Taloa basque à la ventrèche

Name: Taloa basque à la ventrèche
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Basque Country
Ingredients: 250 g (1⅔ cups) fine cornmeal; 100 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour; 300 ml (1¼ cups) hot water; 1 tsp fleur de sel; 8 slices ventrèche (cured pork belly); 150 g (5 oz) sheep's milk cheese

Basque taloa with ventrèche

⏱ 45 minServes 4Medium610 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients4 servings

250 g (9 oz)fine cornmeal
100 g (3½ oz)all-purpose flour
300 ml (1¼ cups)hot water
1 tspfleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
8 slicesventrèche (cured pork belly)
150 g (5 oz)sheep's milk cheese

250 g (9 oz) fine cornmeal
100 g (3½ oz) all-purpose flour
300 ml (1¼ cups) hot water
1 tsp fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
8 slices ventrèche (cured pork belly)
150 g (5 oz) sheep's milk cheese

Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

1 bowl (2 L / 2 qt)

1 griddle or large skillet, 28 cm (11 in)

1 rolling pin (30 cm / 12 in)

1 wide spatula

03 — Method

Mix the fine cornmeal, wheat flour and fleur de sel in the bowl, then gradually work in the hot water until the dough is supple and not sticky.
Knead the still-warm dough briefly until smooth, then divide into four equal balls and let rest about 10 minutes under a towel.
Roll each ball between two sheets of parchment paper into thin rounds about 20 cm (8 in) across, without tearing.
Cook the taloak on the hot griddle 2 to 3 min per side until lightly golden with small brown spots.
Grill the ventrèche on the griddle until golden and crisp, then lay it on one half of each hot taloa.
Add a few thin slices of sheep's cheese, fold the taloa in half like a turnover and serve hot right away, to eat by hand.