Hamin with Brown Eggs, a Slow-Cooked Shabbat Stew

Hamin with brown eggs is a beef stew with beans, pearl barley and potatoes, in which whole eggs in their shells cook overnight inside the pot and come out brown and tender. You prepare it on Friday morning, and it is ready for Shabbat lunch.

How the eggs turn brown

The eggs go into the pot in their shells, on top of the beans, with the liquid covering them. Over a full night at low heat, the shell takes color from the onion skins and the silan, and the white turns a tan-brown and soft. The yolk stays creamy because the pot is closed and the liquid does not evaporate.

Friday, October 9, is World Egg Day, which makes it a good day for a pot where the eggs are the star. It is also the first ordinary Shabbat after the holidays, when you return to the regular pot.

Soaking and layering the pot

Soak the beans the night before and rinse the barley. Place the potatoes and onion at the bottom of the pot, the meat above them, then the beans and barley, and finally the eggs and onion skins. Fill with boiling water until everything is covered.

Cook on the stove for a quarter of an hour, then move to a hot plate or an oven at 212°F (100°C) for at least 12 hours. There is no need to open the pot during the night. To avoid a cracked egg, check the shells before they go in.

On the day of serving, remove the eggs, peel them and serve on the side or in the bowl. The amount serves six and can be doubled in a larger pot. If you like a thicker liquid, mash a few potatoes into the broth before serving.

The recipe

Hamin with Brown Eggs, a Slow-Cooked Shabbat Stew

A beef hamin with beans, barley and potatoes, where eggs in their shells cook overnight and come out brown and tender.

• Servings 6 servings
• Prep 30 min
• Cook 12 hr
• Total 12 hr 30 min

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried white beans (soaked overnight and drained)
• 0.5 cup pearl barley (rinsed)
• 4 potatoes (peeled and quartered)
• 1 large onion (peeled and quartered)
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1.75 lb / 800 g beef for stewing (in large chunks)
• 6 eggs (whole, in the shell, rinsed)
• 2 dry onion skins (for color)
• 2 tbsp silan (date syrup)
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the beans in water the night before. On the day, drain them and rinse the barley.

2. Place the potatoes, onion and garlic at the bottom of a large pot, and the meat on top.

3. Scatter the beans and barley over the meat. In a small bowl, mix the silan, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper, and spread over the contents.

4. Set the eggs in their shells and the onion skins on top, and add boiling water until everything is covered.

5. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes. Cover tightly.

6. Move to a hot plate or to an oven at 212°F (100°C) and cook for at least 12 hours.

7. Remove the eggs, peel them, and serve on the side or in the stew.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make hamin without meat?
You can leave out the meat and add more potato and olive oil. The flavor will be lighter.

What happens to a cracked egg in hamin?
It cooks in the pot without trouble, but the white may leak into the liquid. That is why you check the shells before adding them.

How long does hamin need to cook?
At least 12 hours at low heat, so that the beans and meat soften and the eggs take on their color.