Ham And Pepper Piperade Recipes

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.

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.

YELLOW AND RED PEPPER PIPERADE WITH MARCONA ALMONDS

Steps:

• In a large saute pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and place over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic. Add the onions and continue to saute until slightly caramelized, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the plum tomatoes and diced peppers, season with salt and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chile flakes and pimenton and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry vinegar and cook for an additional minute. Taste and season.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped almonds and chives. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

PIPERADE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with the rack in the upper position. Cut off tops and bottoms of peppers; discard. Slice side of each pepper to open, and spread to flatten. Remove and discard ribs and seeds. Brush 1 tablespoon oil on a baking sheet. Rub peppers with oil, and flatten as much as possible. Place on sheet, skin side up. Broil until skins have blackened, about 8 minutes. Let cool. Hold peppers under running water to remove charred skins, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips (about 2 cups). Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes, and cook until skins loosen, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice-water bath until cool enough to handle, about 1 minute. Peel tomatoes, and cut into quarters. Run a knife along flesh to remove seeds; discard seeds. Cut tomatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in small ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook for 2 minutes; cover, and transfer pot to oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Brush down sides of pot with a wet pastry brush to prevent caramelized bits from burning. Add roasted pepper strips, cover, and bake for 20 minutes more. Brush down sides of pot again. Add thyme and tomato strips, and continue baking, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Brush down sides of pot again. Season with salt and pepper. Vegetables should be soft but not browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PANCETTA & PEPPER PIPERADE

Steps:

• Put the pancetta and onion in a large, deep frying pan. Cook for 7 mins until the onion is beginning to soften.
• Add the peppers, tomatoes and tomato purée to the pan and mix well. Season, cover and cook for 10-15 mins.
• Make 4 small wells in the mixture. Crack an egg into each well and cook for a further 5-6 mins or until the eggs have set. Scatter with basil and serve straight away, with crusty bread, if you like.

PIPERADE (SAUTE OF PEPPERS, ONIONS AND TOMATOES)

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with broiler rack about 2 inches from heat. Broil peppers for 10 minutes, turning as skins blister and blacken. Remove peppers. When cool enough to handle, carefully peel and seed, discarding skins and seeds. Cut peppers into thin strips.
• In large skillet, using no butter or oil, combine peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs and cook, covered, over very low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mixture should be quite thick.
• Piperade can be made ahead and put into 4 half-cup ramekins or molds. To reheat, place in boiling water bath and cook on top of stove until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

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.

HAM AND PEPPERS STIR FRY WITH SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce by first stirring cornstarch with about 2 or 3 tbs.of the chicken broth in a small bowl.
• When the cornstarch is dissolved and smooth, stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and set aside.
• Brown ham in 1/3 of butter over moderately high heat in a skillet or wok until it begins to brown.
• Remove and set the ham aside.
• Melt another 1/3 of the butter in the skillet or wok and sauté the onions.
• When they start to soften and turn translucent, add the peppers and the final 1/3 of the butter.
• When the onions have somewhat browned, add the ham and the pineapple, juice and all.
• Stir the sauce until smooth again (since the cornstarch tends to settle) and pour into skillet or wok.
• Increase heat and stir until the sauce begins to bubble.
• Reduce heat and stir for a minute or two until the cornstarch is fully cooked; if too thick, thin with a little water or broth.
• Serve over steamed rice as soon as possible. I like to sprinkle some dried hot red pepper flakes over it; I love hot food and this gives the dish some zing!