Shared by Hedai Offaim
White Shakshuka With Labneh
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 45 minutes
White Shakshuka With Labneh
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 45 minutesFamily Journey
Ella Valley, Israel
The table at writer, chef, and farmer Hedai Offaim’s home an hour outside of Jerusalem is always full. A typical Saturday brunch spread might include this white shakshuka, a glowing orange and tomato salad, fried eggplants, crispy corn latkes, and a fish panzanella made with leftovers from Shabbat dinner the night before. “If we have guests, we might even have more,” he says. And there are always guests — his table can seat up to 25 people.
In classic shakshuka recipes, eggs are nestled and gently cooked in a spiced tomato sauce. In Hedai’s version, the sauce is replaced with creamy and tangy labneh that’s seasoned with herbs, and just the egg yolks are used. (You can freeze the leftover egg whites for up to two months, or use them to make many Passover-friendly desserts). Since the yolks cook quickly, make sure to have the rest of your meal ready and on the table before you add them to the pan.
This recipe was shared by Hedai Offaim. Read more about his family in "Hedai Offaim’s Table Is Always Open — And Covered with the Bounty of Israel."
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped hyssop leaves (or you can substitute a mix of coarsely chopped fresh mint, oregano, sage, and/or thyme)
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound labneh cheese
- 8 large eggs yolks
- Warm pita, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and 3 tablespoons of the herbs and sauté 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2
Stir the labneh into the onion mixture and spread evenly in the pan. Cook until the labneh begins to steam and form bubbles at the edges, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, separate the eggs: Crack each egg in half and carefully transfer the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell several times over a medium bowl, tipping the shell enough to allow the egg white to slide into the bowl beneath. Place the half of the shell containing the yolk interior-side up into an empty egg carton and repeat the process with the remaining eggs and yolks. Reserve the egg whites for another use.
Step 4
Using the back of a spoon, create 8 depressions in the labneh mixture and gently nestle an egg yolk in each. Cook until the yolks begin to grow firm and opaque at the edges but remain soft in the centers, 3 to 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately in the pan with warm pita.
