Huevos fritos Iñakitxo - On an Arguiñano Kick Apparently

Yes Iñakitxo is an unusual word; Basque; and only about 15 hits on the entire internet. It's, as I understand it, the name of a particular egg producer.

So today it was again Karlos Arguiñano's recipe of the day from channel 5: Eggs on fries. - which is actually fairly common around here (I recall a wonderful restaurant in Vigo that serves it- but, alas, have forgotten the name for the moment; although it's worth remarking that they serve only, and everything, that is chicken-based).


It was damn successful. In this instance it served 3 - myself and a 17yr old teenager.

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs 4 potatoes 8 red piquillo peppers virgin olive oil salt some sugar 8 basil leaves - For the salsa: 8 more piquillo peppers 1 large fresh (spring) onions 4 cloves of garlic ½ tsp of flour 1 cup of white wine 1 cup water virgin olive oil salt

ELABORATION: For the salsa (of piquillo peppers), chop the garlic and onions and saute slightly golden. Add the piquillos, cut into strips, add the flour and stir a moment. Add the white wine and the water; reduce for 20 minutes. Then puree with an electric (staff)mixer. Put a little oil in a frying pan and fry 8 more peppers, on both sides, for a total of 20 minutes. While frying sprinkle with a little salt some sugar (I omitted the sugar and it was great non-the-less). Peel the potatoes; cut into fine (shoe/straw) strings fry in a lots of oil (the 2nd smallest dicer on my Bron mandoline). Fry the potato strings in batches (maybe something like 10 minutes). Just before they are done remove them, drain and cool; forming into (4) round "nests" (later an egg goes in the center). Having divided the potatoes in 4 portions; resume frying each portion one by one. Crack an egg into the center of each portion of potatoes/fries; splash, gently, oil over the egg and fry lightly - the centers should still be liquid (no matter what the U.S. health department says - just get eggs from a really good supplier; or ones that have been gamma-rayed/pasturized). After (or when almost finished) frying the eggs, fry the basil leaves (thoroughly) and place a couple over each egg. Plate the an egg with fries and basil, decorate with a curve of pepper sauce and the fried peppers.