British

Sweet Potato Shakshuka With Sriracha Butter & Pickled Onions From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen

by:
February 22, 2022
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Elena Heatherwick
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

A far cry from a classic shakshuka, yes, but we’ve found that sweet potatoes provide just the right amount of moisture and heft to serve as a base for these eggs. Serve this vibrant dish as a weekend brunch; it sure looks the part.

Make it your own:

– Save time by cooking the sweet taters in the microwave instead.
– Use any kind of oozy, melty cheese and any spice you like for the base.
– Experiment with other hot sauces, such as Tabasco or harissa. —Food52

Test Kitchen Notes

Recipe excerpted with permission from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, published by Clarkson Potter © 2021. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Sweet Potato Shakshuka With Sriracha Butter & Pickled Onions From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds 2 ounces (1 kilogram) sweet potatoes, skin on and scrubbed clean
  • 1 small red onion (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams), thinly sliced into rounds
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/3 cups (150 grams) coarsely grated mature cheddar
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons sriracha
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, with some stems attached
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork (about 8 to 10 times) and place them on a medium, parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until cooked through and softened. Set aside to cool and turn the oven temperature down to 400°F.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red onion, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and set aside.
  3. Remove the cooked potato skins and tear them into roughly 11⁄2-inch/4cm pieces. Transfer the potato flesh to a large bowl and set aside. Place the skins back on the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of pepper. Bake for 8 minutes, or until nicely colored and starting to crisp up. Set aside to cool and crisp up further.
  4. Use a fork to mash the potato flesh until smooth, then add the cheddar, garlic, cumin, another 1 tablespoon of oil, the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a generous grind of pepper, and mix to combine.
  5. Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan, for which you have a lid, and swirl around to coat the bottom. Spoon the mashed potato mixture into the pan, using your spoon to distribute it evenly. Place on medium-high heat and let cook for about 7 minutes, for the bottom to start to color. Turn the heat down to medium and use a spoon to make eight wells in the potato mixture, breaking an egg into each. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, cover with the lid, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
  6. While the eggs are cooking, put the butter and sriracha into a small saucepan on medium heat and cook until the butter has melted, whisking constantly to emulsify. Remove the mixture from the heat before it starts to bubble—you don't want it to split!
  7. When ready, spoon the sriracha butter all over the eggs, then top with a good handful of the crispy potato skins, half the pickled onion, and all the cilantro leaves. Serve right away, with the rest of the potato skins and pickled onion to eat alongside.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • jorlofsky
    jorlofsky
  • Ella Jane
    Ella Jane
  • Darian
    Darian

3 Reviews

jorlofsky November 27, 2022
Made it just as per the video and it was amazing. So much flavor. Since there were only 2 of us, I made a full recipe but only poached 2 eggs. We'll just heat up the leftovers, either with or without newly poached eggs. The only think I disagreed with in the video was the statement that it would make a "light" dinner. It was a fabulous and very rich dinner!
 
Ella J. March 2, 2022
Made it exactly as written, and it was amazing! The creamy, cheesy, spiced sweet potato, cheese, and egg mixture perfectly balanced by the pickled onion, cilantro, sriracha butter, and crispy sweet potato skins! Highly recommend.
 
Darian February 25, 2022
This is SO SO good, and like any Ottolenghi recipe, has a lot of layered textures and flavors. The skins were a standout.