Boards and Spreads, a new cookbook from New York Times Cooking contributor Yasmin Fahr, arrives on August 23rd, and we are thrilled to share a sneak peak.
"Inspired by shakshuka, a richly spiced North African baked egg dish that has endless variations, this version adds mushrooms and spinach while using some of the ingredients often found in shakshuka, such as harissa and cumin. Eat it on its own or opt for making all the suggested sides for a true breakfast or brunch spread, letting everyone help themselves to the garlicky beans, fresh greens, acidic onions, and crunchy cucumbers to balance out the richness of the feta-dotted tomato sauce. Dunking bread into the warm, saucy eggs is a must, and you can also use the bread to make little sandwiches." - Yasmin Fahr in Boards and Spreads
For the Baked Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp of Brightland ALIVE olive oil
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon harissa, depending on your heat preference
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 (24-ounce jar) passata (strained) or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup (packed) fresh parsley, roughly chopped or torn
- For serving: Cucumber, Parsley + Red Onion Salad (recipe below), white beans, full-fat yogurt with herbs, tortillas or pita bread, za'atar flatbread, simple green salad, harissa
Instructions
- 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
- 2 Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and season with salt. Cook until the onion has just started to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and the mushrooms have lost some of their moisture, 6 to 8 minutes more. (Lower the heat if the onion threatens to burn at any point.) Add the garlic, harissa, and cumin, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the passata and season with salt, stirring to combine. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and continue to cook so that the flavors blend together, about 5 minutes more.
- 3 Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the spinach and toss until mostly wilted. Use the bottom of a ladle or spoon to make six small wells in the tomato sauce, then crack the eggs into them. Sprinkle the feta in the spaces around the eggs. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still a bit runny, 9 to 15 minutes, turning halfway. Check by gently shaking the pan, and, if the egg whites jiggle, then continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until they are firm. Remove from the oven and top with the parsley.
- 4 Meanwhile, arrange the board: Serve the sides in large bowls, small bowls, or directly on the board, depending on the size. Serve the baked eggs directly in the skillet, placed on the board (or the table) with a trivet underneath.
For the Cucumber, Parsley & Red Onion Salad
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp of Brightland PARASOL champagne vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp of Brightland ALIVE olive oil
- Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound Persian cucumbers or other small cucumbers (5 to 7), thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped or torn
Instructions
- 1 In a large serving bowl or airtight container, combine the vinegar, mustard, and olive oil and whisk until smooth. Season with ½ teaspoon salt, and add the red pepper flakes, onion, cucumbers, and parsley and toss well to coat.
- 2 Let sit for at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Season to taste with salt as needed before serving.
Reprinted with permission from Boards and Spreads. Copyright © 2022 by Yasmin Fahr. Photographs copyright © 2022 by Julia Gartland. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
