Za’atar Baked Egg Skillet with Cucumber and Herb Sour Cream

Recipe from Cristen Clark, Food & Swine

Za’atar Baked Egg Skillet with Cucumber and Herb Sour Cream

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large yellow onion (or 2 small), thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
  • ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 2½ teaspoons za’atar, divided
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream (or alternatively, plain yogurt)
  • ¾ cup finely chopped seeded English cucumber
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for drizzling
  • ½ teaspoon sumac (if you don’t have sumac, use za’atar in its place)
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint (if you don’t have mint, add extra parsley)
  • Crumbled feta cheese
  • Olive oil for drizzling onto finished baked eggs
  • 1 small loaf of crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter until shimmering. Add the onion, season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper and cook for 10 minutes until somewhat softened and most of the tomatoes have burst. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup of the parsley and 2 teaspoons of the za’atar seasoning. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a spoon, make 4 wells in the tomato sauce, then crack an egg into each one; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the egg whites are just set, and the yolks are still runny. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the cucumber, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, sumac, mint and the remaining 2 teaspoons of parsley and ½ teaspoon of za’atar. Season with salt and garnish with additional herbs and za’atar. 

To serve, drizzle the eggs with olive oil and garnish with parsley and feta cheese. Drizzle the tomato sauce with lemon juice. Serve immediately with a generous quarter cup of cucumber yogurt and crusty bread.