Of Libyan origin, shakshuka began as a working man's dawn-till-noon meal. It generally has three main ingredients - tomatoes, hot sauce and eggs. This mild version without the tomatoes is by Shir Halpern, a regular contributor to Al HaShulchan magazine and co-founder of Israel's network of farmers markets.
 

Method

• Melt the butter in a large deep skillet and sauté the leeks until soft and translucent but not brown.
• Add spinach and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
• Season gently - remember that the cheese is quite salty.
• Break the eggs one by one and slide onto the spinach. Arrange the yolks around the pan. Sprinkle the cheese around the pan.
• Turn heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the egg whites set, 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

First published in The JC May 5 2011