Spinster’s Saturday! Hooray! This means EGGS for breakfast. Although I was craving Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros, I decided to try a different recipe from the Recipes for Rebels cookbook instead.
So I went for Eli’s Eggs Birmingham. Greg Swenson, the author of this fab book, emailed me a while back asking if I knew of any connection between the British town of Birmingham and these eggs. I don’t… Maybe someone out there knows the source of the name Eggs Birmingham? A good quest for a food historian… If you know, leave a comment and I’ll make sure Greg gets it.
These were LUSH as my Welsh friends would say. Ooh, yum yum.
Basically, fry up some bacon, punch a hole in some bread, heat up some oil and pop the bread on it, break an egg into the hole, and cook, covered until done. My egg ran out of the side a bit, but it was nice and crispy on the bottom so that suited me fine.
I was considering using the bacon fat to fry the bread, but followed the recipe instead, using vegetable cooking spray. But, in the wartime spirit of waste not, want not, I fried up the heart and star I’d punched from my bread in the bacon fat and popped peanut butter and bacon on top, Joan Crawford style!
Double spinster’s breakfast! Thanks, Eli, and thanks, Greg! You can buy Recipes for Rebels directly from Greg’s website. It’s highly recommended.
32 responses
Once again, Thank You for the great write-ups! (By the way, I read your blog faithfully, so if any food historians do chime in on the history of Eggs Birmingham, whether UK or Alabama US…I’ll be sure to read it here!) It’s so much fun seeing other people cook these same dishes…(Can’t wait until you get to Ole’s Swedish Hotcakes…my fav from the breakfast section)!
Oooh! Ole’s Swedish Hotcakes will definitely be on the menu for my next Spinster’s Saturday… I usually treat myself to a special breakfast on a Saturday (procrastinating really as there is always a “to do” list a mile long) so I’m loving the fact that there are so many good brekkie recipes in your book!
I would not dream if making horrible holes in any bread to do recipes of the sort it is just a lot better to make sandwiches and put eggs between two skuces
Wow! Thank you Jill – I will make sure that Greg hears about this. I laughed so much at your family calling this “Bum Sandwich” and want to make this all over again just so I can mention that. Maybe I should get myself a copy of Baby Doll, it’s a long time since I saw it and I remember being very impressed by it. I love the fact I got so many comments on this post suddenly months after I wrote it. That’s the power of the internet – I’m guessing the movie was on TCM and everyone suddenly got hungry for Birmingham eggs!
You’re more than welcome. I don’t know how my family arrived at that name, and I’m unlikely to find out now that both of my USA-born parents have passed on.
I am aware that the term “bum” has a different connotation in the UK. Apparently, there is even a UK Scout version of a ‘bum’ sandwich that’s warmed by sitting on it:
https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/programme.php?action=view&id=31588
I guess it would be something like a poor man’s version of panini. I think I’ll pass.
Ha ha – yes, bum does indeed have a different meaning in the UK, and the scout bum sandwich really made me laugh. Thanks so much for introducing me to an idea that I am definitely going to have to try out! Picnics will never be the same again!
Jx
Once again, Thank You for the great write-ups! (By the way, I read your blog faithfully, so if any food historians do chime in on the history of Eggs Birmingham, whether UK or Alabama US…I’ll be sure to read it here!) It’s so much fun seeing other people cook these same dishes…(Can’t wait until you get to Ole’s Swedish Hotcakes…my fav from the breakfast section)!
Oooh! Ole’s Swedish Hotcakes will definitely be on the menu for my next Spinster’s Saturday… I usually treat myself to a special breakfast on a Saturday (procrastinating really as there is always a “to do” list a mile long) so I’m loving the fact that there are so many good brekkie recipes in your book!
I would not dream if making horrible holes in any bread to do recipes of the sort it is just a lot better to make sandwiches and put eggs between two skuces
Wow! Thank you Jill – I will make sure that Greg hears about this. I laughed so much at your family calling this “Bum Sandwich” and want to make this all over again just so I can mention that. Maybe I should get myself a copy of Baby Doll, it’s a long time since I saw it and I remember being very impressed by it. I love the fact I got so many comments on this post suddenly months after I wrote it. That’s the power of the internet – I’m guessing the movie was on TCM and everyone suddenly got hungry for Birmingham eggs!
You’re more than welcome. I don’t know how my family arrived at that name, and I’m unlikely to find out now that both of my USA-born parents have passed on.
I am aware that the term “bum” has a different connotation in the UK. Apparently, there is even a UK Scout version of a ‘bum’ sandwich that’s warmed by sitting on it:
https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/programme.php?action=view&id=31588
I guess it would be something like a poor man’s version of panini. I think I’ll pass.
Ha ha – yes, bum does indeed have a different meaning in the UK, and the scout bum sandwich really made me laugh. Thanks so much for introducing me to an idea that I am definitely going to have to try out! Picnics will never be the same again!
Jx
Eggs Birmingham is mentioned in the Eli Wallace film, Baby Doll. I think it is a southern recipe.
Hi Brenda – thanks so much for dropping by and letting me know about the reference to Eggs Birmingham in Baby Doll. I was so thrilled to get so many responses to my post on the same day, months after I wrote it – I guess lots of people were watching the movie on TCM and got hungry for eggs!
Eggs Birmingham is mentioned in the Eli Wallace film, Baby Doll. I think it is a southern recipe.
