Pipérade Basquaise

The name ‘pipérade’ comes from ‘piper’ (hot red pepper). This dish can be made in three ways: as a rolled omelette filled with the vegetable mixture, as a flat omelette, or as a vegetable purée thickened with eggs as in this recipe. The mixture must cook slowly, because the eggs will form lumps if the heat is too high. This tendency is accentuated by moisture in the vegetables, so the purée must be thick before the eggs are added. For pipérade au jambon, top with a thin slice of Bayonne or