Spoon a jiggly egg draped in melted cheese onto a trench of toast. Tender beans stewing in sharp tomato and pungent garlic soak into the bread. Caramelised onion, fiery smokiness from chilli and paprika, and earthy, citrusy herbs tantalise the palate. Savour depth of flavour in one mouthful. An enthusiastic and heartwarming culture inspires this recipe. Spices dance as energetically as belly dancers dazzle an audience to the beat of a drum. Create these Cafe style baked eggs & beans with this easy recipe.
Cafe style baked eggs are a marvellously moreish twist on a middle eastern classic. ‘Ful’ is a simple stew of tasty beans that date back to Ancient Egypt. The pyramids rest on a firm foundation of flavoursome ful. Hearty and fragrant with earthy nutty cumin, it is the national dish of Egypt. Ful is famously served at breakfast time as the ful fuels people to last all day long! Crack a few humble eggs on top, and we have ‘ful shakshouka.’ Golden yolks poach gently amongst acidic tomatoes and delicious bean stew. ‘Shakshouka’ means ‘mixture’ in Arabic. The word even sounds like the meaning. Casual and flippant.
Shakshouka! A bit of this and a bit of that. This dish is popular all over the middle east with different variations. But wait, there’s more. Sprinkle a generous helping of grated cheese to the top, and the recipe has completely transformed from a humble hearty middle eastern meal to an incredibly indulgent gourmandise a la Américaine.
The longevity of this popular dish lies in its simple, filling, and humble ingredients. A protein-rich egg along with our modern obsession with stretchy mozzarella and crusty bread, and you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day! Beans are a staple food of the people, and the middle east flavours them irresistibly.
In Australia, baked eggs has become a popular cafe breakfast menu item in recent years. An Italian version served simply with basil or a Mexican version with black beans and chilli is another way to consume this powerful vegetarian breaky combo, packed full of protein. A side of avocado can compliment this further.
Cooking Hacks
– The bean mixture can be made in advance. For example the night before and then simply heat and add the eggs to bake in the oven for a quick breakfast or brunch.
– The bean mixture (on its own) will keep for up to one week in the fridge and can be added into many dishes.
– The bean mixture can be frozen. You can freeze the cooked mixture and defrost overnight to heat the next day.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS DISH
Serving Tips
– These could be served in individual ramekins or cast iron pans with 1 egg per portion
– To be completely dairy free use dairy free cheese or omit altogether
– Serve with extra chilli if you like more of a kick
– Sprinkle chopped herbs and serve with crusty bread
– If you don’t have crusty bread, flat bread or rice would go well with this dish too
Please let me know what you think of this fusion brunch dish.
Enjoy!
WATCH HOW WE MAKE CAFE STYLE BAKED EGGS
HOW TO MAKE BAKED EGGS & BEANS IN A FEW SIMPLE STEPS
Check out our Bountiful Brunch category for more delicious Brunch Recipes.
Cafe Style Baked Eggs & Beans
Ingredients
- 400 grams canned crushed tomatoes
- 400 grams canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 6 Eggs
- 1 brown onion
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat oil in pan.
- Cook onions until golden then add garlic.
- Add chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock.
- Bring to boil.
- Turn down to a simmer.
- Add crushed tomatoes .
- Put lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Take lid off and reduce for a further 15 minutes.
- Make a well in the beans, then crack an egg into the well, repeat with all the eggs, spacing the eggs out evenly in the pan.
- Put lid on and put in oven at 180 for 15 – 20minutes. Bake until egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still soft.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle a layer of grated cheese. Put lid back on and put in the oven.
Recipe creation Scarlett Forward, Story by Carmen Forward,
Photography by Rachel Trevarton.
