Roasted Red Pepper and Country Ham Scramble with Tempura Red Onion
Roasted Red Pepper and Country Ham Scramble with Tempura Red Onion
Two new recipes this morning that will hopefully inspire a leisurely weekend brunch. Enjoy!
I have to admit that I am not much of a big breakfast person. I don’t like to eat first thing in the morning. Cofffee is fine thanks. A mid-morning brunch is much more appealing to me, especially on the weekend when you can take the time to do a little something extra. This dish is not as daunting or time consuming as it first appears, especially if you prepare the roasted peppers and tempura batter the day before. It’s definitely worth the little extra effort
Roasted Red Pepper and Country Ham Scramble with Tempura Red Onion
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Roasted Red Pepper and Country Ham Scramble with Tempura Red Onion - one heck of a delicious brunch dish that will have you looking forward to leftover baked ham.
Ingredients
- Tempura Batter see below
- 1 roasted red pepper
- 6 oz smoked country ham chunked
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 8 large or extra large eggs
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small red onion in thinly sliced strips
- Canola oil to fry onions
Instructions
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First prepare Tempura batter. Whisk together the following ingredients thoroughly and let stand for 15 minutes before using. This can be made the night before and held in a covered bowl overnight:
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egg
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cup ice cold water
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cup flour
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Next, roast a sweet red bell pepper. This can be done on a gas grill, under a broiler or directly on a gas burner unit on top of the stove. Using a set of tongs, turn the pepper until most of the outside is scorched black. Immediately place pepper in a sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes. This will allow the pepper to steam off the outer scorched skin which can then be easily removed and discarded. Chop the pepper into 2 cm chunks and set aside. This can easily be prepared the night before to save time.
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Pour an inch of canola oil into a frying pan and heat to 325 degrees F. Dip onion strips into batter and drop into hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack and hold in a warm oven while the rest of the dish is being prepared.
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In a large sauté pan on medium-low flame, heat butter and extra virgin olive oil.
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Add red pepper and ham and slowly sauté for 2 minutes
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Add 1 clove minced garlic and sauté for an additional 20-30 seconds.
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Add 8 lightly beaten eggs and cook to a soft scramble, seasoning with salt and black pepper. In the final minute of cooking, reduce heat to low and fold in ½ cup shredded cheese. (smoked gouda, mozzarella, and monetary jack are good choices. Very often I blend all 3 if I have them on hand)
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Serve with the tempura onions on top.