Eggplants are one of my absolute favorite vegetables—so much so that Mama plants a wide array of different varieties just for me each year. In my Bayd b Batenjen, I like to use white Italian eggplants because of their very delicate flavor. If you can’t find them, purple Italian eggplants will work just fine.
Flavored with garlic, shallots, and Vidalia onions, this standout dish looks impressive, but is super simple to make. I love the combination of the eggplant and luscious egg yolks, sprinkled with allspice and served hot as a filling breakfast, lunch, or one-skillet dinner. 
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, finely minced
1 large or 2 small shallots, finely minced
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 medium white or purple Italian eggplants, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
5 large eggs
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large oven-safe sauté pan or cast-iron skillet until shimmering. Add the onion, shallots, and garlic, season with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and sauté until the onion and shallots are translucent and softened.
Toss the eggplant cubes into the sauté pan and season with 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Stir thoroughly to combine with onion and shallots, then reduce the heat to low. Slowly sauté the eggplant cubes until they have cooked down to about half of their original size, and the flesh appears translucent and light golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Crack the eggs on top of the eggplant mixture in a circular pattern evenly distributed throughout (if you imagine the pan as a clock, crack the eggs at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and then the last one in the center of the pan). Sprinkle the eggs with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the white pepper, and allspice.
Transfer the pan to the center of the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still slightly runny. Remove from the pan (use an oven mitt!) and cool slightly before serving.
Variation 
Feel free to add finely diced tomatoes if you wish. I prefer plum or campari tomatoes for this dish.
