Our cookbook of the week is Cannelle et Vanille by Seattle-based writer, photographer and food stylist Aran Goyoaga. Over the next three days, we’ll feature more recipes from the book and an interview with the author.
Aran Goyoaga often makes these baked eggs for friends, with thick slices of bread on the side for mopping up the sauce. “It’s such an easy thing to make in a big pan,” she says.
An homage to her paternal grandmother, who lived on a farm in the Spanish Basque Country, Goyoaga has vivid memories of the dish from regular Sunday morning visits. Her grandmother would pick tomatoes and peppers from the garden, and collect eggs from the hens before preparing it in a small, warped iron skillet on her wood-burning stove.
“It was the most delicious thing,” says Goyoaga. “I was always so fond of it. And that base of peppers, tomatoes and onions — it’s very Basque. People make … different variations. They might serve it with fish or put eggs in it, or make a ratatouille-style with zucchini, which is called pisto.”
BAKED EGGS IN PIPERRADA
1/4 cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 (398-mL/14.5-oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes (I like San Marzanos), drained
2 tsp sugar
8 large eggs
1 cup of tender greens, such as watercress, baby kale or mustard greens
3 sprigs Italian parsley
3 sprigs dill
1/2 tsp piment d’Espelette (optional)
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and squeeze them with clean hands to break them apart. Alternatively, you could purée them in a blender, but I like a bit more texture. Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with the sugar. Stir, taste and adjust the seasoning — depending on how sweet the tomatoes are, you might need a bit more salt or pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the sauce for another 10 minutes.
Step 3
Using a spoon, push the sauce to one side to make space for an egg. Crack the egg directly into the opening. The whites should be submerged in the sauce so they cook into it. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Step 4
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are soft. Top the eggs with the greens, parsley, dill, a sprinkle of piment d’Espelette and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve while the eggs are hot.
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Excerpted from Cannelle et Vanille by permission of Sasquatch Books. Copyright 2019 by Aran Goyoaga. All rights reserved.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020
