One of the most popular meals among Spaniards dining out is egg and chips. Yes, you heard me right. Good old egg and chips. I am still amazed when i see an entire family of Spanish diners order many plates of Huevos con Patatas from a not remotely surprised waiter. I have to report that I have been known to do likewise. In Spain you can get a very nice serving of egg and chips. And that’s not all.
Indeed there are many nice meals to be had in Spain where the humble egg dominates. One of the most common is eggs with peppers. Indeed very often you will be served egg, peppers and chips. Your plate runneth over! In this case the peppers will usually be of the green variety. I love this meal. It’s quick, easy and very energising at any time of the day. Those with hangovers swear by it.
You want some ham with that sir? Why not? Here’s a recipe for eggs with ham and red peppers. It serves between four and six people and for that reason you should cook in a cazuela – a shallow earthenware dish used for frying in Spain. In most Spanish kitchens chefs would use one person cazuelas for each serving of this dish. See the important notes re preparing a cazuela for use.
Ingredients
2 red peppers
4 slices of serrano ham
8 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Fresh black pepper
First roast the peppers over a direct heat or under a hot grill. Do so until the skin burns and blackens. Put them in a paper or plastic bag and wait 10 minutes for the skin to loosen. Then peel with your fingers. Deseed them and cut into strips. Pour a tablespoon of oil into each individual cazuela and place them carefully on to a direct heat. When the oil is smoking hot, lay in the peppers and a slice of ham. Then crack in the eggs. Two eggs per cazuela. Cook for 3-4 minutes so that the white of the egg is set. Give each dish a turn of the pepper mill and serve. The eggs will continue to cook in their dish.
*Before using a cazuela make sure it is tempered. To do this rub the surface inside and out with garlic. Fill the cazuela with water and place it over a direct heat. Bring to the boil and continue to boil until the water has evaporated. If the cazuela hasn’t cracked by now, it never will. Which is great news! Fear not if it cracks. Cazuelas are very cheap. They are glazed on the inside and unglazed on the outside.
