The menu at Pressed Café in Nashua is among the most varied and accomodating in the area. This ambitious little café goes out of its way to cater to everyone, whether you’re vegan, on a juice cleanse, following a paleo diet, gluten-intolerant or none of the above. Walk in, and you’ll be bombarded by a menu boasting pressed sandwiches, salads, grain bowls, several variations of homemade mac and cheese, breakfast burritos, acai bowls, raw juices and more. 

The most impressive part of the menu is not its size, but rather the creativity that is displayed. Where else can you get a braised short rib grilled cheese with portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions, three cheeses and beef jus or mac and cheese flavored with pesto, goat cheese and tomato?

Although the menu features an array of unexpected items, there is one that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Shakshuka, also known as eggs in purgatory, is a rare find on restaurant menus for reasons that elude my understanding. It is simple to make, intensely flavorful and quite healthy.

Essentially, shakshuka consists of eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce simmered with peppers and onions. It is commonly topped with fresh herbs and feta cheese and served with bread to sop up the sauce. According to themediterraneandish.com, shakshuka originated in Tunisia (North Africa), and has gained popularity throughout the Middle East, especially Israel.

The presentation of this dish is rather dramatic. Rather than try to maneuver the finished product onto a plate, it is commonly served directly in the skillet it was cooked in. Pressed sticks to tradition, and the result is a dish that practically begs to be eaten. 

The skillet is served with chunks of grilled bread and sides of tahini, a sesame seed paste found in hummus, and schug, a spicy green paste made from cilantro.

It’s easy to fall into the “It’s just eggs with tomato sauce, how good could it possibly be?” trap. One bite will diminish any such thoughts. The cumin and hot pepper laced sauce was expertly seasoned and the eggs were perfectly runny. A drizzle of tahini adds a nice nuttiness and the fresh parsley and schug provide lovely herbal notes.

Not only is it delicious, but it’s very enjoyable to eat. Pierce a yolk. Take a few forkfuls. Tear off some bread. Apply schug. Dunk in sauce. Shove in mouth. Repeat. You may get some on your face, but that’s what napkins are for.

Those wanting to go the extra mile can add beef short ribs or grilled salmon to their shakshuka. Although adding short ribs to something that is already great can never be a bad thing, the purist version will treat you well. Shakshuka is similar to quiche in the sense that is works equally well for lunch and dinner as it does for breakfast.

Clearly, the merits of shakshuka are numerable, and it seems that people are slowly beginning to realize it as the dish is starting to appear on restaurant brunch menus beside omelets. Until the dish becomes mainstream, get your fix at Pressed Café. Find it at 108 Spit Brook Road in Nashua. There is an additional Nashua location that is drive through-only as well as a third location in Burlington, MA.