green separated
½ red or orange bell pepper (the last time I made this I had an Anaheim pepper on hand, which worked great), diced
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I like the paste that comes in tubes rather than cans)
½ tablespoon Better than Bouillon sofrito
1 teaspoon harissa seasoning (I like Morton & Bassett)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 14.5 ounce can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (I like Cento)
Optional: unsweetened coconut milk (this is very untraditional but I had about a third of can left over from making curry the night before, so I threw it in and it worked out great)
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon premium vegetable base
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
olive oil
3 ounces feta cheese
2 large eggs
In a large skillet, such as my trusty All-Clad D3 stainless steel pan, which is 8 years old and still going strong, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the sausage. Cook until browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center, which should take 6-8 minutes. Remove the sausage to rest on a paper towel-lined plate.
Return the skiller to the heat, turning it down to medium. Add the onion and pepper. Add a pinch of salt. Sauté until they soften and start to turn translucent, which should take about 8 minutes. At about the 4-minute mark, add the white parts of the scallions.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and spices. Sauté for one minute, stirring constantly. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add tomatoes with their juices. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to roughly break up the tomatoes. Rinse the can out with water, adding about half a can's worth of water to the pan. Add coconut milk (if using)
Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the sausage.
Cover the pan and allow it to gently simmer while you prepare the waffles.
When the waffles are ready remove the cover from the pan and raise the heat to medium. If the sauce has gotten too dry, add water to taste. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Using the back of a large spoon make two small hollows in the sauce. Crack the eggs into the hollows. Scatter the feta over the top and cover. I like the egg whites to set but the yolks to stay runny, which takes 3-5 minutes.
Serve on top of the waffles.
Waffles
1 cup waffle mix; the brand I use requires adding:
1 egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1-½ tablespoons vegetable oil (for this purpose, I use olive oil)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-½ ounces finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino (use the real stuff)
1-½ ounces finely grated gruyere or fontina
1-½ tablespoons fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian parsley
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and which gently just enough to break up and large lumps.
While the shakshuka simmers, prepare the waffles. I use my Breville panini press with the waffle plate accessory. Heat both plates to 450°. Once the grill is preheated, add 1/2 cup of batter mix to each square. Close and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Top the waffles with the shakshuka sauce and 1 egg per person. Garnish with the tops of the green onions and more feta cheese to taste.
Wine Pairing
If you want to go white, something like Sauvignon Blanc would work well. A Prosecco would not be amiss.
But I wanted red. Given the high acidity and spice level of the dish, I should have been looking for a young, low-tannin, fruit-forward, straightforward wine. Gamay or Barbera would work well. A lighter Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend would be lovely.
Ultimately, however, I went with a 2023 Pessimist by Daou. It’s a blend of 68.7% Petite Sirah, 17.9% Syrah, 11.4% Zinfandel, and 2.0% Lagrein. It’s fuller bodied and higher in alcohol than some of the options I suggested, and the 2023 is more tannic than most vintages, but it’s a wine I’ve had often with spicier fare and it has always worked well. It neither gets washed out by the spice nor dominates the meal. It makes a nice complement. Anticipating that I would go this direction is one reason why I cut back on the harissa and didn’t add hot sauce, so that the spice level ended up being moderate. In any case, it made a very mice match. There’s a ton of lucious blackberry and plum fruit, which played well with the complex flavors of the shakshuka.