I’ve eaten some awesome food in Spain. Huevos Flamencos was part of a standout meal which included a bottle of crisp Albarino wine. I’m happy to share the recipe with you today.
Four years ago this week I entered the city of Santiago de Compostela which marked the end of my Camino across Spain. For three weeks I ate, drank, walked and snored with strangers as we crossed the mountains and plains while following the ancient pilgrimage route.
My first taste of huevos flamencos was in the town of Triacastela. It was the day after a long and arduous climb to O Cebreiro. Before Triacastela there was another hard climb to the tallest point in Galicia, called the Alto de San Roque. Needless to say, by the time I reached the town, I was famished!
After seeing another pilgrim’s order, I had Caldo Gallego and Huevos Flamencos, also called huevos a la flamenca. A round of artisan style bread accompanied the meal. It was handy to dip into the egg yolks and wipe up the juices in my dish.
Since I ordered from the pilgrim’s menu and was sitting alone, I had an entire bottle of Albarino to myself. I’m not ashamed to say I did justice to that crisp, fruity white wine I was served.
Dessert was a local soft goat cheese drizzled with honey. Fantastic! (I hope someday to find another goat’s milk cheese like that one, until then, I’ll drizzle honey over ricotta.)
Between the meal, the climb and the bottle of wine, I was asleep before the sun set behind the mountains.
Huevos a la flamenca is a traditional dish from Andalucia
Huevos Flamencos originated in Andalucia, but the dish fits perfectly with the sights and sounds of the Camino in Galicia. The idea is to fill a casserole with eggs, vegetables and whatever meat is at hand. Naturally the choices will vary by region and season.
Traditionally, the dish is served in a cazuela similar to those shown in the photo. They come in a variety of sizes. I have smaller ones that are great for desserts or tapas. There are also large ones used to roast meats. The ones I used for this post measure about 8 inches across and hold about 3 cups. Any shallow casserole dish of similar volume will work for you. Another alternative is an 8 inch ovenproof skillet.
The thing I like best about this baked egg dish, aside from the great memories, is it’s versatility. It’s easy to make for a crowd or for one. Plus, when cooking for one or two, it’s a microwave friendly recipe. (See the recipe notes for tips on making huevos flamencos in the microwave). It’s also a great way to use up little bits of leftovers.
When cooking for a crowd, prepare all the individual ingredients at the same time. That way, you can easily portion them out to the cazuelas in one step. I’ll give measurements for 4 servings in the recipe below, scale up or down to suit the number you need.
Equipment
- a 2 – 3 cup casserole dish for each person
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup sauteed onions, shallots or leeks
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed OR other green vegetable like broccoli, runner beans, asparagus, etc, cut into bite sized pieces (if using fresh, cook the veggies first)
- 1 1/2 cup various cooked meats like ham, chorizo, sausage, bacon, chicken, etc
- 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- salt, pepper, smoky paprika to taste
- olive oil as needed
- chopped fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C
- Saute the onions in a little olive oil and cook the peas as necessary (I used frozen peas and steamed them in the microwave until just thawed.)
- Assemble all the ingredients and the serving dishes. Prepare the casseroles with your choice of cooking spray, oil or butter.
- Spoon a couple tablespoons of tomato sauce into the bottom of each dish. Portion out the onions, peas and meats among the serving dishes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and smoky paprika.
- Crack one or two eggs into each container then bake for 12 – 15 minutes. I like them when the whites are set but the yolks are still a little runny. (See notes)
- Serve with crusty bread.
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