I love brunch, and it’s easily my favorite meal to eat in a restaurant. There are few things more indulgent than a leisurely weekend afternoon brunch sipping mimosas, indulging in hearty meals, and celebrating a break from the workweek. Sadly, my budget doesn’t allow for them regularly any more, so yesterday we did the next best thing: made brunch at home.
The preparation technically started last Monday, when I threw together what would become my sourdough starter, based on this method. I fed it diligently, and the fragrance became very telltale very quickly. Sadly, when I made my bread with it — using this recipe — it didn’t rise:
I may not have let it rise long enough, and I knew I was being cocky by not adding any yeast, but it still tasted awesome. I will give it a go again soon and hopefully have a more fluffy result.
Anyway, we ate the bread alongside an Israeli dish called shakshouka or shakshuka. I looked at this recipe and this one, and ended up with a hybrid, though it more closely resembled The Shiksa‘s method. Here it is cooking:
I used my Le Creuset since it has a lid. It was lovely. Here it is all plated up:
And how do you eat it?
The flavor was so complex and delicious, especially considering how little work goes into the actual dish. I let it simmer away longer than necessary to break down the tomatoes and thicken it up. We both loved the meal and agreed it would be especially great in the winter, when our apartment isn’t 90 degrees. 🙂
Vegging Out 