Pipérade With Ham Recipes

PIPERADE (BASQUE SCRAMBLED EGGS)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and cook onion until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add peppers and cook 15 minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until tomatoes are pulpy. Thoroughly beat eggs in a small bowl, add to tomato mixture, and stir until they begin to thicken; remove from heat before they solidify. Serve on heated plates, topped with fried ham slice or slices, and surrounded with croutons.;

PIPERADE

Steps:

• Cut a small X into bottom of each tomato. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add tomatoes and cook until skin begins to wrinkle and peel at the edges of the cuts, about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse with cool water and peel off skin with your fingers. Roughly chop tomatoes and set aside.
• In a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onions, peppers and salt and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and peppers have started to lighten in spots, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to sauté for 1 more minute.
• Stir in tomatoes, sugar and piment d'Espelette, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until tomatoes are starting to fall apart and peppers are soft but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens like a slightly runny relish, about 5 minutes more. Adjust salt.

PIPéRADE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Char peppers over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Wrap in bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers; cut into 1/3-inch-wide strips.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add peppers, tomatoes and cayenne pepper. Cover and cook until peppers are very tender and tomatoes are reduced to sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until mixture is thick, about 14 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover mixture and let stand at room temperature. Rewarm before continuing.)
• Beat eggs in bowl until blended. Melt butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add eggs and basil; stir constantly with rubber spatula until soft curds form and eggs are barely set, about 12 minutes. Add pepper mixture and jambon de Bayonne and stir just to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Mound pipérade in center of platter. Surround with toast and serve.