Ace gave me this can of this intriguing spice on Valentines Day. It was part of a red-themed cooking gift, nestled in a beautiful lipstick red Creuset gratin dish, and it stood out with its bold graphics. It’s yet another example of the pepper’s amazing complexity and diversity. Espelette is the name of a village—technically a commune—in the French Pyrennees, and piment d’espelette is the pepper raised in villages in and around the region, then hung out to dry in the sun in late summer. The Basque use it in place of black pepper, lending its piquant character to Piperade and using it in the curing of local Bayonne hams. Pimenton d’espelette has a dusky, lively aroma. There’s a bit of heat, about the same as paprika, and a bit of smoke. It’s zesty, but with a lovely darkness that adds an interesting depth to its flavor. Perhaps it’s that ancient Iberian sun. Lately we’ve been using it to flavor gazpacho. We make a simple, breadless gazpacho: start with three pounds or so of ripe tomatoes, plus a cucumber (peeled and seeded), a green or red pepper, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, few tablespoons of olive oil, 1-2 tsp sherry vinegar, a tsp of piment d’espelette, and salt to taste. Also a pinch of cayenne if you want the heat. Chop coarsely, blend it all, taste, adjust seasonings, and allow to chill. If it’s too thick you can thin with water or tomato juice. It gets increasingly garlicky with each hour.
