(Image credit: Unknown)

“This is a traditional Basque dish made with lots of bell peppers,” says chef Mike McEnearney, author of Real Food By Mike. “It’s fantastic not just with eggs for breakfast, but also as a side for any meat or fish dish. A nice twist is to add a couple of anchovies to the piperade before it goes in the oven, or serve it with a couple of rashers of streaky bacon. If you can’t find sorrel, use baby spinach and add a squeeze of lemon juice when serving, to replicate the sharp flavour of sorrel.”

Ingredients (serves four)

200g brown onions, thinly sliced
1tbsp salted capers, rinsed and drained well
50g garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
200ml extra virgin olive oil
200g red peppers, cut into strips
200g green peppers, cut into strips
200g yellow peppers, cut into strips
100ml white wine
200g cherry tomatoes
1 bunch basil, leaves torn
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic or red wine vinegar (optional)
1 large handful sorrel
4 eggs

Method

To make the piperade, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion, capers and garlic and cook until translucent.
Add the peppers and wine and cook slowly for five minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook over a low heat for 20-30 minutes to form a thick sauce. Add the herbs, remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and black pepper. If you find the piperade a little sweet, you can add balsamic or red wine vinegar.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2.
Transfer the piperade to a large, heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over medium heat (or divide it between four smaller frying pans for individual portions) and fold through the sorrel.
Crack in the eggs and bake in the oven until the white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. Serve with toast.

Real Food By Mike: Seasonal Wholefood Recipes For Wellbeing by Mike McEnearney (£20, Hardie Grant) is available now. Photography by Alan Benson

Ingredients (serves four)

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Method