Once upon a time, on a culinary trip to the Basque region of Spain, chef Dave Beran stumbled upon a gem of a sweet. It was an amazing, heart-stopping, cannot-stop-eating cheesecake at a teeny, tiny pintxos place. As Dave put it, it was “a happy accident.” Now, this is not your typical cheesecake. It has only five ingredients, comes together in a food processor, and emerges from the oven jiggly and blackened. It is one of the best things you will ever taste and as Dave says, “it’s stupid simple.”
This Basque mixture of peppers, onions, and tomatoes flavored with piment d’Espelette is the basis for the chicken dish known as Poulet Basque as well as for Eggs Piperade. But it’s also great as a relish served alongside pork, lamb, or any mild fish. It’s even good just scooped up on a cracker.