Roll up for a unique taste of Basque Country cooking

At the market, this sausage tends to be grilled and served on corn flatbread, but when you want to make a meal of it, this simple tart celebrates the flavours of the Basque Country.

This sausage tart is a lot of fun, and delicious. Picture: Nikki To

When travelling abroad, there is nothing like visiting a local food market to really feel the pulse of a place and observe the everyday interactions of its people. Fruit and vegetables are often neatly stacked in pyramids or overflowing from baskets, while the aroma of grilled meats, the fragrant hint of local spices, and the sweet scent of freshly baked bread and pastries all mingle together in a sensory journey, enticing you to explore further.

Some of my favourites are in the Basque Country and I would often head to the bustling markets at Gernika where locals celebrate the best of Basque cuisine and tradition. As you stroll through the stalls, you are greeted by a kaleidoscope of colours and tables abundant with local sheep cheeses, dried beans, artichokes, peppers, baked tarts and cured meats.

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At the heart of any Basque market is txistorra, a type of fresh sausage made from minced pork seasoned with garlic, salt and pimenton which gives it a distinctive red hue and smoky characteristic. While it bears all the hallmarks of a chorizo, chorizo is cured and comes in shorter, thicker links, while txistorra is longer and thinner and often linked in rounds. At the market, it tends to be grilled and served on a coarse corn flatbread known as talo, but when you want to make more of a meal of it, try making this simple tart that celebrates the flavours of the Basque Country. This humble dish also incorporates piperade, a traditional Basque condiment made from the trifecta of onion, green and red peppers (which emulate the colours of the national flag) cooked until tender. Bursting with freshness and brightness, piperade provides a burst of colour and sweet tanginess that balances the richness of the sausage.

A simple green salad or some charred greens is the best accompaniment and I also like to serve it with rebujito, a unique and refreshing cocktail. Find the recipe for that here.

Sausage and a spritz. Picture: Nikki To

When your sausage has a makeover it comes out like this. Picture: Nikki To

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Basque tart

Ingredients

• 800g txistorra or fresh chorizo (you could also use Cumberland sausage or boerewors)
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (all-butter quality puff)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green pepper, finely sliced
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• 100ml olive oil
• 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely sliced into rings
• 100ml apple vinegar
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Sea salt

Method

1. Over a medium heat, heat 100ml of olive oil in a pan, add the sliced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Stir in sliced red and green peppers, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened, season with salt and cook slowly for 30-35 minutes until the mixture caramelises into an unctuous mess.
2. If the txistorra is in linked lengths, carefully untwist the links and roll the txistorra into an even coil. Cut a circle of baking paper larger than the finished coil, giving an approximate 3cm border all the way around.
3. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out your pastry until it is 2mm-3mm thick. Place the baking paper template over the pastry and cut around it with a sharp knife to make your circle. Place the pastry on your circle of baking paper.
4. Place on the baking tray and carefully fold and tuck the edges of the pastry towards the centre to create a raised border all around 1.5cm wide. Prick the inside base of the tart shell and allow to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200C.
5. Brush the shell with 1 beaten egg and then bake for 10-15 minutes until light brown and lightly baked.
6. In a small pan warm together the honey and the vinegar with a pinch of salt and one sprig of thyme and pour over the sliced shallot to lightly pickle.
7. To assemble, spread the onion and pepper mixture (piperade) evenly over the inside of the pre-baked tart.
8. Arrange the coiled txistorra inside the tart on top of the piperade. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Top with sprigs of thyme and slices of pickled shallot.
9. Serve the txistorra tart warm or at room temperature. Serves 4

Note: if using Cumberland sausage or boerewors, you may need to adjust your cooking time depending on the thickness of the sausage.