Piperade (French Basque Pepper and Egg Breakfast)

About This Recipe

Piperade comes from the French Basque region near the Spanish border, a simple, colorful dish built on the area's prized sweet peppers, particularly the Espelette pepper that gives many Basque dishes their gentle heat. Peppers, onion and tomato are stewed down slowly until they collapse into a soft, jammy base, the espelette pepper adding warmth without overwhelming heat, a hallmark of Basque cooking's restrained but flavorful approach to spice. Eggs are then folded directly into the pepper mixture and cooked gently until just set, creating a soft, loose scramble rather than a firm omelet, often served alongside a slice of grilled Bayonne ham for a complete Basque breakfast.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(sliced)
• 2red bell peppers(sliced)
• 1green bell pepper(sliced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3tomatoes(diced)
• 1/2 tspespelette pepper or paprika
• 1 tspsalt
• 6eggs(lightly beaten)
• 4slices Bayonne ham or prosciutto(for serving, optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the peppers

   Heat olive oil in a wide pan and cook onion and peppers over medium heat until very soft, about 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Add garlic and tomato

   Add garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in diced tomato, espelette pepper and salt; simmer 10 minutes until the mixture thickens into a soft, jammy base.

3. 3

   Add the eggs

   Pour the beaten eggs into the pan and stir gently over low heat until just set into soft, loose curds, about 3-4 minutes.

   Keep the heat low and stir gently — piperade's eggs should stay soft and slightly loose, not firm like a typical scramble.

4. 4

   Warm the ham

   If using, quickly sear the ham slices in a separate hot pan for 1 minute per side.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve the piperade hot, topped with the seared ham and warm crusty bread on the side.

Variations

• •

  Some versions cook the eggs as a flat omelet poured over the pepper base rather than scrambled through it.

• •

  Adding a bit of Espelette-cured chorizo (or Basque-style sausage) makes for a heartier version.

• •

  A vegan version skips the eggs entirely, serving the stewed peppers on their own as a side dish.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, as the eggs don't reheat particularly well; the pepper base alone can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days, then reheated before adding fresh eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions