Eggs Flamenca

Eggs Flamenca is a Spanish dish, but I will propose a variant that incorporates an Italian touch. Here is the traditional recipe with a small Italian twist:

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 100 g cured ham (variant of Spanish chorizo)
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 red bell pepper
• 400 g peeled tomatoes
• 100 g peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2 medium potatoes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sweet paprika (optional, to retain a bit of the Spanish spirit)
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Start by slicing the potatoes thinly and frying them in plenty of hot oil until they are crispy and golden. Then drain them on paper towels and lightly salt them.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and sauté the chopped onion and garlic until they become translucent.
3. Add the red bell pepper cut into strips and let it soften.
4. Cut the cured ham into thin strips and add it to the skillet, lightly browning it.
5. Add the peeled tomatoes crushed with a fork, the peas, salt, pepper, and if you like a pinch of sweet paprika. Let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
6. Arrange the fried potatoes on the bottom of a baking dish or in individual casseroles.
7. Pour the vegetable and ham sofrito over the potatoes.
8. Make small wells in the vegetable and ham mixture and crack the eggs into them.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C until the eggs are cooked to your desired doneness (usually about 10-15 minutes).
10. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Trivia

The original Spanish dish calls for the use of chorizo and sausage; we used cured ham to give it a flavor a bit closer to Italian tradition. In every region of Spain you will find small variations of this dish, demonstrating how traditional recipes live and change with local cultures.