Huevos Flamencos

While the wife's away, I've been experimenting with dishes I know she wouldn't be interested in. Tonight it was "Huevos a la Flamenca," a baked eggs and veggies dish from Spain. Here's the recipe, from The Best of Spain: A Cookbook, by Alicia Saacs, Collins: 1993. I'm a big fan of the Spanish way with eggs.

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound cured ham (serrano or prosciutto) cut 1/4 inch thick and diced
1/4 pound chorizo, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 1/2 pounds fresh or canned tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 tbsp. dry white wine
1 tbsp. minced parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
8 asparagus spears, cooked
1/2 cup peas, cooked
1/4 pound green beans, cooked
1 pimiento, preferably freshly roasted

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until the onion is wilted. Add teh ham and chorizo and saute 1 minute. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside. Mix in the tomatoes, paprika, wine, parsley, and salt and pepper. Cover, and cook ham mixture over low heat about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Divide the tomato mixture among 4 shallow individual casseroles, each about 6 inches wide. Gently slide 2 eggs into each casserole and arrange chorizo, asparagus, peas, beans, and pimiento on top. Bake until the eggs are just set, about 5 minutes in all; check for doneness after 4 minutes. Serve in the casseroles. Serves 4.

Note: I varied this slightly. I didn't have any ham on hand, so I doubled the chorizo and diced it instead of slicing it; I also left it in with the tomato mixture, instead of removing it. I also replaced the asparagus with canned artichoke hearts.