Ervilhas com Ovos Escalfados is a Portuguese dish made with chouriço, peas, onions, garlic, and tomato, all braised in the same pot, and topped with eggs that get poached in the stew. It’s super simple, yet absolutely delicious, perfect for spring lunches or a light dinner. Another thing I love about this recipe is that it’s all done in the same pan, so it’s pretty much mess free. Keep reading to learn how to make this Authentic Portuguese Braised Peas with Eggs and Chouriço.
Authentic Portuguese Peas with Eggs and Chouriço
Peas or ‘ervilhas’ are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. They are native to the Mediterranean region, and are believed to have been introduced to Portugal by the Romans. In modern Portuguese cooking, they are featured in dozens of recipes, from soups and stews to salads and sides.
My favourite one is Ervilhas com Ovos Escalfados e Chouriço. It’s like a greener version of shakshuka. The peas are braised with chouriço, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, the eggs are then cracked on top and left to poach for a couple of minutes. It’s usually served with crusty bread, but can also be enjoyed with rice. It’s simple and seasonal, and a recipe I make whenever I’m looking for something quick and delicious!
Ingredients for Making Ervilhas com Ovos Escalfados e Chouriço
To make this traditional Portuguese dish you will need chouriço, cured pork fat or toucinho, butter,olive oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato concentrate, parsley, bay leaves, peas, vegetable stock, white wine, eggs, salt and black pepper.
Ideally this recipe is made with fresh peas, but frozen peas work perfectly fine too. If you can get your hands on some toucinho that’s great, if not you can replace it with bacon or use a little bit of lard. As always, make sure to pick a white wine you would drink! In Portugal you can find excellent wines at very reasonable prices, so it’s no excuse to buy cooking wine!
How to Make Traditional Portuguese Peas with Eggs and Chorizo
We start by slicing the chouriço and the toucinho, then frying both on a high edge skillet with the butter and the olive oil. Start with low heat to render the toucinho fat. It will look like there’s far too much fat, but don’t worry, we won’t use all of it. Tip half of the fat into a container and place it in the fridge, it will solidify like lard and can be used to add depth to stews, soups or stir-fries.
Now back to the recipe, increase the heat to medium, once the toucinho starts to brown, add in the diced onions. Sauté until translucent, then add the sliced garlic, a couple of sprigs of fresh parsley, a bay leaf, and the chili flakes. Let it cook for a minute before you add in the chopped tomatoes, and tomato concentrate. Once the tomato starts to soften, add in a splash of wine.
When you can’t smell the alcohol anymore, season with salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of sugar. Stir in the peas, and the vegetable stock, bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Make small wells in your pea stew, then gently crack the eggs onto them. Cover with the lid, let it simmer at low heat for about 3 minutes. Season with more salt and black pepper, and chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread or white rice.
How to Make Ervilhas com Ovos Escalfados – Portuguese Braised Peas with Eggs and Chouriço
Ervilhas com Ovos Escalfados – Peas with Eggs and Chouriço
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes548
kcalErvilhas com Ovos Escalfados is a Portuguese dish made with chouriço, peas, onions, garlic, and tomato, all braised in the same pot, and topped with eggs that get poached in the stew.
Ingredients
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Toucinho (80g) – sliced
2/3 Cup Chouriço (100g) – sliced
2 Small Onions – diced
3 Garlic Cloves – sliced
1 Bay Leaf
Fresh Parsley
1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
3 Medium Tomatoes – de-seeded, diced
1 tbsp Tomato Concentrate
1 tsp Sugar
1/3 cup White Wine
2 1/3 cup Frozen Peas (350g)
1 cup Vegetable Stock (250ml)
4 Eggs
Salt
Black Pepper
Directions
- Cut both the toucinho and the chouriço into thin slices.
- Place a skillet with high edges over low heat. Add in the olive oil, butter, the toucinho, and chouriço. Cook over low heat until the toucinho releases a lot of fat and starts to brown.
- Remove about half of the fat from the skillet, but don’t discard it as it can be used in soups, stews, and stir-fries. Turn up the heat to medium.
- Dice the onions, add them into the pan, sauté for a couple of minutes until translucent, stirring every now and then. Slice the garlic, add them into the pan as well, let it cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of parsley, and the chili flakes.
- Meanwhile, dice and remove the seeds of the tomatoes. Add them into the pan with the tomato concentrate, stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomato starts to soften. Season with sugar, salt and black pepper to taste.
- Pour in the white wine, give it a nice stir, using the spoon to scrape any caramelised bits that got stuck to the pan.
- Once the alcohol evaporates, add in the peas, give it a good stir, then add in the vegetable stock. Adjust the seasonings, then let it simmer for about another 5 minutes or until the peas are cooked but still have their vibrant green.
- Make four wells in the braised peas, crack four eggs into the pan, one in each well. Cover with the lid, simmer over low heat for about 3 minutes or until the egg yolks reach your desired consistency.
- Finely chop the parsley, sprinkle it on top of the eggs. Serve with crusty bread or a bowl of rice. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Tips
- Traditionally this recipe is prepared with fresh peas, but I’m replacing it with frozen peas, since it’s easier to find and also more affordable.
- If you can’t find toucinho, which is cured pork fat, you can use sliced bacon, keep in mind it will release way less fat, so you may not need to remove as much fat from the pan.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!