Tortos de maíz

Step 1: Mix 9 oz fine yellow cornmeal and 1 tsp salt in a bowl, pour in 1 cup hot water and stir with a spoon. When cool enough to handle, knead for 3–4 minutes into a smooth, putty-like dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Divide the dough into 8 balls and flatten each between two sheets of baking paper into a disc about 10 cm wide and 5 mm thick. Smooth any cracked edges with a damp finger.

Step 3: Heat ½ cup olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of dough sizzles hard. Fry the tortos two or three at a time for 2 minutes a side, until they puff slightly, go golden with darker blisters and sound crisp when tapped. Drain on kitchen paper.

Step 4: In a second pan, heat a little of 1 ½ tbsp olive oil and fry 8 small green frying peppers over a medium-high heat, turning, until blistered and soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 pinch flaky sea salt.

Step 5: Add the rest of 2 ½ tbsp olive oil to the pan and fry 4 eggs over a medium heat, spooning hot oil over the yolks, until the whites are set with lacy edges and the yolks still run. A common mistake is frying the eggs ahead: they must be runny to soak into the tortos.

Step 6: Put two tortos on each plate, top with a fried egg and the peppers, and scatter over the blue cheese if using. Break the yolk at the table so it runs into the corn.