Perico (Venezuelan Scrambled Eggs and Vegetables)

Perico (meaning parakeet) is a dish that represents Venezuelan breakfast. The perico recipe is simple to prepare: scrambled eggs with a sofrito of onion and tomato.

What is Venezuelan perico?

Perico is a dish present at all Venezuelan tables regardless of social class, creed, or ancestry.

The word perico is widely used in South America. It can refer to a parakeet, a person who talks a lot, or a hallucinogenic substance.

However, in this case, we are talking about the recipe for a traditional Venezuelan dish.

Many people believe that the name of this scrambled egg dish is due to the colorful tone that the tomato gives it.

Perico is not part of the list of stars of Venezuelan cuisine, like hallacas, cachapas, arepas, among other delicacies. Quite the contrary, perico is a common, everyday dish that is taken for granted, even though it's a staple part of the late breakfast ritual.

It's so simple that it lends itself to the variation and sophistication of whoever prepares it. Some cooks add a splash of milk, and others add peppers, mushrooms, ham, or chorizo to give it more color and flavor.

The advantages of this dish are many. The ingredients are present on the shelves all year round. It does not require great skills on the part of the cook, And, it's easy to pair with other foods such as refried beans, cheese, arepas, pita, cassava, buns, bacon, and cream, among others.

Variations on the perico recipe

There are variations to the Venezuelan perico recipe, depending on the area.

Andean perico (or also Carupanero): In addition to the onion and tomato sofrito, in this region, they add finely chopped chorizo to the recipe. This gives the dish a reddish tone and sometimes a spicy touch. Sometimes they add red pepper as well.

Perico Yaracuyano: They omit the tomato in this perico recipe. Instead, they use onion, shallots, grated cheese, and a little vinegar.

But like with any recipe, each house and cook adds their own touch with what they have available.

For many families, perico is synonymous with a relaxing weekend. Waking up late without rushing. Taking the time to chop the vegetables, while making arepas.

How to serve perico scrambled eggs

A simple way to serve a perico recipe is with arepas and a cup of coffee. Cut the arepas in half and fill them with perico.

To the filled arepas you can also add cheese and avocado.

Desayuno criollo (creole breakfast) has a delicious combination of arepas filled with perico. On the side, they serve refried black beans topped with grated white cheese, avocado slices, and fried plantains. This breakfast is the favorite of Venezuelans.

The size of the arepas varies according to the diner's taste, as does the process of preparing the beans, some are sweet and others are salty.

Serving a perico recipe with arepas

If you are serving perico with arepas, don't be afraid to make your own homemade arepas.

Making arepas takes time. Plan to start one hour before you would like to eat.

Alternatively, you can make the arepas the day before and reheat them in the toaster before serving.

Tips for making perfect scrambled eggs

To make soft and creamy scrambled eggs, the heat should be medium-low. When the eggs begin to set, gently move the spoon or spatula across the bottom and the sides of the skillet to form large, soft curds.

Cook the eggs until they are thickened and no visible liquid remains.