My Basque Piperade recipe is a delicious, mildly spiced vegetable stew. Piperade is used as a side dish with meats, eggs, or as a component in my Ratatouille recipe. It is made with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Piperade has a mild amount of heat coming from the Espelette pepper and paprika. This piperade recipe originated in the Basque region on the borders of France and Spain.
I live in Texas, unfortunately, I rarely have Espelette peppers in my grocery store. Therefore, I have substituted roasted Jalapeno pepper on my piperade recipe. The Scoville heat scale for both the Espelette and Jalapeno peppers is roughly around 4000 SHU. As a result, this makes the jalapeño a great substitute for the Espelette pepper. However, if you can get Espelette peppers, by all means, use them to make the Basque piperade.
Piperade Ingredients
- Roasted Bell Peppers: I use a combination of red and yellow bell peppers in my Basque Piperade recipe. Roast the peppers over an open flame until the skin is charred and blistered.
- Espelette or Jalapeño Peppers: Both the Espelette and the Jalapeño peppers have a similar amount of heat. However, the Espelette pepper is more authentic in the Piperade, with the jalapeño being a great substitute.
- Roasted Garlic: Roasting garlic mellows the flavor and almost makes them taste sweet. Toast the individual cloves with the skin on until the skin starts to turn dark. About 4-5 minutes.
- Tomatoes: Although any variety will work, Roma tomatoes are perfect for Basque Piperade.
- Onions: Any variety of onion will work. Slice the onions very thin and leave them in long strips.
- Paprika, and Red Pepper Flakes: These spices add a little heat and create a beautiful red color to the piperade.
How to Roast Peppers For Basque Piperade
There are three methods I like to use for roasting peppers. Over an open flame, in a dry skillet, or in the oven. Here is how I do each method;
- In a Skillet: Place the peppers in a dry non-stick skillet over high heat. Turn the peppers frequently until the skin is blackened and blistered, this takes about 20-minutes. Place the hot pepper in a plastic bag and seal it for 15-minutes to steam. This loosens the skin and allows you to easily remove it with your fingers.
- In the Oven: Cut the peppers into quarters and remove the seeds. Place the peppers on a sheet tray skin side up and place it in a preheated 475°F oven. Roast until the skin blisters and begins to brown. Place the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover tightly to cool. Remove the skin with your fingers.
- Over an Open Flame: This method works on a grill or gas stovetop. Have the flame at high heat and place the peppers directly over the flame. Turm frequently until the skin turns black. Place the hot pepper in a plastic bag and seal it for 15-minutes to steam. This loosens the skin and allows you to easily remove it with your fingers.
The delicious Piperade recipe has a beautiful, fiery red color
I roast the peppers and the garlic for the Piperade to bring out the best flavors of each of the ingredients. The Basque Piperade is a major component in my Ratatouille Byaldi recipe
This is my Basque Piperade recipe:
Basque Piperade
Ingredients
- 1 Red Bell Pepper roasted, seeds removed, long thin slices
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper roasted, seeds removed, long thin slices
- 2 Espelette peppers roasted, seeds removed, long thin slices
- 4 Roma Tomatoes peeled, seeds removed, ½ inch dice
- 5 Cloves Roasted Garlic crushed and chopped
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion Thin sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Roast all the peppers over an open flame until completely charred. Place in a sealed container and let them steam until cool. Once cool, remove charred skin, remove seeds and cut into thin strips
- To peel tomatoes, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cut a small X on the end of the tomato. Place the tomato into the boiling water for approximately 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place them immediately into cold water. Skins will come off with your fingers
- Peel tomatoes remove seeds and dice into ½ inch dice
- To roast individual cloves of garlic, I toast them in a dry skillet with the skin on. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat, place the garlic cloves in the dry skillet and cover, shake the skillet occasionally. After about 4-5 minutes remove the garlic and let cool
- Remove the skin from the roasted garlic, crush and chop
- In a medium-sized saucepan, place the olive oil and onion over medium-high heat, saute until soft
- Add garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings. bring to a simmer until tomatoes are soft. approximately 10-15 minutes
- Add peppers, return to a simmer, cover and remove from the heat.
Nutrition
Roasting the peppers over an open flame adds a nice smokiness to the piperade.
