Pipirrana from Jaén

Bahan-bahan

This salad is the way to survive these crazy hot days in Southern Spain… Just make sure you prep it the night before so it can chill in the fridge — it’s meant to be eaten cold!

RECIPE:

2 tomatoes

1 green pepper

3 eggs

2 garlic cloves (or just 1 if you want it lighter)

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

Vinegar

Boil the eggs for 10 minutes to get the perfect hard-boiled texture. Separate the yolks from the whites.

Traditionally, the dressing is made in a dornillo — a big wooden mortar used to make the paste and emulsify the yolks with the oil. But if you don’t have one, no worries. Use a regular mortar and a larger bowl for mixing, like I do in the video.

Mash the garlic with salt in the mortar until you get a paste. Add a piece of green pepper (about 50 g) and mash again until smooth. Transfer the mix to a larger bowl, add the egg yolks, and mix until combined. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until it reaches the consistency of a light mayonnaise.

Peel the tomatoes and cut them directly into the bowl with the dressing so you don’t lose any of the juices. Add the rest of the green pepper and the chopped egg whites (small cubes). Optionally, add some tuna or bonito del norte — and enjoy it really cold with good bread! 🥖