Beans & Eggs in Purgatory from The Bean Book

"Eggs in Purgatory is a classic dish. The red sauce, hot and lava-like and spiked with red pepper flakes, must be the inspiration for the name. It's an easy skillet dish and can be made more substantial with the nontraditional addition of mild or white beans. You can leave out the eggs, but we love how they make this a super-hearty meal. The Italians have a small white bean called Purgatorio, favored by Italian food expert Judy Witts Francini, who teaches in Tuscany, the heart of bean country in Italy."

- Steve Sando

Do you find time alone in the kitchen heavenly, or is it more like hell on Earth? When I've got kids at home with the fever (literally, they're runnin' hot), it gets wild in here.

Beans & eggs in purgatory feels like the perfect dish.

I decided to hang with the boys while putting this easy skillet dish together for the kids.

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Any white bean will do, but I chose these tasty Yellow Eye beans, since I was watching the Lakers from the depths of hell.

The Bean Book

This beans and eggs in purgatory recipe comes from The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen.

A true benefit of cooking dried heirloom beans, along with the superior flavor and texture, is the bean broth. After cooking beans for a couple of hours with aromatics, you are left with essentially free soup.

If you drain properly cooked and seasoned beans, the liquid you are left with is delicious. It's easy enough to make soup, using one-third bean broth, one-third chicken or vegetable stock, and one-third pureed tomatoes. Add some wilted vegetables from your refrigerator and some croutons, and you have a great soup.

Another good use of bean broth is for making rice. You can replace some or all of the water for cooking rice with bean broth for an extra-rich, high-protein dish.

Beans & Eggs in Purgatory Recipe

Ingredients

• oil - extra-virgin olive oil is recommended
• garlic
• anchovy (optional) - it definitely adds flavor to the dish, but it's on you
• capers
• red pepper flakes
• onion - this beans & eggs in purgatory calls for yellow onion
• tomatoes - canned whole tomatoes, roughly chopped. Don't toss the juice
• beans - Purgatorio, Alubia Blanca, or Marcella. We like the Yellow Eye from Rancho Gordo
• salt
• black pepper - freshly ground black pepper is best
• butter - unsalted
• eggs
• cheese - pass the Parm
• bread - use your favorite crusty bread to soak up the sauce
• oregano - you can also use basil or parsley as desired
• bay leaf - for cooking the beans

Equipment

• prep bowls
• fine mesh strainer
• saucier
• chef knife
• butcher block
• cheese grater
• skillet
• measuring spoons
• wooden spoon
• pan lid
• baking sheet (optional)
• aluminum foil (optional)
• toaster (optional)

Cook the Beans

Wash your hands with soap and water. Transfer the beans to the pan. Add enough water to cover the beans (about 2 inches higher) and a bay leaf. Turn the burner on high heat. Once the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the beans simmer.

Cook the beans until softened, anywhere between 30 minutes and a couple of hours. The length of time will depend on whether you soaked the beans and for how long.

Prep the Other Ingredients

Use a knife and a cutting board to thinly slice the garlic, mince the anchovy filets, and chop the onion, oregano, and canned tomatoes. Use a cheese grater to grate the Parmesan. Place everything in clean bowls and set aside.

Cook the Garlic, Anchovies, Capers, & Red Pepper Flakes

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, capers, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic turns golden brown at the edges.

Add the Onion, Tomatoes, Beans, Salt, & Pepper

Add the onion, tomatoes with their juice, and beans to the pan. Season with the salt and black pepper. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes thicken into a sauce.

Stir in the Butter

Stir in the butter. Taste the sauce, adding more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as desired.

Add the Eggs & Parmesan

Make an indentation in the sauce for each egg. Carefully crack the eggs into their spots.

Sprinkle the Parmesan over top. Partially cover the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes for somewhat loose egg yolks or until they are cooked to your liking.

Prepare the Bread

Toast the bread. Drizzle olive oil over the bread. Sprinkle salt and anything else you like over top.

Sprinkle with Oregano & Serve

Sprinkle oregano over the beans and eggs in purgatory. Serve it with the bread for a hearty, classic meal.