Duck axoa: the Basque recipe with a knife

I have a soft spot for axoa: this simple Basque dish, somewhere between a stir-fry and a stew, with its wonderful aroma of caramelized onions, peppers, and Espelette pepper. Traditionally, it's made with veal, but in the Basque Country, it's also made with duck, and frankly… the duck adds a meatier, more "bistro-style" touch, without making things complicated.

My version sticks to the basics: hand-chopped meat (not puréed), onions, bell peppers, garlic, Espelette pepper, a little white wine to deglaze, then a short, covered simmer to allow everything to meld together. The secret is the size of the pieces: small and uniform, so it cooks quickly and each bite has a little bit of everything.

Seasonally, I love making it with ripe bell peppers and a yellow onion that becomes almost sweet when cooked. And if you happen to have some beautiful tomatoes, a little chopped tomato at the end of cooking gives it a richer sauce, without turning the axoa into a tomato sauce.

Serve it traditionally with steamed or sautéed potatoes. And if you like it just "hot enough," add the Espelette pepper in two stages: a little during cooking, then a tiny pinch when serving, for the aroma.

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Duck axoa

Recipe by Sylvain Renan

0.0 out of 0 votes

Type of dish: Main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: easy

Parts

4

parts

Preparation time

25

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

433

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

A Basque-style duck axoa, simmered quickly but thoroughly, with melting peppers, sweet onion, and Espelette pepper. All brought together just right, for a warm and fragrant dish.

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Ingredients

• 600g fillets or boneless leg, skinless), chopped with a knife

• 2 yellow onions (approx. 125g per onion), sliced

• 2 green bell peppers (approx. 150g per pepper), deseeded and cut into small dice

• 1 red bell pepper (approx. 150g per pepper), deseeded and cut into small dice

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 crushed tomatoes (approx. 120g per unit)

• 12 cl of dry white wine

• 15 cl of chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons of duck fat (or neutral oil)

• 1 tablespoon of flour

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon of Espelette pepper (plus a little extra for serving)

• 1 teaspoon of fine salt (adjust as needed)

• Black pepper

Preparation steps

• Prepare the meat: cut the duck into small cubes (5 to 8 mm). The idea is to have a "knife-cut" texture: it remains juicy and retains some texture.
• Melt the duck fat in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and sweat them for 6 minutes, until they become translucent.
• Add the diced peppers. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring often: they should begin to soften without burning (lower the heat slightly if they start to stick).
• Add the garlic, bay leaf and Espelette pepper. Mix for 30 seconds, just to awaken the aromas.
• Push the vegetables to the sides, turn up the heat slightly and add the duck to the center. Sear for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally: the meat should lose its raw appearance without drying out.
• Sprinkle the flour over everything. Mix for 1 minute: the flour should coat and cook a little (this avoids the "floury" taste).
• Deglaze with white wine, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it reduce for 2 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and stock. Stir, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes over low heat. The texture should be thickened, not soupy.
• Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and chili. Serve piping hot, with a pinch of Espelette pepper at the last minute.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 360g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

If you prepare the axoa a little in advance, reheat it over low heat with a splash of stock: it immediately regains its softness without drying out.

💡 Chef's Tips

For a quick but successful Basque axoa , the key is the size of the cubes: the more uniform they are, the shorter and more tender the cooking time. If the bottom starts to stick, lower the heat and add 2 tablespoons of water or stock, then scrape gently.

🔄 Variations

• More traditional “Basque house”: replace the red pepper with another green pepper, for a more vegetal and slightly bitter axoa.
• For a more melt-in-your-mouth texture: add 1 small sweet pepper (like Anglet pepper) sliced ​​with the peppers, if you can find them.

Sylvain Renan

Editor-in-chief of the Simple & Bon website. A writer passionate about cooking and property renovation in general. I also love to travel and discover new cultures.