Eggs at Sea - Piperade by Request

By special request, here is my recipe for making piperade, which, traditionally, is a Basque dish of garlic, onions, tomatoes, peppers and eggs. Last served with a three bridge view, I think it will make an excellent morning, noon or evening contribution to a sailing cruise - no three-oven kitchen needed here! The galley should do just fine.

My version is rather flexible (excellent for using up bits and pieces of vegetables lurking belatedly in the fridge) and may not bear any resemblance to the original, which I have never had the honour of tasting either in the south of France or in the north of Spain (sigh).

Chop your chosen vegetables (about half a cup, chopped, per person) into small pieces about a centimetre square. I use whatever is on hand, but onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, fennel bulbs and/or garlic all work well. Sauté the veggies in a broad shallow pan (with a lid!) in good olive oil starting with the firmest (carrots, potatoes, onions) and finishing with the softest (peppers, tomatoes). Spice with salt and pepper; oregano, thyme, dill and/or basil - again, whatever is on hand (actually, cumin and cayenne might make things interesting).

Before the vegetables disintegrate, but after they have produced enough liquid to coat the pan, spread the veggies evenly in the pan and make two to eight (depending on how many eggs you want to cook) "holes" in the mixture. Crack an egg into each one, sprinkling with salt and pepper.

This is the tricky stage: how to cook the tops of the eggs without "hard-boiling" the bottom or overcooking the vegetables. I usually add a few spoonfuls of water and slam a lid on top of the whole pan, turning the heat down and letting the eggs steam as they cook. Keep a close eye on the heat and on the doneness of the eggs - they can go from gelatinous to chalky in a split second.

When the whites are firm and the yolks still runny, take off the heat and serve immediately - this dish doesn't keep at all well, so make sure you don't make any extra. Everyone gets an egg (or two or three), some veggies and a piece or two of lovely fresh bread and butter. Make sure the bread is substantial or toast it if not; otherwise it will fall apart and the textures will be all wrong.

Enjoy!

Incidentally, the Basque restaurant "Piperade" in San Francisco is reputedly excellent. I think a visit is in order.