Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier’s passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.
Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco
Hola! My name is Javier De La Hormaza, a Basque born, adopted Yorkshire man, trained chef but lifetime cook, lover of food without gels or froths, hospitality professional turned food importer. Hope you enjoy my blog!
3 January 2023
26 November 2022
23 July 2022
Tel: 01937 845 767
Email: info@bascofinefoods.com
Unit 427C Birch Park
Thorp Arch Estate
Wetherby, West Yorkshire
LS23 7FG
Bacalao a la Vizcaina (salt cod in Biscay sauce) is one of the old time classic salt cod recipes. Vizcaina sauce is the red sauce of Basque cooking, made exclusively from red onions and choricero pepper puree and not tomato, like many people think. This topic has created huge debates between chefs and gastronomic people in Spain for hundreds of years, does Vizcaina sauce have tomato or not? My view is that sauce was already made in Vizcaya before fresh tomatoes entered the market, so no tomato thanks. Choricero peppers are small, thin red peppers which are tied together and hung to dry. The peppers are rehydrated in warm water and the flesh scraped out to use in the sauce. You can now buy choricero pepper puree in small jars, which makes the preparation of this sauce quicker, although nothing beats freshly scrapped choricero pepper flesh. Vizcaina sauce works well with fish or meat. I like it with barbecued monkfish tails or with braised beef.