Don Diego's Revuelto Gramajo

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 large potato(s), alternatively thin French fries
• Oil for frying
• 50 g raw ham
• 10 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper
• cooked ham
• Bell pepper(s), red
• Peas, young, fresh or from the can
• Garlic clove(s) (pressed or finely chopped)

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Ham scrambled eggs with fried potato sticks – an Argentinian military dish

Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 170°C. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin sticks. (Alternatively, buy thinly sliced ​​French fries.) Wash the sticks, dry them in kitchen paper, and fry them in the deep fryer. Drain the oil well and set aside. While the potatoes are frying, cut the raw ham into thin strips and fry them briefly in the butter over low heat. Season the eggs with salt, pepper, and parsley and break them up with a fork. Pour the eggs over the ham and let them set slowly, immediately breaking up the egg mixture with a fork. The scrambled eggs should still be quite moist when the crispy potato sticks are added to the scrambled eggs and mixed in. This (seemingly) simple dish demands the cook’s full attention and careful handling of the temperature. If the scrambled eggs are too dry, you’ll still get decent fried potatoes with egg, but definitely not Revuelto Gramajo. Remove the pan from the heat and empty the contents onto a warmed plate. Serve immediately. Note: Revuelto Gramajo is essentially a military dish awaiting your verdict. The Argentinians have already given theirs. Invented around 1880 by Artemio Gramajo at the Club de Progreso in Buenos Aires, it has since become popular nationwide. Artemio Gramajo was a close friend of the then Argentinian President Julio Argentino Roca, his aide-de-camp in numerous battles, an indispensable companion on state trips, and a gourmet. It is said that Revuelto Gramajo became the Argentinian soldier’s breakfast when things were a bit more relaxed between battles and the battle could be fought on a breakfast plate. This English-inspired ham and eggs variation gets its special character from the velvety scrambled eggs on crispy potato sticks. That’s the original recipe and its history. To add a little color, restaurant chefs like to mix a few thin strips of red bell pepper and a dozen young peas into the Revuelto Gramajo. The variations are also increasing. Sometimes a hint of garlic wafts over the plate. The raw ham is practically replaced by cooked ham. Finely diced onions, and even cream, are also a must. And so, little by little, the military dish is transformed into a peacetime dish where everyone can enjoy it in their own way. As with so many Argentinian dishes, however, it’s never a bad idea to have a small mixed salad and a sliced ​​baguette on hand to deal a devastating defeat to hunger.