Salsa Vizcaina (Basque Choricero Pepper Sauce)
Prep 15 min Total 1 hr 20 min
Salsa Vizcaina (Basque Choricero Pepper Sauce) - kvalifood.com
A sauce from the Vizcaya province in the Basque Country, built on two pillars: slow-cooked onion and dried choricero pepper flesh. The red color comes entirely from the pepper, not from tomato. Traditional versions contain no tomato – the sauce predates the arrival of tomatoes in Spain.
Makes ca. 400 ml (4-6 servings)
Ingredients
- 6 dried choricero peppers (or 3 tbsp jarred choricero pepper pulp)
- 3 medium onions, preferably red, sliced thin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g day-old bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
- 80 ml white wine
- 200 ml stock (fish stock for fish, vegetable stock otherwise)
- salt, to taste
Directions
Remove stems and shake out seeds from choricero peppers. Cover with warm water and soak for 30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking water. Split each pepper and scrape out the soft red flesh with a spoon. Discard skins.
Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook slowly for 20-25 minutes until very soft and lightly golden. Add garlic in the last 2 minutes.
Add bread pieces and stir. Pour in white wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until mostly absorbed.
Stir in the choricero pepper flesh. Add stock (or soaking water). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. For the silkiest result, pass through a fine-mesh sieve. Adjust consistency with additional stock if too thick.
Season with salt. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, with a deep brick-red color.
Notes
Do not substitute with roasted red bell peppers – the flavor is fundamentally different.
Tomato is not traditional. The sauce predates tomato availability in Spain.
Ham bone or serrano ham can be added during simmering for extra depth. Remove before blending.
Keeps refrigerated up to one week. Freezes well. Traditionally paired with salt cod (bacalao a la vizcaina).
See Also
Salsa Verde (Basque Parsley Sauce for Fish)
Ajada (Galician Garlic and Paprika Sauce)
Picada (Catalan Nut and Garlic Paste)
Salsa Brava (Madrid-Style Spicy Tomato Sauce)
