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Axoa

Ready in 50 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Axoa, pronounced 'achoa', was originally eaten on market days and originated from the chilli village of Espelette in the Basque Country of France. It is a typical dish of the Basque Country, which you will often find on the menus of local restaurants, alongside Basque chicken, piperade and Basque cake.

Axoa is traditionally made from beef or veal, though I've had it made with duck, and it was equally as good.

Preparation Time

20 Minutes

Cooking Time

30 Minutes

Ingredients for Axoa

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

Serves 4:

1¾ lb Beef or veal
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
10 Basque green chilli peppers
2 Red bell peppers
8 oz Bayonne ham
1 tablespoon Espelette pepper powder
1 bouquet garni
1 glass of dry white wine
  Olive Oil
  Salt & Freshly ground black pepper

How to Cook Axoa

  1. Chop the veal or beef into small bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and chop the garlic. Wash and seed the sweet peppers and the peppers. Slice them into small dice. Cut the ham into small pieces.
  2. Gently fry the onion and peppers in a casserole dish with the olive oil. When softened, add the veal and sauté for a few minutes. Over a low heat, add the ham. When the peppers are tender, add the veal or beef, the garlic, white wine and bouquet garni.
  3. Simmer for about 20 minutes then season with salt, freshly ground pepper and Espelette chilli pepper. (Any good chilli pepper will work if you can't get hold of Espelette)
  4. Remove the bouquet garni before serving. Serve with new or mashed potatoes
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
To make your Axoa even better, cook it the night before and reheat it on the day of the eating.
 
GRAHAM'S WINE RECOMMENDATION:
Accompany your Axoa with a robust wine from the same region such as the Irouleguy AOC or the Madiran AOC.