Libyan Baked Eggs

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 2
   Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
3. 3
   Add and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges. If it browns too fast, lower the heat.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
5. 5
   Add the pepper and fry about 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it softens.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

To assemble

1. 6
   Add the paprika, chili and cumin and stir for a minute, until fragrant.
2. 7
   Add the tomatoes and season with salt. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡The sauce is ready for the eggs when a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan leaves a trail. A sauce that's too thin cooks the eggs in water, not in sauce.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
3. 8
   Make wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 10–12 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

   OvenFrying pan
4. 9
   Sprinkle the cilantro on top and serve immediately with fresh bread for dipping in the sauce.