Peperonata with Poached Eggs

La storia di questo piatto

Peperonata is the Italian summer made edible, sweet red and yellow peppers softened until they taste of sun and patience. Here it becomes a home-kitchen ritual, crowned with a poached egg, a quiet modern pairing rather than an ancient decree.

Ingredienti

• 3 medium pieces Red and yellow bell peppers
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 250 g Peeled tomatoes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 4 pieces Eggs
• 1 tablespoon White vinegar
• 1 liter Water for poaching
• 3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• q.b. to taste Salt and pepper
• 8-10 leaves Fresh basil

Preparazione

1. Wash the peppers, remove stems and seeds, and cut them into wide strips. Peel the onion and slice it thinly. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat of a knife, peel them, and leave them whole.
2. Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and soften the onion for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the whole garlic and continue for another 2 minutes, until the onion is translucent; if the garlic darkens it turns bitter, so lower the heat. Remove the garlic at the end of the soffritto if you prefer a more delicate flavor.
3. Add the peppers and stir so each strip is coated in oil. Cook over medium-low heat, turning often, until the edges begin to soften and the color becomes more vivid.
4. Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with your hands, season with salt and pepper, and add a few torn basil leaves. Braise over low heat with the lid partly off, stirring now and then, until the sauce has reduced and the peppers are very soft, almost falling apart. If it dries out too much, add a couple of tablespoons of warm water.
5. During the last 5 minutes of braising, bring 1 liter of water with the vinegar to a gentle simmer in a wide pot: the bubbles should be small and lazy, not a vigorous boil. Crack each egg into a small cup. Create a gentle whirlpool with a spoon and slide two eggs at a time into the water. Cook for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft, then lift out with a slotted spoon onto a clean cloth. Repeat with the remaining two eggs.
6. Spoon the warm peperonata onto plates, place the poached eggs on top, and finish with a few fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of oil. Serve immediately: the yolk breaking into the warm sauce is part of the dish.