My husband thinks eggs baked in a savory, somewhat spicy tomato sauce makes a perfect meal, and the shakshuka served at the Alden in Chamblee hits all the right notes. Will they share the recipe?
— Evelyn Hill, Decatur
When Jordan Fabiano, the chef de cuisine at the Alden sent us the recipe, he wrote, “Shakshuka is a delicious, savory Middle Eastern egg dish that is cooked in a spiced tomato sauce. It’s ideally eaten with fresh pita bread, which is how it was served at the Alden.” The shakshuka is no longer a regular item on the menu, although it will appear through Dec. 21.
The restaurant serves the shakshuka in a 9-ounce cast-iron skillet sitting in a bed of Georgia coastal hay. “It is a rustic recipe so we use a rustic presentation. The hot skillet warms the hay and brings an aroma to the dish, but it’s mainly for presentation purposes,” Fabiano said. They also garnish the dish with pearl onions, which are roasted at 400 degrees until tender and then charred to bring more color and flavor to the dish.
The recipe calls for fresh sweet Italian peppers, which are sometimes called Italian frying peppers. If you cannot find them, substitute Cubanelle or regular bell peppers.
The Alden’s Shakshuka
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper
- 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 1/4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Morton’s kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed
- 1 1/2 cups diced red onion
- 1 1/4 cups diced sweet Italian peppers
- 1 small red jalapeno, stem removed, seeded and diced (optional)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
- 3 1/2 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 4 ounces diced feta
- 1/4 cup dill sprigs
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
- Pita wedges, for serving
- Make spice mixture: In a small bowl, combine Aleppo pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, black pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
- Make shakshuka sauce: Heat neutral oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add red onion, Italian peppers, jalapeno (if using) and garlic. Saute until vegetables are lightly browned, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in spice mixture and saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes. Simmer mixture uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in olive oil and taste for seasoning, adding salt or pepper if needed.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour sauce into a 9-inch baking dish. Use a 1/2-cup measure to make four indentations in the sauce and break an egg into each indentation. Sprinkle dish with feta and bake until eggs are cooked to the desired doneness, about 6 minutes for runny yolks, 12 minutes for firm yolks. Remove from oven, garnish with dill and green onions and serve with pita.
Serves 4.
Per serving (without additional salt or pita): 355 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 14 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 25 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 211 milligrams cholesterol, 481 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of ... The Alden, 5070 Peachtree Blvd., Chamblee. 678-395-6982, thealdenrestaurant.com.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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