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1
Cut and Soak the Potatoes
10 Mins • Hands On
No heat — cold water, about 20°C (68°F)
Peel the potatoes and cut them into matchsticks about 3 mm wide. Drop them into a bowl of cold water and leave for 10 minutes to wash out the surface starch, then drain and dry them very well in a clean tea towel.
Even matchsticks cook evenly; thick ones stay raw inside while thin ones burn.
Done when: The matchsticks are dry to the touch and no longer feel slippery.
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2
Fry the Potatoes Until Crisp
10 Mins • Hands On
Hot oil, about 180°C (355°F)
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the matchsticks in two batches, stirring now and then, for 4–5 minutes a batch until deep golden and crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel, then season lightly.
Do not crowd the pan — a single layer fries crisp, a heap steams soft.
Done when: The potatoes are golden, stiff and crackling, not pale or bendy.
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3
Soften the Onion and Warm the Ham
5 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Wipe the pan, melt half the butter, and cook the onion for 2–3 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the ham strips and cook for 1 minute more, just until warmed through.
Keep the onion pale and sweet — browned onion would fight with the delicate eggs.
Done when: The onion is soft and translucent and the ham smells warm and savoury.
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4
Scramble the Eggs Softly
5 Mins • Hands On
Medium-low heat, about 150°C (300°F); eggs cooked to 71°C (160°F)
Add the rest of the butter to the pan, pour in the beaten eggs, and cook gently, pushing the eggs from the edges to the centre with a spatula. Take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly wet — they finish cooking in their own heat.
Slow and gentle is the whole secret: fast, hot eggs turn rubbery and dry.
Done when: The eggs are in soft, creamy curds with no liquid egg left and no browning.
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5
Fold Together and Serve
2 Mins • Hands On
Serve hot, about 65°C (150°F)
Return the crisp potatoes to the pan and fold them through the eggs with the ham and onion, just enough to mix — one or two turns of the spatula. Tip onto a warm platter, scatter the parsley and red pepper strips over the top, and serve at once.
Fold, do not stir: stirring breaks the potatoes and turns the plate soggy.
Done when: Every spoonful has crisp potato, soft egg and ham, with green parsley on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Tip the scramble onto a warm platter, scatter the parsley and red pepper over the top, and serve at once while the potatoes are still crisp.
Argentina
1h 25m
