To relieve boredom, why not add a new spice to your repotoire? Try A.O.C. Piment d’Espelette and our recipe for Piperrada!

Recipe by Erin Eastland
Photos by Amy Sheridan

It’s around this time of year when I start to get a little bored with myself. Is it the winter blahs? Maybe. But I find myself at the makeup counter looking for a new lipstick or browsing our spice section for a new ingredient. Sometimes, you just need to mix it up a little. Give what you already have a little ‘oooomph’.

In my cooking, I find the best way to do this is with spices, even if it’s a spice I thought I knew or have used before. A little research through cookbooks or a quick google search, can have you on your way to jazzing up your cooking in no time.

This December, when my mood toward all things me turned a little boring, I turned to A.O.C. Piment d’Espellette. We had just gotten in a fresh batch from France, and I thought, I haven’t used this in awhile, let’s take it out for a spin. Wildly popular in Basque country cooking, this dried pepper comes from a plant that was actually brought to France from Mexico in the 16th century (you know, by that famous explorer Christopher Columbus). Not hot, it only scores a 4 on the Scoville scale, but it’s become more popular than black pepper on the tables of Basque cooks.

This recipe is for what appears to be the classic Italian Peperonata. In the Basque region of France this dish is called Piperrada and is made with green peppers, onions, tomato and our re-discovered Piment d’Espellete. Here, we substituted the green peppers for a mix of red, yellow and orange (we find that sometimes green peppers give us indigestion), added a little sliced fennel for sweetness, and topped the glorious mixture with a fried egg. You could also poach the eggs right on top of the pepper mixture and serve with crusty bread and a simple green salad.

And, while you’ve got that jar of espelette open, why don’t you try pairing it with fish, in your hummus, sprinkled over fried chickpeas, or in any of our Rancho Gordo beans. Here’s a tip: add Piment d’Espelette at the beginning of the cooking process for best results.

Directions

1. De-seed and de-rib the peppers.
2. Slice very thinly.
3. Thinly slice the onion and fennel.
4. In a large saute pan, heat the oil.
5. Add the onions, peppers and fennel and saute over medium heat until very soft but not browned, about 30 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes, garlic and espelette.

1. Cook until the tomatoes break down and create a sauce and the garlic is soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Deglaze with the wine, cook another 5 minutes to cook out the liquid, season.
3. When the Piperrada is almost finished, fry the egg sunnyside up, by heating a non-stick pan, coating with olive oil or butter and frying to desired doneness.

Serve one egg over ¼ of the peperonata.

You can garnish with Pecorino or Parmesan cheese for a little added kick.

Happy Cooking,
Erin