Pipérade With Ham Food

PIPERADE BASQUAISE

Steps:

• Prepare the piperade by first heating the 4 tablespoons of fat of your choice in a heavy 8-inch frying pan or, better still, in a small oval copper or enamel pan that you can bring to the table. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook them for about 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring them frequently until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the pepper strips, turning them in the fat now and then, letting them cook for about 10 minutes, at which point they should be tender but still crisp. Drain the chopped tomatoes thoroughly and add them to the pan, sprinkling in at the same time the dried or fresh basil and the pepper flakes or hot pepper sauce. Raise the heat and cook the tomatoes briskly for a few minutes and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all their moisture has evaporated. Be careful that the piperade doesn't burn. Put it aside until you are ready to reheat and serve it.
• At that point, combine 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in an 8-inch heavy frying pan, and over moderate heat, cook the julienned ham for a few minutes until the strips are thoroughly heated through. Remove them at once with a slotted spoon and spread them out on paper toweling to drain.
• Meanwhile let the fat in the frying pan cool to lukewarm before pouring it into the eggs, lightly beaten with salt and pepper. Over low heat, stir the eggs with a rubber spatula until they begin to form soft, creamy curds. Remove them from the heat when they are not quite set and gently spread them over the reheated piperade. Let some of the colorful vegetables show through. Lightly scatter the ham on top, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and/or chopped chives, and serve at once.

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.

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.;

HAM AND PEPPER PIPERADE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic and sauté gently for 3-4 minutes or until just softened.
• Add the tomatoes, potatoes, thyme, mixed peppers and salt and pepper. Lower the heat and continue cooking for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.
• Add the ham and stir well to distribute evenly.
• Pour the eggs into the frying pan. Stir occasionally until they are just beginning to set but are still slightly soft.
• Serve immediately with warm bread, and a fresh green salad.

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.