Perico

Ingredients

Eggs

• 8eggs
• 2 tbspmilk, if wanted
• salt and black pepper

Vegetables

• 3ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1sweet green pepper, finely chopped
• 2spring onions, sliced

To cook

• 3 tbspoil, or butter

Sometimes added

• a pinch of ground cumin
• a handful of coriander, chopped
• 1chilli, chopped

To serve

• arepas
• or as a filling inside them

Directions

1. Dice the tomato small and evenly. Chop the onion and the green pepper finely. Cut each tomato in half and scoop out the seeds and jelly. Dice only the firm outer flesh. Score a cross in the base and dip them in boiling water for thirty seconds. Cooking the base is done before any egg goes near it.
2. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook it for five minutes. Add the green pepper and cook for another four minutes. Both should be properly soft rather than crunchy.
3. Add the diced tomato to the pan. Cook the tomato for six or seven minutes. Stir it occasionally as it goes. It should break down and the liquid should cook away.
4. Season the base with salt, pepper and cumin. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Add the milk if you are using it, which makes them softer. Season them lightly, since the base is already seasoned. Do not overbeat them, which makes them tough. Pour the beaten eggs over the vegetable base.
5. Let them sit for twenty seconds without touching them. Cooking them slowly is what gives soft curds. Keep the heat low all the way through.
6. Keep drawing the spoon through every few seconds. Large soft folds are what you want, not fine grains. Take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look underdone. The finished scramble should be soft and glossy.
7. Stir in the spring onions and coriander off the heat. Serving it is done immediately. Serve it straight from the pan with arepas alongside. It does not keep and is made fresh each time.

Technique

• Scoop the seeds out of the tomatoes, since that jelly is what makes the scramble watery.
• Cook the vegetable base until thick and almost dry before the eggs go in.
• Take it off the heat while it still looks slightly underdone.

Substitutions

• Butter in place of oil, which gives a richer result.
• Red pepper in place of green, though green is traditional.

Variations

• With white cheese crumbled through it.
• Made hotter, with a chopped chilli.
• Spooned inside an arepa as a filling.

History

Eggs scrambled with tomato, onion and sweet pepper, eaten with arepa at breakfast; the name means parakeet, for the colours.

Frequently asked questions

What is Perico?

Perico is a breakfast from Venezuela: eggs scrambled with tomato, onion, peppers; classic arepa filling too. Eggs scrambled with tomato, onion and sweet pepper, eaten with arepa at breakfast; the name means parakeet, for the colours.

How long does Perico take to make?

Perico takes 10 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Perico?

Yes, within limits. Butter in place of oil, which gives a richer result. Red pepper in place of green, though green is traditional.

What is the most important thing to get right in Perico?

Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook it for five minutes. Add the green pepper and cook for another four minutes. Both should be properly soft rather than crunchy.