Onion Eggs Recipe
Onion eggs is often mentioned as one of the most beloved dishes of the Ottoman palace cuisine. If I were a sultan, would it be my favorite dish? I’m not sure, but it would definitely be among my favorites. If it can taste this good today with ingredients from an ordinary grocery store, just imagine how delicious it must have been centuries ago, made with the finest, specially sourced ingredients for the Ottoman sultans.
Onion eggs is a dish with many variations. Some versions include tomato paste, different spices, or even meat, while others either keep the eggs whole or mix them into the onions. I prepared my version using my favorite, simplest form of caramelized onions and leaving the eggs whole. Normally, when I caramelize onions, I also use balsamic vinegar and sugar. According to some accounts, vinegar was also used in the palace kitchen. However, I wasn’t sure how well it would pair with eggs. After tasting the onions, I found that their natural sweetness had developed beautifully, so I didn’t feel the need to add extra sugar. My suggestion is to taste your onions after caramelizing and then decide whether they need any additional sweetness or acidity.
By the way, it is said that in the palace kitchen, onions were cooked over an oil lamp flame for three hours. I neither have the time, the patience, nor such a low heat source, so I cooked mine for nearly an hour. It turned out amazing. But if you don’t have even that much time or patience, I recommend my five-minute caramelized onion method.
I used a mix of red and white onions since I was simply using what I had at home. You can use whichever type you have on hand. 500 g of onions can easily handle 4 eggs, but since I only had three eggs left, I made it with three. Also, isn’t it wonderful to be able to recreate a dish from the palace cuisine even with limited ingredients?
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 500 g onions,
- 3–4 eggs,
- 5 tablespoons olive oil,
- Salt,
- Black pepper.
Preparation
- Peel the onions and slice them into half-moons,
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, add the onions, and cook over low heat until caramelized (about 45 minutes to 1 hour),
- Add a small amount of salt and mix,
- Make small wells in the onions according to the number of eggs and crack the eggs into them,
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the eggs,
- Cover and cook until the egg yolks reach your desired doneness.
Enjoy your meal!