It's the breakfast of champions! Shakshuka is a beloved Middle Eastern egg dish that's enjoyed all day long. Here, sustainable striped bass is gently poached along with eggs in an aromatic spiced tomato sauce that's made for mopping up with crusty bread.
Thinly slice the onion, garlic cloves, and
peppers, and set aside.
Remove the skin from the striped bass portions, and cut into chunks about 1½ inches in size. Place in a bowl and set aside.
Let the veggies sweat in the olive oil
until soft and the garlic and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Raise
the heat, and stir in the tomato paste, cooking until the tomato paste darkens
to a brick red, about 5 minutes. Season with one teaspoon of salt and the
sugar, and add in the bay leaf, thyme, za’atar and saffron. Stir together, and
let the flavors infuse for another 2-3 minutes.
Season the fish with the remaining teaspoon
of salt. Open the can of tomatoes, and pour it, liquid included, into the pan.
Stir well. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, adding in a bit more water if needed
to keep the sauce from thickening too much. It should be the consistency of a
loose pasta sauce.
Pat the striped bass chunks dry, then tuck
them into the sauce. They don’t need to be fully covered. Make divots in the
sauce around the fish, and crack eggs into the holes. Cover with a lid, and
simmer very gently for about 10 minutes, until the eggs are set and the fish is
cooked. Finish by sprinkling crumbled feta and more za’atar over the top, and
serve with crusty bread, family-style.
