Jamie Oliver's Favorite Ingredient Is This Spicy Seasoning

Espelette peppers are more than a Michelin Star-style upgrade for pink sauce – they're also Jamie Oliver's new favorite ingredient. In an interview with The Times, Oliver revealed how much he loves this French ingredient and shared some of his favorite ways to use the spicy seasoning.

While most people may not associate French cuisine with spicy peppers, this little firecracker of flavor originated in the Basque Region near Spain. Oliver explains the flavor as "slightly sweet but also umami-ed." Lauding its versatility, Oliver says you can use it as a cooked ingredient or like salt and pepper, sprinkling it over cooked food to give it a little extra kick. This pepper sits at around 4,000 Scoville units, making it milder than many jalapenos while still maintaining enough heat to be noticeable. Like lemon drop chiles, they have a decidedly fruity flavor that gives them more nuance than more vegetable-forward peppers like serranos or scotch bonnets.

This blend of different flavors means you can use them in just about anything. The French government only allows limited export of this ingredient, so finding it fresh is quite difficult. However, Oliver has no problem with sticking to powdered varieties, since it's such a great substitute for traditional cayenne, paprika, or black pepper. From salad dressings to stews, you can use this dried pepper in just about anything, provided you treat it well.

Heat affects the flavor release of spices by bringing their oils to the surface, suffusing your recipe with incredible taste. However, Espelette pepper is plenty flavorful without heat, so Jamie Oliver's preferred method of topping his prepared food with it still delivers tons of taste. Just half a teaspoon of dried Espelette is enough to transform more than four tablespoons of salad dressing into something with a serious kick. This is particularly great with vinaigrettes, as the natural fruitiness of the pepper pairs wonderfully with the sharp tang of vinegar and citrus juices. When rounded out with a bit of that sinus-filling heat from mustard, you get a comprehensive dressing that can liven up lettuce or work well with the overt bitterness of raw arugula.

Poulet Basquaise, or "Basque Chicken," is a traditional Southern French dish that revolves around using only a pinch of dried Espelette to liven up the dish. While this stew is on the heavier side, thanks to the butter and chicken fat, it uses the pepper to brighten up the dish, similar to a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. By browning Espelette-dusted meat first, you suffuse it with a bit of spice and activate its flavors in chicken fat. That same pepper-flavored fat sautes the vegetables before dispersing into the stock, ensuring every step of the recipe has enough Espelette to make the dish taste bright and more effervescent.