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Axoa de veau
Minced veal and pepper stew
Axoa: Espelette's minced veal stew with sweet peppers and Espelette pepper
Axoa (say 'ash-o-a') comes from Espelette, the Basque village whose house fronts are hung with strings of drying red peppers every autumn, and it is still the dish of the October pepper fair and of market-day lunches in Cambo and Bayonne. Veal shoulder is cut into small dice, then stewed with onions, mild green peppers and a good spoonful of ground Espelette pepper, which brings warmth and a fruity, smoky perfume rather than real fire. The result is soft, juicy and brick-red at the edges, best spooned over boiled potatoes or with crusty bread. Chef's tip: stir most of the Espelette pepper in at the end of cooking; long simmering dulls its fragrance.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb veal shouldercut into 1 cm dice, or coarsely minced by the butcher
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 4 mild green pepperssuch as Anglet or long green peppers, seeded and diced
- 1 red pepperseeded and diced
- 3 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 2 tsp ground Espelette pepperor 1 tsp sweet paprika plus 1/2 tsp mild chilli flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup veal or chicken stockcheck the label if you need it gluten free
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb small waxy potatoesscrubbed
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ¾ lb veal shoulder dry with kitchen paper and season with half the ½ tsp salt.
Step 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp olive oil in a wide casserole over a high heat. Add the veal in two batches and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes each, until it loses its pink colour and takes a little colour. Don't tip it all in at once: crowded meat stews in its own juices and turns grey and tough.
8 minStep 4: Add 4 mild green peppers, 1 red pepper and 3 garlic cloves and cook for 8 minutes, until the peppers are soft and glossy.
8 minStep 5: Return the veal to the pan with 2 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, a third of ⅔ tsp ground Espelette pepper and 1 cup veal or chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick sauce that coats the meat. Minced veal should reach 160°F.
25 minStep 6: Meanwhile, boil 1 ¾ lb small waxy potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily, and drain.
20 minStep 7: Stir the rest of 1 ⅓ tsp ground Espelette pepper and the rest of the ½ tsp salt into the axoa, simmer for 2 minutes more, then remove the thyme and bay. Taste and adjust.
2 minStep 8: Serve over the potatoes, scattered with parsley.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does axoa de veau take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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