Piperade is a traditional dish from the Basque Country and the Béarn region of south-west France. Its name comes from the Basque word pipèr, meaning red pepper. It can be served as a main dish or as a side alongside meat, Bayonne ham, fish or sheep’s cheese. The colours of this dish beautifully reflect those of the Basque flag, the Ikurriña: red, green and white.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 6 ripe tomatoes
- 4 medium onions
- 2–3 sweet Espelette peppers (green, for the Basque flag colours!)
- 1 pinch of ground Espelette pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 3 thick slices of Bayonne ham (or Parma ham)
Instructions
This dish is traditionally cooked in a cazuela — a terracotta cooking pot. If you don’t have one, a large frying pan or wok works perfectly well. The key ingredient is the sweet pepper.
💡 Tip: If you buy fresh Espelette peppers in the Basque Country during their season (May to October), you can freeze them: simply remove the seeds first, then seal in a freezer bag.
- Deseed the peppers and chop them into small pieces.
- Peel and chop the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes. Thinly slice the onions.
- In an oiled pan, sauté the onions until translucent, then add the sweet peppers.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer over low heat, stirring regularly so nothing sticks.
- Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of ground Espelette pepper.
- Beat the eggs and stir them into the piperade. Cook gently, stirring, until the eggs are just set.
- Serve topped with strips of Bayonne ham.
Bon appétit! 🌶️🇫🇷