Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely sliced
• 10 green peppers, finely sliced across
• 6 red ripe tomatoes, skinned
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 -4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 slices of bayonne ham or 4 slices bacon, to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based, non-stick saucepan. Add the onions and cook gently, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

2. Add the chopped green peppers to the onion, mixing well. Cover the pan and cook gently, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay and thyme. Season with sugar, Cayenne pepper, salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover the pan and cook gently, stirring now and then, for 25 minutes.

4. Mix the beaten egg into the pepper mixture. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often.

5. Serve the piperade at once garnished with Bayonne ham.