Sardines with Piment d'Espelette

Sardines with Piment d'Espelette – from Jean de Luz

The Jean de Luz Sardines with Piment d'Espelette are excellent, large sardines from the Basque Country. They are not only preserved in Basque olive oil but also seasoned with probably the most Basque of all spices, Piment d'Espelette AOP, which gives the sardines a fruity, slightly smoky heat.

What makes Jean de Luz sardines in olive oil special is their unique production process, which reflects the tradition of the Basque Country and differs significantly from that of the Bretons. At Jean de Luz, sardines are caught in winter when they are fully grown, making them larger and less fatty. The artisanal production method dates back to the time of the Penn Sardin, when numerous canneries in Saint Jean de Luz, the historical cradle of tuna and sardine fishing, processed, canned, and thus preserved fish. The sardines for Jean de Luz are caught à la bolinche (close to the coast), then first salted and dried for several days before being raw, meaning neither fried nor deep-fried, hand-packed into jars with salt and olive oil.

The extra virgin olive oil used, from the indigenous Empeltre variety, comes from a small mill south of Pamplona. The salt also comes from Navarra. It is not extracted by the sea, but in the mountains at 700m above sea level. All ingredients were selected according to the same principle: local and good. The Piment d’Espelette comes from a place less than 30 km from Jean de Luz.

Sardines in olive oil – enjoy cold or warm

These sardines in olive oil can be eaten directly from the jar, cold, with a salad, as tapas with a slice of bread, or even on a sandwich during a picnic. But they also taste great as a pintxo, a small warm dish, briefly heated in a small pan with tomatoes and onions.

The advantage of glass packaging: it is resealable and can be kept in the refrigerator for four weeks after opening. It is also plastic-free and the lids are guaranteed Bisphenol and ESBO free.

The Jean de Luz sardines in olive oil with Piment d'Espelette contain no preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings, or industrial sugar. The list of ingredients is short. Transparency is important to the charismatic founder Jean-Hilaire, so he prints on each jar which fisherman caught the sardines. After all, you should know exactly where the fish you eat comes from.

Content 270g – Drained weight 190g