Padrón peppers are great little things, either simply fried in the traditional tapas way, or used as ingredients in something else.

The problem is that, like most people, I just can’t think of enough things to do with them. I might never have thought of putting them into a breakfast/brunch dish, but Mark Hix did and I love the idea.

Ham and eggs are very Sunday brunchy, and the addition of a few padróns, some olive oil and coarse sea salt turn it instantly into a very Mediterranean Sunday (or any other day) brunch.

Notes on ingredients

The really important thing here is the quality of the ham. You should use nice thick slices (about ¾cm thick) of a good cooked ham.

The eggs can be either ducks or hens, but should be large. As always, free range eggs not only are much more ethical but do taste much better as well.

What to do

1. Heat 2 tbsps of the olive oil in a heavy frying pan, and when it is hot add the padróns and fry them for about 3 minutes, turning occasionally.

2. Put a slice of ham on each plate.

3. Fry the eggs in a tbsp of the olive oil, drain, and put one on top of each slice of ham.

4. Divide the padróns between the plates, scattering them over the ham and eggs.

5. Sprinkle with some coarse sea salt and a little paprika.