lunaticsinge.com - Basque Cuisine Vegetables & Meat

Snails - (Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

1 lb. snails, wild or canned & drained.

virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 sweet Italian green pepper, (Cubanelle), diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 slices Iberico or Serrano ham, diced

1 small dried chile

3 1/2 oz. chorizo, sliced into thin coins

1 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

1. If using canned or jarred snails, soak in clean water for 5 minutes and drain, discarding any broken or damaged shells. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic then sauté for 10 minutes, lowering the heat to medium, until the onion is tender and transparent. Add the ham to the pan along with the chile.

3. Cook, stirring, until the ham begins to render, about 1 minute. Add the red wine and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water, stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the snails to the sauce.

4. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Cabbage - (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

2 lbs. Cabbage, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of the salt, and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage and boil, stirring occasionally to make sure all the cabbage is immersed, for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander. Run cold water over the cabbage or plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to color. Add the cabbage and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, long enough to heat the cabbage through - some parts may even get a bit of color. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

3. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm.

Tomato - Pepper Stew - (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes (1 lb.)

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 spring onions, julienned

Kosher salt

1 red bell pepper, julienned

2 sweet Italian green peppers (Cubanelle), thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Espelette pepper (optional)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Score the bottom of each tomato with an X and place them in the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. Peel the tomatoes (the skin should come off easily). Discard the skin and seeds, then finely dice the flesh. Set aside in a bowl.

3. In a large skillet, heat tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, and when it starts to "dance" and change color slightly, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to caramelize, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Add the red and green peppers, a pinch of salt, and if the mixture is looking dry, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are fully tender and the onions are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Add the diced tomatoes to the mixture, along with any juices that they have released. If using the Espelette pepper, add it now. Cook until the mixture has a homogeneous, stew-like texture, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Navarre-Style White Beans - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. shelled fresh white beans

1/2 onion, cut into edges

1 tomato, cut into 8 wedges

4 Gernika peppers ( can use padron or shishito peppers)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

1. Place all the ingredients except the salt in a pot and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a constant, gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.

2. Simmer gently until the beans are tender and the sauce looks thickened and somewhat creamy, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the freshness of the beans. Taste and season with salt and shake the pot to distribute. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve.

Simple Basque Salad - (Makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt

1 head green-leaf lettuce

1 spring onion

1. Mix the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.

2. Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and put them in a bowl. Very thinly slice the spring onion using a knife or a mandoline. Add to the bowl.

3. When ready to serve, sprinkle the lettuce and onion lightly with salt. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Serve.

Beef Cheeks - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 large beef cheeks (1 1/2 lbs.)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 leeks, coarsely shopped & rinsed well

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups red wine

3 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Cut each cheek into three equal-size pieces. Season thoroughly with salt and black pepper.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the meat and sear without moving for about 2 minutes. Once browned on the first side, turn it over and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes more, or until well seared on each side Remove and set aside on a plate.

3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, leeks, and tomato, along with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for a 10 minutes.

4. Arrange the beef cheeks on top of the vegetables and raise the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce. Add the stock and bring back to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low so the mixture is at a very gentle simmer. Cook for 2 hours, or until a knife inserted into each beef cheek comes out effortlessly.

5. Carefully remove the beef cheeks and set aside on a plate. Strain the mixture from the pot, discarding the vegetables. Return the strained liquid to medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes to reduce.

6. Ad the butter, stir, and cook for another minute. Return the beef cheeks to the pot with the reduced jus. If serving immediately, cook for 10 minutes more, until the liquid is rich and glazed. If serving later, store the mixture in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, return to the heat and cook for about 10 minutes to reduce.

7. Serve the cheeks alone or on top of a bed of mashed potatoes.

Veal Stew with Peppers - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or duck fat

2 cups diced bell peppers

1 small onion, diced

Kosher salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. veal, finely minced or ground

1/2 teaspoon Espelette pepper

1/3 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups veal stock (can use beef or chicken stock)

2 small potatoes, peeled

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and onion, along with a pinch of salt, and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes more, or until the vegetables are golden.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add the veal, Espelette pepper, and another generous pinch f salt and cook without stirring for a few minutes to get the veal a nice golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until cooked through. Add the wine and simmer for another minute.

3. Add the pepper-onion mixture to the veal and cook, stirring. Add the stock, which should be enough to cover. If it's not, add a bit more.

4. Cut the potatoes into large bite-size pieces by inserting a knife about 1/2-inch into a peeled potato and then rotating and lifting it, breaking off a piece. Rotate the potato slightly and repeat; repeat with the remaining potato.

5. Add the potatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, up to 30 minutes. Uncover and simmer for about 5 minutes more, if necessary, to thicken the mixture.