We went camping in the Pyrenees last summer. The food was simple but delicious, and this was a dish that really hit the spot after a long day of walking.
We recreated it in our campervan later on in the holiday with some crispy chorizo that we bought at a local market. It makes a fine midweek supper dish and an even better brunch after a wild night out.
Piperade with baked eggs and crispy chorizo
The fennel and chorizo add incredible depth of flavour to an otherwise very simple supper or lunch dish.
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4-6
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
100g chorizo, very thinly sliced
1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled, 2 finely sliced, 1 left whole for rubbing
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 red pepper, cut in half, deseeded and cut into ½cm-wide slices
1 green pepper, cut in half, deseeded and cut into ½cm-wide slices
5 large and juicy tomatoes, cut into rough 1cm cubes
3 tbsp manzanilla sherry
Salt and black pepper
½ tsp soft brown sugar
4-6 eggs
Sourdough bread, to serve
Warm half the oil in a large frying pan (ideally with a lid) over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chorizo and fry for a few minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Keeping the fat in the pan, add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, until it is beginning to soften. Add the sliced garlic, fennel seeds and paprika and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the peppers, tomatoes and sherry. Season well with salt and pepper, add the sugar and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until you have a lovely, chunky sauce.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, make four to six indents in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Season again, and either cover and cook on the hob or pop into a medium oven for about eight minutes, until the whites are just set (you can also do this under a grill).
Take off the heat, spoon into bowls and scatter with the crisp chorizo. Serve with chargrilled slices of sourdough bread, rubbed with the whole garlic clove and drizzled with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil.
And for the rest of the week
Make double the quantity of sauce and keep some back in the fridge or freezer. It is great with sausages and lamb chops. Alternatively, try baking it with cubes of feta and lots of chopped oregano for an exceedingly good sauce for brown rice, or use it to top a pizza with black olives and more of that crispy chorizo.
