If I could travel right now, I'd head to Spain. I'd sit at the bar in the country that loves to eat late and believes wine goes with everything, and I'd order one of their most underrated dishes: huevos revueltos.
Revuelto is the Spanish equivalent of scrambled eggs, but it's like comparing ballet to crowd surfing. Revuelto is lighter and in my opinion, more delicious.
Revuelto is a way of stirring the eggs very briefly (for between five to ten seconds) in a very hot pan. It's just long enough to absorb the flavour of Spanish extra virgin olive oil, and the seasonal ingredients you've chosen to accompany them.
In Spain, you'll find revuelto served at bars and restaurants and served with a glass of vino tinto and crusty white bread. You might eat revuelto at home too. It's a quick and easy way to put a dish on the table and get the family talking.
Revuelto is perfect for lunch or dinner (just like wine), but it hasn't crossed over to the Australian-Spanish kitchen. Why is that?
"In Australia, eggs are very much seen as a breakfast food," says Eric García aka Chef Pepe, who runs The Spanish Catering on the Gold Coast. "Revuelto can really take people out of their comfort zone, but they should try it!"
Chef Pepe is also vice president of Eat Spanish, the first Spanish gastronomic association in Australia. Pepe's aim is to infuse us with a passion for authentic Spanish ingredients and raise awareness of how simple it is to create the same delicious flavours at home.
"Revuelto can really take people out of their comfort zone, but they should try it!"
For Pepe, revuelto is a great chance to show that Spanish food is more than just paella, chorizo and churros.
"This is a chance to take whatever is in season or whatever you have to hand in the fridge and make something truly spectacular. Do it confidently and I promise you an incredible dish!" says Pepe.
For eggs with confidence, start with a strong base of olive oil over a high flame. Add your primary flavour. We've gone for asparagus, but local mushrooms are delicious, as is spring onion and chorizo. Let the flavour seep into the oil and then combine. Then, add your eggs, but only momentarily.
"Do it confidently and I promise you an incredible dish!"
"I love to break my eggs directly into the pan," says Pepe. "You can mix them in a bowl beforehand, of course, but I love to see the egg white and the yellow of the yolk in the final dish. Mix with a wooden spoon for five to ten seconds, no more. My ideal finish is foamy, light and just perfect."
For an authentic Spanish home cooking experience, Pepe advises you to just have fun.
This is a dish that works for the whole family, he adds.
"For my son, I might make a delicious revuelto with broccoli as a quick evening meal. Or, I might fry kale and onion, add the eggs, take it off the flame, and then sprinkle some feta on top," he suggests.
Why not create an Aussie-fusion update of a Spanish dish?
"Just try it," says Pepe.
Revuelto with asparagus
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 2 or 3 eggs ("I eat a lot, so I use three" says chef Pepe)
- ½ bunch asparagus
- Spanish EVOO
- Salt, to taste
- Bread and wine (optional), to serve
1. Heat 1.5-2 tbsp of oil over a hot flame.
2. Throw in the asparagus for a minute (max), until it releases its water into the oil and the colour starts to change.
3. Add your eggs and move around the pan with a wooden spoon, for roughly 5–10 seconds. Done!
4. Serve with a high-quality piece of bread.
Note: Pepe advises bending the asparagus spears in your hand. The asparagus spears will show you exactly where they need to be cut.
For the Spaniards, a tortilla isn't a flour wrap filled with meat and veggies but rather a deep dish potato bake. The goal is to have it lightly golden on the top yet soft and moist in the centre.
In France they have the ratatouille, but in Spain we have pisto Manchego, which is a great vegetable stew, pimped up with Iberian ham and a poached egg!
