← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 800 g floury or all-rounder potatoes, peeled and cut into thin chips
• 300 ml olive oil, for frying
• 6 large eggs
• 100 g jamón serrano or ibérico, torn into strips
• 1 pinch smoked paprika (pimentón) (optional)
• flaky sea salt

Method

1. Rinse the potato chips in cold water and dry them very well on a clean tea towel, so they fry crisp and the oil does not spit.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Fry the chips in two batches for 10–12 min each, turning now and then, until soft inside and golden. Drain on kitchen paper, salt them and pile onto a warm platter.
3. Pour off all but about 4 tbsp of the oil and heat it over medium-high. Crack in 2–3 eggs at a time and fry for 2–3 min, spooning hot oil over the whites, until the whites are set and lacy at the edges but the yolks are still runny.
4. Lay the eggs over the chips and drape the ham on top. Sprinkle with flaky salt and a pinch of paprika.
5. At the table, cut through the eggs with a knife and fork and toss everything together so the yolks coat the chips. Eat straight away.

Tips

• Runny yolks are the point of the dish; for anyone pregnant, very young or elderly, fry the eggs until the yolks are set.
• Swap the ham for fried chorizo or morcilla, or leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Spain on a Fork Devour Tours Simon Majumdar