¡Bienvenidos a Andalucía! Welcome to Andalucía! In this post, we embark on a culinary adventure through the sun-kissed province of Jaén, where the essence of Spanish gastronomy thrives.
In Jaen, the land of olive groves and charming villages, we unveil a hidden treasure that captures the essence of Andalusian flavors: Pipirrana salad.
Pipirrana is a traditional salad original from the Jaen province that showcases the bounty of fresh ingredients that define the region’s gastronomy. With its vibrant colors, zesty flavors, and refreshing textures, this salad exemplifies the Mediterranean spirit that permeates every aspect of Andalusian life and cuisine.
Pipirrana salad is a celebration of simplicity, showcasing the freshest ingredients sourced from the fertile lands of the Jaen region.
What’s inside Pipirrana salad?
Pipirrana, also known by many other names like Pipirrana, Pimpirrana o piriñaca depends on where you ask for it; it’s essentially the Mediterranean summer in a bowl of salad.
At its core, the salad combines juicy tomatoes, crisp green peppers, and spring onion; then all topped up with a secret ingredient: the creamy dressing that is made with boiled egg yolks, garlic, olive oil, and sherry wine vinegar, harmonizing perfectly with the freshness of the vegetables.
A good Pipirrana has to be a bit soupy so you can dip a slice of rustic bread in it, soaking all the beautiful juices of this salad.
It includes canned tuna for added protein, and in some versions, it can have green or black olives.
Many different Mediterranean cuisines have quite similar versions, for example, the Turkish tomato and green pepper salad (shepherd’s salad or Ezme salad)
And of course, inside Spain, many regions have slight variations; however, the most known version is Jaen’s Pipirrana. The southern province of the Andalucian region is the birthplace of this delicious summer salad. You are going to fall madly in love.
Other versions of Pipirrana include salted fish or even cured meats; some include cucumber too. It also varies in terms of texture since some Pipirrana recipes are almost a chunky gazpacho, and some are drier, Jaen’s Pipirrana is a mixture between a gazpacho and a salad.
How to Make Pipirrana Salad
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
To make Pipirrana salad, you’ll need the following equipment:
- Big salad bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Weight
- Mortar and pestle
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg big juicy and ripe tomatoes
- 2 green Italian peppers
- 1 spring onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Sherry wine
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt (or to taste)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 ½ cups canned tuna
- 1 loaf of white bread to serve it with.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1 — Wash the tomatoes well and drain.
2 — Peel them and chop them in rough bite-size chunks. Set them aside in the salad bowl with a bit of salt so they can start to release their juices.
3 — Cut the green peppers in half and remove the stem and the seeds. Chop them finely and add to the salad bowl with the tomatoes. Reserve a bit of them aside.
4 — Peel the outer layer of the spring onion and discard. Cut the base and also the green part. Chop finely and add to the salad bowl.
5 — Prep the eggs:
- Boil them for 10 minutes.
- Once they have cooled down, peel and chop them in half.
- Separate the whites from the yolks setting them aside.
- Chop the egg whites finely and add them to the salad bowl.
6 — In the mortar, add the egg yolks, the reserved green pepper, the clove of garlic (peeled and stem removed), and a bit of salt.
7 — Pestle until a rough paste is starting to form. Add the oil slowly to it to form a cream.
8 — Add the formed cream to the salad bowl and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
9 — Add the wine vinegar and mix well.
10 — Taste and adjust salt or the rest of the dressing ingredients if needed.
11 — Serve immediately with a loaf of fresh white rustic bread, or let sit for 30 minutes for maximum development of the flavors.
Notes And Faqs
Still with doubts? Don’t worry; we spill all the tea about ingredients and substitution, storage, etc., in this section so you can reproduce this recipe like a local.
Tomatoes: choose any variety of your liking. The key is to choose big, juicy, and ripe tomatoes. Avoid using not ripe enough or too small tomatoes. The star ingredient of Pipirrana is the tomatoes and their beautiful juices, so the ripest and juiciest, the better.
Spring onion: Spanish spring onion has this round shape in the end; it is an early-harvested white onion that, when harvested very early and not left to cure, is super sweet and refreshing. You can use any sweet white onion.
Also, although not traditional, red onion that has been let to soak in cold water is also a delicious option.
Italian green pepper: Italian green pepper is a variety of pepper that is quite aromatic and a bit peppery while being sweet. You can substitute it with regular green bell pepper.
Garlic: If possible, try to choose garlic that is not too old. You’ll notice very soon if the garlic clove is yellowish instead of white. Also, the deeper green of the central stem, the older the garlic clove. The older the garlic clove, the most intense pungency will be added to your Pipirrana. Removing the central stem will ensure also the garlic will not be too strong to digest. Avoid using any garlic powder, only the fresh stuff will do. If you cannot eat raw garlic or are not a fan, simply avoid adding it.
Olive oil: extra virgin olive oil is a must in Spanish salads, so Pipirrana is no exception. If you cannot find extra virgin olive oil, or it’s too expensive where you are, try to find at least a good olive oil. Avoid any other oil at all costs.
Wine vinegar: traditionally, Pipirrana is made with Sherry wine vinegar; however, if you cannot find it, use any good quality wine vinegar. Avoid balsamic vinegar since the flavor would change drastically the final flavor of Pipirrana.
Tuna fish: Pipirrana can be made without the addition of tuna fish. However, a good canned bonito can make Pipirrana a very complete dish. If adding any, avoid using any flavored tuna and choose plain canned tuna (in olive oil if possible, preferably)
Storage: Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day in a covered container.
Pipirrana Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Big salad bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 1 kg big juicy and ripe tomatoes
- 2 green Italian peppers
- 1 spring onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp Sherry wine
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 1/2 cups canned tuna
- 1 loaf of white bread to serve it with
Nutrition
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes well and drain.
- Peel them and chop them in rough bite-size chunks. Set them aside in the salad bowl with a bit of salt so they can start to release their juices.
- Cut the green peppers in half and remove the stem and the seeds. Chop them finely and add to the salad bowl with the tomatoes. Reserve a bit of them aside.
- Peel the outer layer of the spring onion and discard. Cut the base and also the green part. Chop finely and add to the salad bowl.
- Prep the eggs: Boil them for 10 minutes. Once they have cooled down peel and chop in half. Separate the whites from the yolks setting them aside. Chop the egg whites finely and add them to the salad bowl.
- In the mortar add the egg yolks, the reserved green pepper, the clove of garlic (peeled and stem removed), and a bit of salt.
- Pestle until a rough paste is starting to form. Add the oil slowly to it to form a cream.
- Add the formed cream to the salad bowl and mix well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the wine vinegar and mix well.
- Taste and adjust salt or the rest of the dressing ingredients if needed.
- Serve immediately with a loaf of fresh white rustic bread, or let sit for 30 minutes for maximum development of the flavors.
