By Chef Jason Raffin 

Want to bring brunch to the next level? Tackle this chef-approved falafel shakshuka from Comstook Saloon's Chef Jason Raffin—brought to you by Eggland's Best.

Tomato Sauce 

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
Makes: 1.5 quarts

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
250 g chopped onions
45 g chopped garlic
500 g  white wine
1 can (14 oz/398 mL)  tomatoes, diced
2 cups water
1/4 cup tomato powder
1/4 cup capers, rinsed
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp  lemon
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce
1  bay leaf
1 tsp salt 

1.   Heat olive oil in a saucepan set over low heat; sauté onions and garlic for about 10 minutes or until extremely tender but not colored. 

2.   Increase heat to medium-high; add wine and cook for about 5 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.  

3.   Add tomatoes, water, tomato powder, capers, parsley, lemon, hot sauce, bay leaf, and salt; simmer gently over medium or medium-low heat for about 1 hour or until most of the liquid has evaporated and sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaf.

Falafels

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Makes: 20 to 25 pieces

Ingredients:

10 g each coriander and cumin seeds
4 g whole black peppercorns
4 g red chili flakes
2 g ground cardamom
1.5 g  ground cinnamon
1.25 kg canned chickpeas in water, drained
1.25 kg cooked chickpeas
500 g cooked romano beans
400 g coarsely chopped yellow onions
5 bunches fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
400 g all-purpose flour
50 g salt
35 g finely sliced green onions
35 g lemon juice
18 g baking powder
13 g finely chopped garlic

Method: 

 1.  Preheat fryer to 375°F or heat canola oil in a saute pan. 

2.   In a small skillet set over medium-low heat, toast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and peppercorns for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool; grind coarsely. Mix in chili flakes, cardamom, and cinnamon.

3.   In a food processor, combine canned and cooked chickpeas, cooked romano beans and onions; pulse until mixture resembles a fine paste.

4.   Transfer chickpea mixture to large bowl; mix in spice mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix in cilantro, parsley, flour, salt, green onions, lemon juice, baking powder, and garlic.

5.   Using a 1-oz cookie scoop, portion out falafel balls, rolling between your hands to create smooth balls. Fry in batches for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Shakshuka assembly: 

Clean one leek, and thinly slice crosswise. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a small saute pan, and fry the leeks until crispy; transfer to a paper towel and season with salt. Warm tomato sauce, then divide between individual baking dishes. Add 1 oz of cubed white cheddar, 2 Eggland's Best eggs, and 5 falafel balls to each dish, and bake at 400 degrees until eggs are cooked to preference. Garnish with fried leeks, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of truffle oil. 

 

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