Picante de huevos – fiery eggs
This glorious Peruvian baked eggs recipe from Martin Morales is richly flavoured with two types of chilli paste made from Peruvian chillies, providing unparalleled flavour. You can prepare and store the chilli pastes ahead of time to make weekend brunching particularly hassle-free, if desired. This recipe is taken from Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food by Martin Morales, published by Quadrille. Photography by David Loftus.
Ingredients
Panca chilli paste (makes about 30ml)
- 2 ají panca , dried
Amarillo chilli paste (makes about 100ml)
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/4 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 2 aji amarillo chillies , or substitute 2 medium-heat red chillies and 1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
Eggs
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 2 red peppers , deseeded and diced
- 3 tomatoes , deseeded and very finely sliced
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée
- 4 eggs
- 50g of cheddar , grated
- 2 spring onions , finely sliced
- 4 sprigs of coriander , leaves roghly chopped, plus a few whole
- sourdough bread, toasted, to serve
- salt
- pepper
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Method
1
First, make the chilli pastes. For the panca chilli paste, cover the dried chillies in water and soak for 2 hours. Drain and blend, add salt to taste and set aside until needed
2
While the panca chillies are soaking, make the amarillo chilli paste. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over a low–medium heat. Fry the onion for 7–8 minutes until soft, but not browned, then add the garlic and chilli and fry for 2–3 minutes more to soften. Season with salt to taste, then allow to cool completely. When cool, blitz to a smooth paste, then set aside until needed. (You can store any leftover in an airtight container the fridge for up to 1 week)
- 2 aji amarillo chillies , or substitute 2 medium-heat red chillies and 1/2 yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/4 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
3
Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole. Add the onion and sauté over a low heat for 7–8 minutes until slightly softened, then add the garlic, 2 tbsp of the panca chilli paste and 1 tbsp of the amarillo paste and cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the garlic has softened but not taken on any colour. Season well with salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- salt
- pepper
4
Add the red pepper, tomato and tomato purée, and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until the peppers have softened and the sliced tomatoes have collapsed down, then remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce for 3–4 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Use a ladle to spoon half the mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, then return it to the pan and stir to combine
- 1 tbsp of tomato purée
- 2 red peppers , deseeded and diced
- 3 tomatoes , deseeded and very finely sliced
5
Use the back of a tablespoon to make 4 indentations in the vegetable mixture and break an egg into each hollow. Cover the pan and leave it on the hob for 5 minutes to cook the eggs
- 4 eggs
6
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with cheddar cheese, chopped spring onion and the chopped and whole coriander leaves, and serve with slices of toast on the side, if you wish
- 50g of cheddar , grated
- sourdough bread, toasted, to serve
- 2 spring onions , finely sliced
- 4 sprigs of coriander , leaves roghly chopped, plus a few whole
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Picante de huevos – fiery eggs
