- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, such as Vidalia or other sweet onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced Serrano ham or prosciutto, cut from a 1/8-inch-thick slice
- 1 red pepper (¾–1 pound), finely diced
- 1 green pepper (¾–1 pound), finely diced
- ½ small ñora or 1 New Mexico–style dried red pepper, cored and seeded
- 1 cup finely chopped tomato
- ½ cup finely diced zucchini
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Freshly ground pepper
- Mild olive oil for frying
- 6–8 quail eggs
- Kosher or sea salt
- Fried shoestring potatoes or fresh or canned French fried onions for garnish
- Heat the oil in a shallow sauté pan and slowly sauté the onion, garlic, and ham until the onion is softened. Add the red and green peppers and the ñora and continue cooking slowly until the peppers begin to soften. Stir in the tomato, zucchini, white wine, parsley, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, or until done to taste. Press the ñora with the back of a wooden spoon to extract its flavor, then discard the skin. [May be prepared ahead] Divide the pisto onto 6–8 small individual dishes and keep warm.
- Pour the oil to a depth of ¼ inch in a small skillet and heat to the smoking point. Crack a quail egg or two with the edge of a sharp knife and place in the hot oil, using a spoon to pour a little oil over the egg so that it puffs and crisps. This will take less than a minute. Drain on paper towels and repeat for the remaining eggs. Place one egg over each dish of pisto, sprinkle with salt, and garnish the plate with the potatoes or onions. Serve right away.