Uova alla flamenca

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

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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

Trivia

The original Spanish dish calls for chorizo and sausage, but we’ve used cured ham to give it a taste a little closer to the Italian tradition. In every region of Spain, you will find small variations of this dish, a testament to how traditional recipes live and change with local cultures.