Huevos Haminados (Sephardic Jewish-Style Eggs)

Sephardi Kitchen's Note:

Popular in Jewish communities throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, these beautifully marbled rich maroon or brown eggs get their soft texture from the slow cooking process. The addition of onion skins to the liquid are absorbed by the porous shells, which cause the coloration. Huevos Haminados are traditionally served at the Passover Seders of Calcutta, Turkey, Greece, Morocco and Tunisia and others, with slight regional variations. They can also be slowly cooked overnight in a crockpot for Shabbat. The name reflects the eggs' origin in Medieval Spain.

• Total Time: 5 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 3

Yield: 6.0 eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coffee (optional) or 1/2 teaspoon tea leaves (optional)
• 3 -4 yellow onion skins, the outer layers (the more, the better!)
• 1 -2 garlic clove, chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a pot or crock pot, and cover well with lukewarm water.
2. Bring water to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for at least 5 hours or (preferably) overnight. As water evaporates, more can be added.
3. After the eggs have been cooking for several hours, you can gently tap the shells with a spoon to crack them, and continue to cook. This will cause a beautiful marbled color to form on the egg whites.
4. Drain the eggs, rinse the shells and refrigerate until ready to use.