Kimë me Vezë
Kimë me Vezë·(kee-mah meh veh-zuh)
Mëngjesi: The Weekend Breakfast Ritual
If you grew up in an Albanian household, the smell of onions cooking down in olive oil on a Saturday morning is practically hardwired into your DNA. This isn't a complex culinary parlor trick; it's a testament to the ingenuity of the Albanian grandmother. A cheap cut of meat is stretched to feed a crowd, carried by a mountain of onions melted down into a sweet, rich, savory jam. Forget the unnecessary spices or the urge to turn this into a Middle Eastern shakshuka—this is pure Balkan comfort, meant to be eaten straight from the skillet with a torn hunk of crusty bread to mop up the runny yolks.
Before you start
Sweat the onions; do not fry them.
The true grandma secret to this dish is starting the onions with a splash of water and a lid. The steam breaks the onions down rapidly without burning them, entirely skipping the bitter browning process in favor of a sweet, translucent melt.
Ingredients
- yellow onions4 med
- water3 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- 80/20 ground beef1 lb
- garlic cloves2 med
- double-concentrated tomato paste1 tbsp
- sweet paprika1 tsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- hot water1/2 cup
- eggs4 large
- fresh flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Combine the onions and 3 tablespoons of water in a large skillet over medium heat and cover with a lid.
Let them steam and sweat for 5 to 7 minutes. This breaks down their cellular structure rapidly without browning or burning them.
- 02
Remove the lid, allow the water to evaporate, and pour in the olive oil.
Sauté the onions, stirring frequently, until they are highly translucent, deeply softened, and turning a light golden color. Do not rush this step; it takes about 8 to 10 minutes and forms the fundamental flavor base of the dish.
- 03
Push the onions to the perimeter of the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the ground beef to the center.
Break the meat apart with a spoon and let it brown deeply. Once it is no longer releasing liquid, mix it thoroughly with the onions, stir in the minced garlic, and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
- 04
Stir in the tomato paste, sweet paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices and deepen the color of the tomato paste.
- 05
Pour in the half cup of hot water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick, rich, and cohesive, but retain enough moisture to steam the eggs.
- 06
Use the back of a spoon to make four indentations in the meat mixture and carefully crack an egg into each well.
Sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt and pepper over each egg yolk.
- 07
Place the lid back on the skillet and leave it on low heat for 4 to 6 minutes.
Keep a close eye on it—you want the egg whites to be completely opaque and set, but the yolks to remain soft and runny.
- 08
Remove from the heat, garnish generously with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Bring the entire skillet to the table to be eaten with crusty artisan bread.
Notes
A note on tomato paste versus fresh tomatoes.
If you are cooking this in the peak of summer, you can swap the tomato paste for two ripe, sun-warmed tomatoes grated on a box grater (discarding the skins). In the winter, do not bother with mealy supermarket tomatoes; high-quality paste perfectly mimics the concentrated flavor of the summer harvest.
From Cook Albanian in America.