La Mancha vegetable stew (Pisto manchego)

1. Cut the onion, seeded peppers and courgettes into even cubes of about 1 cm; peel and chop the tomatoes.

2. Cook the onion in the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat for 10 minutes, then add the peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.

3. Add the courgettes, season with salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft.

4. Add the tomatoes and sugar (to balance the acidity) and simmer gently, stirring now and then, for 25-30 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the pisto is thick and jammy.

5. Spoon the pisto into bowls and top each with a fried egg (or poach the eggs on top of the pisto in the pan).

6. Serve warm with bread.

Tip: Pisto is a dish of patience: the slower and longer you cook it, the sweeter and deeper its flavour – it's even better the next day.