Piment d’Espelette
We have finally sourced Piment d’Espelette, that finely-flaked chilli from the Basque region of France. Produced in only ten small villages with a total growing area of 3,000 acres, it bears the coveted Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation. With its delicious sweet and fruity aroma and mild chilli heat, it is beloved of recipe-writers the world over. It has a gorgeous rosy colour and we’re loving it in our Sunday night scrambled eggs. It makes a dazzling appearance at breakfast or brunch too… heat olive oil in a pan, and cook slowly: sliced onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes and plenty of green and red capsicums, seasoned generously with Piment d’Espelette and salt and pepper (chop a chorizo into small dice and put that in too, if you like). Serve over toasted sourdough slices… yum!
It’s also great in Chatchouka (or Shashouka) which is currently finding its way onto the blackboard breakfast menus of many a trendy restaurant. Sadly, the quality and exclusivity of this product is reflected in the price we have to pay. In a 15 gram pack, it sells for $12.90. That’s the same outlay as for an average bottle of wine, and your Piment d’Espelette will last much longer than that!