cod basquaise

I had a dream last week that I sat beside Eric Ripert on an airplane and brought him home to make him dinner. He played with our kids and changed their diapers. And he liked the dinner we made for him. At least he said he did.

That's the kind of chef that I love.

If you don't get Ripert's show, Avec Eric, you're missing something special. In each episode, he typically visits an artisan farmer of some sort (bee keeper, wine maker), becomes inspired, and then goes home to his Manhattan apartment and makes something based upon his inspiration. He's a chef who hasn't lost his sense of wonder about the world. His enthusiasm is infectious, and you think "I could make that, too." This is one of the best chefs in the world, and he inspires instead of intimidates. Maybe it's because he's a French Buddhist. Maybe it's because he's confident in his craft. Maybe it's because he's willing to change my kids' diapers.

So.

Be inspired.

Try this one. It's quick, incredibly easy. Tastes spectacular. There's a tiny bit of chopping, but you can handle it.

The approach comes from Basque regional cooking. Slow-cooked peppers, tomatoes, onions, ham. Pefectly cooked fish. I get intimidated by fish, but following Ripert's instructions gives me confidence.

We made some changes to the recipe:

• The "fresh" tomatoes at the market looked horrible. I used canned plum tomatoes.
• Instead of Serrano ham, we used prosciutto. It's not the same. But it tasted great.
• Instead of Espelette pepper, we used smoked paprika (maybe my favorite seasoning), but a lot less of what is called for in the recipe. Smoked paprika has an intense flavor that quickly overwhelms everything it touches. And you're using a beautiful bit of fish, so go easy.
• Speaking of fish, we couldn't get fresh cod. We used halibut. Life goes on.

This is a non-fussy dish to prepare that looks like you spent hours making it. It will take you about 30 minutes. You don't have to tell anyone.

Recipe | Cod Basquaise