In every culture and region in the world, you will find cuisine that defines the local flavors. In Basque Country, one of those dishes is piperade. Pair with a Basque cider and finish it off with Gâteau Basque for dessert.

Ingredients

• 4 strips of thickly cut ham
• 3 medium green or red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) sugar
• Hot paprika, to taste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add tomatoes and cook until skin begins to wrinkle. Drain pot and peel off skin.
• In a skillet heated to medium-high, heat oil, then add onion, peppers and salt. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes.
• Add garlic and continue to sauté for one more minute.
• Stir in tomatoes, then add sugar and hot paprika. Cook until tomatoes and peppers are soft but still hold their shape, about 10 minutes.
• Continue to cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes more. Fry ham strips to your taste and arrange them on top of the mixture. I added ham to mine, but as the piperade may be served as main or side dish, feel free to add other ingredients.

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Questions?

If you have any questions about this recipe, contact Cristina Tung at cristinatung@hotmail.com.

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