During the holidays, our grandmother Marie cooks traditional Middle Eastern dishes for our large extended Lebanese family, much to everyone’s delight. There are always leftover pieces of raw lamb she doesn’t need, so over the years, she started frying them with pine nuts and onions that she’d then scramble together with eggs for breakfast the next morning. As soon as the dish hits the table, we jump to get it on our plates. Because we enjoy this meal so much, we now shop for lamb at all times of the year just to make the breakfast “leftover dish” for ourselves!
The picture shows traditional Syrian bread, which can be hard to find, but regular pita works just as well to scoop up those delicious eggs.
Serves 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3/4 pound ground lamb
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
- Warm pita bread, for serving
Recommended Tools
- Cast iron skillet
- silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the lamb, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. When lamb is fully cooked, push the mixture to the edge of the pan. Add the butter to the center of the pan and allow to melt. Pour in the eggs. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir the eggs in large circles, allowing large curds to form. Once the eggs are almost cooked, incorporate the lamb mixture into the eggs and remove from the heat.
Divide the eggs among plates, garnish with parsley, and serve with warm pita bread.
