Saturday 13 October 2012

Collazione!

Uova Strappazzate in Piadina con Salsa die Pepe, Pomodori e Pancetta alla Menta
Scrambled Egg in Piadina with Minty Pepper, Tomato & Bacon Salsa


Yes, "collazione" is the Italian word for breakfast, a meal that basically doesn't exist in Italy! Breakfast in Italy will typically consist of a brioche or some other kind of pastry, a shot of coffee and a glance at your watch before you hurry off to work!

I am not much a "breakfaster" either to be honest- on a weekday I am off to work with just a cup of coffee to get me going- not even a brioche or a slice of toast for me! But at the weekend I like to indulge and today I decided to make something savory for a change...


I had a couple of piadina slices, which are basically Italian tortillas, left over and from earlier in the week, some nice fresh eggs, assorted peppers, some cherry tomatoes and a healthy appetite- perfect ingredients for a tasty breakfast!

I made the salsa first, out of a little red, yellow and green bell pepper, onion, parsley and mint, all of which were finely chopped and sautéed-together with a fine dice of bacon. After 3-4 minutes of stir-frying, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and a pinch of sugar and let it sit for 3-4 minutes with the lid on and the heat off. Put the salsa to one side and add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar and a sprinkle of oregano and give these 3-4 minutes at a high heat too- just enough time to get them softened and lightly caramelized and brown. Set the tomatoes to one side, give the pan a quick wipe, get the broiler turned on and ready for action- and get busy with the eggs!

With so much flavor in the salsa, I decided to keep the eggs tasting simple and mild. I whisked 3 eggs together lightly with a little milk and some grated gouda cheese. I got the pan nice and hot, added a pat of butter and poured in the mixture, seasoning with salt, pepper and a hint of nutmeg. Once it began to set a little, I pushed it gently back with a wooden spoon, allowing the raw egg to flow into the spaces and to set in turn. Don't stir the cheese or worse still, whisk it in the pan, otherwise it will dry up! You just want it to set slightly- so that you can carefully fold it out onto your piadina or tortilla and roll it up, ready for the oven!

It only takes 2-3 minutes to get the bread wrapping crispy and a sprinkle of cheese makes it even yummier still! Along with the savory salsa, this makes for a real treat at the breakfast table... I bet my Italian countryman wish they had breakfasts like this over there! Buon apetito!

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