Huevos Rotos con Patatas (Broken Eggs with Potatoes)

La storia di questo piatto

Huevos rotos is Spain's most generous kind of simplicity: golden potatoes, eggs and chorizo, shared across a table without ceremony. It is the food of bars and family kitchens, built on olive oil and the pimentón de la Vera that gives it a smoky warmth.

Ingredienti

• 150 g potatoes
• 2 pcs eggs
• 30 g chorizo
• 120 ml olive oil
• q.b. to taste salt
• q.b. to taste black pepper
• 1 pinch sweet pimentón de la Vera (optional)

Preparazione

1. Peel the potatoes, wash them and slice them into rounds about half a centimetre thick: not paper-thin, but not as thick as a coin either, otherwise the outside burns and the inside stays raw. Dry them very thoroughly with a clean cloth, since water makes the oil spatter and prevents browning. Pour the 120 ml of oil into a wide pan with a thick base and heat it over medium heat until you see the first light wisp of smoke (about 2-3 minutes). Immerse the potatoes, a few at a time if needed, so they are almost covered by the oil, and stir them often with a wooden spoon so they don't stick to the bottom. Fry for about 8-10 minutes in total: first over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until the slices are tender and a fork pierces them without resistance, then raise the heat for the last minute until the edges turn golden and crisp. Taste a slice to be sure. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and spread them on kitchen paper, which absorbs the excess oil. Salt them immediately, while still hot.
2. Remove almost all the oil from the pan, leaving just a thin film on the bottom (about 1 tablespoon); you can keep the rest for other frying. Cut the chorizo into rounds about half a centimetre thick so it cooks evenly and releases all its flavour. Return the pan to medium-high heat and sear the chorizo for 1-2 minutes, until a spiced, piquant aroma rises and the red oil seeps out of the rounds. Put the potatoes back into the pan, add the pimentón if using, and stir with the wooden spoon for about a minute: the potatoes will take on that red colour and everything will come together into one flavourful, rich dish.
3. Lower the heat to the minimum, just enough to tick under the pan. Crack the eggs one at a time directly into the pan, keeping them close to the surface and a few centimetres apart, so the yolks stay whole. Then leave them alone and watch: the white changes from transparent to opaque white, while the yolk stays bright and golden. After about 2-3 minutes the white should be fully set and the yolk should wobble gently when you move the pan, a sign that it is still runny and creamy inside. If you like, cover with a lid for about a minute to help the surface white set more firmly.
4. Bring the pan straight to the table, or plate the potatoes with the eggs on top. Grind a generous sprinkling of black pepper and, at the table, break the yolks with a fork or spoon, breaking up the whites too, and mix everything into the potatoes: the creamy yolk flows between the crisp slices and coats them. This gesture gives the dish its name: eat it hot, straight away.