Pisto
Pisto is a Spanish vegetable dish made from various vegetables of the season like a ratatouille is cooked. In Spain it is also known as Pisto Manchego (“Pisto from La Mancha ”) or Moje , although it is known and cooked across the country.
Ingredients and preparation
This dish was probably coined by the farmers from the La Mancha region, who prepared this dish from the currently available, harvested vegetables from their own gardens . Pisto can therefore vary greatly depending on the season, the region and your own taste. In most cases the following ingredients are included: tomatoes , onions , eggplant or zucchini , green and red peppers , garlic and olive oil .
The vegetables are cut into small cubes. The olive oil is heated in a saucepan. Then the diced vegetables are added. Even if no strict sequence is prescribed, it is recommended to add the onions first, then the peppers, then the zucchini or eggplant and finally the tomatoes. The vegetables are braised in their own juice . After cooking , the pisto should "sit down" a little, i. H. it is left on the switched off hotplate for about half an hour without moving it.
Serving
Pisto can be eaten hot or cold. It is usually served with a fried egg and bread or as a side dish to a sausage , such as B. the Longaniza . Pisto is often served in ceramic bowls . In some bars it is also offered as a tapa ; in these cases it is often served with a few pieces of Serrano ham .
offer
Pisto can also be bought in cans or screw-top jars in Spanish supermarkets. It is also available frozen . In addition, many Spanish bars offer Pisto in their lunch menu as a primer plato , as the first course. The freshly prepared pisto is mainly offered in summer and autumn, when the vegetables have been freshly harvested. It is suitable for boiling down .
variants
Pisto is very versatile. It can also be used for the filling of empanadas and empanadillas; for this purpose it is often mixed with tuna or chorizo .
In addition to the Pisto Manchego, there is also the Pisto a la Bilbaína ("Pisto in the style of Bilbao "). This Basque variant usually only contains zucchini and green peppers in tomato sauce and is sometimes served mixed with scrambled eggs .
