Bleeding Espresso

18 March 2009

What’s Cooking Wednesday: Calabrian Scrambled Eggs

This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday is an old *and* new family favorite. My grandmother used to make it all the time, and now P and I make it quite often as well.

Calabrian Scrambled Eggs are definitely one of my all-time fast and filling dishes–and it can also be great for using up leftovers. This is a fab dish for singletons as well as you can easily make just enough for one person.

Now you may be asking yourself: Self, what exactly makes these scrambled eggs Calabrian?

It’s the supressata*, silly:

You can, of course, substitute with any kind of meat you like from sausage to ham to mortadella (bologna), and it will be just as tasty. Only a bit less Calabrian is all.

And in case you don’t already, I hope you think of scrambled eggs in the same way as you would an omelet…anything goes. That is, if you like it and think it will go nicely with eggs, have at it!

Calabrian Scrambled Eggs
Uova strapazzate alla Calabrese
(serves two)

Two tablespoons olive oil
One small onion, sliced
About a handful of cubed supressata (probably about 100 g)
4 eggs
Splash of milk
Two pinches of salt
One slice of meltable cheese (Sottilette in Italy)

1. Heat oil over medium in a nonstick pan and add onion and supressata. Let them fry for a few minutes until the onions soften and the meat starts to release its juices.

2. In the meantime, break eggs into a bowl, add milk and salt, and beat together well.

3. Pour egg mixture into pan and add cheese in small pieces.

4. Move eggs around as they cook to get that patented scrambled look; they’re ready when they’ve set and are no longer runny.

5. Serve hot, and if you’re like us, with crusty Italian bread and a nice tomato salad. Yum!

Buon appetito!

*Alternatively known as sopressata, soppressata, suppressata, and “soupies” back in the Anthracite Coal Region.

18 beans of wisdom »

18 beans of wisdom to “What’s Cooking Wednesday: Calabrian Scrambled Eggs”

Emily on 18 Mar 2009 at 7:55 am #

Had a look at your post at the wrong time. feelin’ pretty hungry and they’re yummy. have bookmarked your recipe. thanks for the same.

Hah, well I hope you can enjoy the eggs soon
Gil on 18 Mar 2009 at 8:21 am #

Looks a lot better than what the local diner serves. That is one nice chunk of suppressata. I think it is scrambled and ham for me later in the day.

Mangia mangia Gil!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Calabrian Scrambled Eggs | Omelette Tips on 18 Mar 2009 at 9:40 am #

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milanese masala on 18 Mar 2009 at 10:57 am #

I’ve never put salame inside an omelette or scrambled eggs. I don’t know why. Looking at your picture it seems like a marriage made in heaven. I’m sure my kids would go crazy for your recipe.

milanese masala’s last blog post..Blogiversary and Book Giveaway!

It’s especially great with the piccante supressata because the eggs cut down the spice but not the flavor
nyc/caribbean ragazza on 18 Mar 2009 at 11:34 am #

Oh how I love salami and scrambled eggs!

I agree, this is a perfect dish for singletons like myself.

nyc/caribbean ragazza’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Pasta Rustica with Chicken Sausage and Three Cheeses

So fast, easy, and delicious! I may just have to make it again tonight….
Happy Cook on 18 Mar 2009 at 1:46 pm #

Wow this scrambled eggs looks so creamy delicious.

Happy Cook’s last blog post..Sweet and Sour Chicken balls

I hate dry scrambled eggs so I make ‘em extra creamy to be on the safe side
Rosa on 18 Mar 2009 at 2:06 pm #

Oh I love suppressata! My parents used to make it every year – now they make it every couple of years. When I was in Canada I had my share of suppressata but I haven’t tried it in an omelet yet (probably my mom used to make it but I don’t remember). There’s a Calabrian shop around the corner from me and he always has your typical Calabrese products. I’ll pop on over to pick up some suppressata. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

Rosa’s last blog post..Macedonia

Hope you enjoy Rosa
Ciaochowlinda on 18 Mar 2009 at 2:16 pm #

Isn’t it amazing how in Italy the food is so regional. You would be hard pressed to find a hot soppressata in the Alto Adige region, for example. But in Calabria, they’re THE salumi you find everywhere. It’s our favorite too but I’ve never tried it in eggs. Thanks for the suggestion.

Ciaochowlinda’s last blog post..Spaghetti and Meatballs

Yes this is Calabrese DOC. Hope you can find some to enjoy
City Girl on 18 Mar 2009 at 2:49 pm #

Yum – just when I thought my eggs craving was gone, it’s come right back. LOL

City Girl’s last blog post..What’s Cooking Wednesday – Emergency Migas

I can almost always eat eggs…love them!
saretta on 18 Mar 2009 at 6:52 pm #

Yum!

I could eat this every day I think
Amber on 18 Mar 2009 at 7:12 pm #

Yum! Now I know what I want for breakfast! Oh wait, it is almost lunch time. I can still have scrambled eggs, right? Wish I had some supressata though.

Amber’s last blog post..Chard and Pine Nuts

This dish is great *any* time of day, Amber! As you know, Italian breakfasts are usually far less eggy so we usually have this for lunch
The Food Hunter on 18 Mar 2009 at 9:25 pm #

Oh I want some right now.

I know how you feel
Paula on 18 Mar 2009 at 10:45 pm #

Hi, stumbled upon your blog and nearly fell into the plate. That looks delicious. Greetings from Florida

Hi Paula! Hope you enjoyed your visit enough to come back
joe@italyville on 19 Mar 2009 at 3:20 pm #

Delicious! I think you could add sopressata to anything and it would be good!:) maybe it’s the just the Calabrese in me talking.

joe@italyville’s last blog post..Exploring Calabria

Agreed
Ice Tea For Me on 20 Mar 2009 at 12:25 am #

Michelle, is it typical Calabrian to eat eggs at a particular meal? Like in the USA eggs are ‘usually’ eaten at breakfast.

Ice Tea For Me’s last blog post..and the winner is…

Well I can say for certain that breakfast would be the one meal a day where eggs are *not* usually eaten. We often have eggs at lunch, and I know some people here have them for dinner, but P thinks they’re too “heavy” for dinner, so we usually don’t in our house.
moscerina on 25 Jun 2009 at 11:02 am #

This is delicious. I am making this on saturday morning, though I doubt my presentation will be as lovely as yours. Thanks for the recipe.

Hah, scrambled eggs are kind of hard to present well, but I’ll take the compliment Hope you enjoy as much as we do!
Janet on 26 Jul 2009 at 4:32 pm #

man that looks GOOD!!! Thinking of making this for dinner and tossing in some sauteed rainbow chard!

Hope you enjoy
Amy Rogers Nazarov on 14 Aug 2009 at 7:49 pm #

Yum, Michelle! Once again, it appears I will have to find a way around my vegetarian husband in order to enjoy this dish…

At the great grinder/sub shop near my parents’ place in CT, “soupy” subs are on the menu most days. Now wish I had sampled one of those, too! We just got back from a visit last night.

Hope you’ve had a chance to try it, Amy; truly delicious

Amy Rogers Nazarov´s last blog ..Back in my own kitchen