Living in New York, I have a very hard time understanding the term "hard-to-find." So, when I set my heart on making a recipe for Steak with Anchovy Butter from noted Piperade Chef Gerald Hirigoyen's book The Basque Kitchen: Tempting Food from the Pyrenees, I was shocked to find that a key ingredient - piment d'Espelette - was difficult to locate.
Having dined not long ago at San Francisco's Piperade, where it is used as a mainstay condiment, I knew that this red spice was hauntingly spicy and evocatively smoky/sweet. I could try to substitute a little Hungarian Paprika and a dash of Cayenne, but it just wouldn't be the same.
This magical spice is made solely from native red peppers grown in the tiny village of Espelette, in the heart of the French Basque region, where it is often strung in garlands and hung out to dry in front of the town's quaint homes (as pictured above). And, with only one Pyrenee community producing this fragrant, firey stuff, it seemed inevitable that even in NYC, the stuff would be hard to find. I called dozens of gourmet shops and came up empty.
I finally resorted to the Internet. And, then, like carrying an umbrella so it won't rain, once I placed the order, I happened upon the spice at Adriana's in Grand Central Terminal. Ain't that the way of the world?
I'll let you know if my "spice hunt" was worth the effort after my weekend dinner party. Stay tuned.
Comments