Eggs with sumak and fried potatoes (Bayd bel-sumak u batata)

November 1, 2009  •  Category:

 

In Lebanon, eggs are made a meal by and of itself. Eggs are not found in desserts, for example. Eggs are combined with different vegetables to make a country-style meal. Baked in an earthenware bowl, eaten with some  pita bread , they make a glorious and simple dish. In Deir el-Kamar, in the Shouf region where we spend a good portion of the summer, a very small but stylish restaurant opened up last summer on the side of a  mountain road. Everybody in the village was curious to check out their menu. Well, most of the items were egg dishes, such as this one, which is a classic.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cloves of garlic, mashed with some salt
  • 1/2  tablespoon of sumak, diluted in one tablespoon of water, and stirred a few seconds till mixed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound of potatoes, preferably small butter potatoes

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METHOD:

  1. Heat the olive oil. Slide the potatoes.
  2. Fry the potatoes until cooked and golden.  Remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.
  3. Drop the mashed garlic and sumak paste in oil and stir a few seconds.
  4. Slide the eggs in the hot oil.  Cook for 3 minutes.
  5. Serve alongside the potatoes with some pita bread and a salad for a full meal.

Comments

12 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Rosa says:

    That sounds and looks really tasty! Sumac is such an interesting spice…

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  2. Kristen says:

    I did not know that Lebanese desserts were without egg. That is great news for me, I am always looking for egg-free sweet options. The rest of my family however loves eggs and this looks like a lovely dish for them. I have some sumac in the pantry, now I know what to do next time I need a quick meal. Thanks 🙂

  3. Nadjibella says:

    Je fais exactement le même plat, surtout en été mais sans le summac.
    Il va falloir y penser la prochaine fois.
    A bientôt.

  4. Bethany says:

    Oh god! what a great sight to wake up to 🙂 I love beid b anything! One of the simplest ways I have it in the morning is fried with a side banadoura (salted and drizzle of olive oil) and khebez markouk! Thanks for sharing x

  5. Peter says:

    Us Greeks will have eggs as a meal centerpiece too! Love the potatoes and your use of Sumac…colourful and tasty.

  6. nora@ffr says:

    oh my! vat a perfect breakfast!! m loving the use of egg and potato! thanx for sharing!
    cheers!!

  7. HistoryOf GreekFood says:

    Wow! No eggs in desserts!
    I love the use of sumac!

  8. lynn says:

    I keep hearing about sumak, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. Must start scoping out the grocery store shelves more closely. This looks yummy.

  9. maninas says:

    This sounds absolutely perfect! I love eggs for breakfast, and will definitely try these.

  10. Teresa says:

    Yum! Looks so easy but has all the ingredients I love! Eggs, potatoes, garlic & olive oil! Always looking for ways to use the sumak once I get a bag! Never thought about putting it atop my eggs. Thanks for sharing! Have any other recipes, other than fatoosh of course, for using sumak? What is sumak exactly? Just curious.

    My daughter just enlightened me and passed along a link to your blog and I’m loving it! I look forward to your ideas and recipes every morning now. I like your added snipits of history as well! So glad that you are out there encouraging all of us to cook more of these fabulous foods! I married into a Lebanese family with a more than fabulous mother-in-law who definately knows how to cook! Keep up the good work Joumana!

    Teresa

  11. Teresa says:

    Made them for lunch today and it was delicious! Never thought I’d like eggs with garlic let alone sumak. Fast & easy too! I’ll be using this recipe again & again! Thanks!

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