Hi Brenda – thanks so much for dropping by and letting me know about the reference to Eggs Birmingham in Baby Doll. I was so thrilled to get so many responses to my post on the same day, months after I wrote it – I guess lots of people were watching the movie on TCM and got hungry for eggs!
Eli Walach’s character hires Aunt Rose Comfort to be his cook. She says she will make her special Eggs Birmingham. Movie is 1956 Baby Doll. I am watching it on TCM and was searching to find a recipe!
Hi Linda – thanks so much for dropping by after searching for an Eggs Birmingham recipe. I am overjoyed that so many people discovered my blog post on the same day – months and months after I wrote it – that is the power of the internet! I’m guessing everyone was watching Baby Doll on TCM and got hungry for eggs! I’m going to make these again and watch the movie while I eat them!
Eli Walach’s character hires Aunt Rose Comfort to be his cook. She says she will make her special Eggs Birmingham. Movie is 1956 Baby Doll. I am watching it on TCM and was searching to find a recipe!
Hi Linda – thanks so much for dropping by after searching for an Eggs Birmingham recipe. I am overjoyed that so many people discovered my blog post on the same day – months and months after I wrote it – that is the power of the internet! I’m guessing everyone was watching Baby Doll on TCM and got hungry for eggs! I’m going to make these again and watch the movie while I eat them!
In “Baby Doll”, starring Eli Wallach and Carol Baker, “Aunt Rose Comfort” offers to make Archie Lee (Karl Malden) “my Eggs Birmingham” when he rejects her mess of greens. Vaccaro (Wallach) offers to hire her to cook (eggs Birmingham) for him. Takes place in Benoit Mississippi, not far from Birmingham, Alabama. And there you have it.
Hi Allen – thanks so much for dropping by and answering Greg’s burning question – I definitely going to make these again and watch Baby Doll while I eat them!
In “Baby Doll”, starring Eli Wallach and Carol Baker, “Aunt Rose Comfort” offers to make Archie Lee (Karl Malden) “my Eggs Birmingham” when he rejects her mess of greens. Vaccaro (Wallach) offers to hire her to cook (eggs Birmingham) for him. Takes place in Benoit Mississippi, not far from Birmingham, Alabama. And there you have it.
Hi Allen – thanks so much for dropping by and answering Greg’s burning question – I definitely going to make these again and watch Baby Doll while I eat them!
Eli Wallach was in a movie written by Tennessee Williams called Baby Doll. Eggs Birmingham is mentioned a couple of times during the dinner scene. The movie is set in Mississippi so my guess would be Alabama for the appellation
Hi Lefty – thanks so much for dropping by and answering this burning question! I’m going to get hold of a copy of Baby Doll on DVD and make myself another batch of Birmingham Eggs!
Eli Wallach was in a movie written by Tennessee Williams called Baby Doll. Eggs Birmingham is mentioned a couple of times during the dinner scene. The movie is set in Mississippi so my guess would be Alabama for the appellation
Hi Lefty – thanks so much for dropping by and answering this burning question! I’m going to get hold of a copy of Baby Doll on DVD and make myself another batch of Birmingham Eggs!
Well, it’s been almost three years since this post, and I imagine somebody has long since answered your question. However, on the outside chance that nobody has, Eggs Birmingham is a reference to the 1956 movie “Baby Doll.”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048973/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Aunt Rose Comfort announces that she’s going to make Eggs Birmingham.
I was watching it tonight, looked up “Eggs Birmingham” on the Internet, and this website popped up.
I tend to doubt that the “Birmingham” in the dish name has anything to do with Birmingham, England, but rather is a reference to Birmingham, Alabama, considering that “Baby Doll” is set in the American South.
That dish sure goes by a lot of different names: Eggs Birmingham, Egg-in-the-Hole, Toad-in-the-Hole, and in my family the decidedly unglamorous name of “Bum Sandwich.”
Nevertheless, it was a childhood favorite of mine.
Jill
Well, it’s been almost three years since this post, and I imagine somebody has long since answered your question. However, on the outside chance that nobody has, Eggs Birmingham is a reference to the 1956 movie “Baby Doll.”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048973/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Aunt Rose Comfort announces that she’s going to make Eggs Birmingham.
I was watching it tonight, looked up “Eggs Birmingham” on the Internet, and this website popped up.
I tend to doubt that the “Birmingham” in the dish name has anything to do with Birmingham, England, but rather is a reference to Birmingham, Alabama, considering that “Baby Doll” is set in the American South.
That dish sure goes by a lot of different names: Eggs Birmingham, Egg-in-the-Hole, Toad-in-the-Hole, and in my family the decidedly unglamorous name of “Bum Sandwich.”
Nevertheless, it was a childhood favorite of mine.
Jill
Wow! Thank you Jill – I will make sure that Greg hears about this. I laughed so much at your family calling this “Bum Sandwich” and want to make this all over again just so I can mention that. Maybe I should get myself a copy of Baby Doll, it’s a long time since I saw it and I remember being very impressed by it. I love the fact I got so many comments on this post suddenly months after I wrote it. That’s the power of the internet – I’m guessing the movie was on TCM and everyone suddenly got hungry for Birmingham eggs!
Wow! Thank you Jill – I will make sure that Greg hears about this. I laughed so much at your family calling this “Bum Sandwich” and want to make this all over again just so I can mention that. Maybe I should get myself a copy of Baby Doll, it’s a long time since I saw it and I remember being very impressed by it. I love the fact I got so many comments on this post suddenly months after I wrote it. That’s the power of the internet – I’m guessing the movie was on TCM and everyone suddenly got hungry for Birmingham eggs!