Beid Hamine
(Egyptian slow-cooked eggs)
Beid hamine is an Egyptian dish with origins in Egypt's ancient Jewish community. The long cooking time comes from the Jewish tradition of slow cooking food overnight to serve on Shabbat, when cooking is forbidden. Slow, steady heat makes the eggs creamy and smooth, and the onion skins impart a delicate flavor and attractive brown color to the whites. Coffee grounds aren't necessary, but they help give the eggs the desired brown color.
4 to 8 servings
- Eggs -- 8
- Yellow onions, skins only -- 5-6
- Coffee grounds (optional) -- 2 tablespoons
- Water -- to cover
- Oil -- 1 tablespoon
Method
- Add all ingredients to a saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Drain the eggs and discard the onion skins and coffee grounds. Rinse the eggs, then peel and slice them or cut them into wedges. Serve with ful medames or as a garnish for stews.
Notes
- The oil is added to minimize evaporation of the water.
beid hamine
how do you prepare the eggs? do you break them open and beat them or do you leave them whole? what exactly do you do?
How to Prepare the Eggs
The recipe doesn't say anything about breaking them open or beating them. You're not making scrambled eggs.
If you read the recipe closely, it should be pretty clear. You leave the eggs whole. In the first step you add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer the eggs, sort of like you are making hard-boiled eggs. In the second step it clearly says to rinse and then peel the eggs. Then you slice them or cut them into wedges.