Orthodox Union
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Summer Sauce, Summer Not
Brian Mailman
[singing, sort of like Lerner & Loewe] "WHAT a DAY this has been, NOT rare this mood I'm in. . . why it's almost like. . . " like . . .
[coming back to Earth for a crash landing] like the usual it's- time- to- cook- dinner- and- it's- gotta- be- done- quickly and the cupboard's almost bare. Just some canned tuna, and some veggies I picked up a few days ago. It's summer, so tomatoes and bell peppers are on sale. I was thinking of pepper steaks and a tomato salad, but--no steak.
Ah well. It is what it is, and that's that with that. I digress.
So here's what we have--"Basque Sauce," a trad mixture from the Pyrenees, full of fresh vegetable flavor, aromatic olive oil, and spiced with paprika (what the Basque and Spanish folk call "pimentón") and a li'l kick of cayenne. This can be used many ways, and lissen up, here's some of 'em for three one-dish recipes.
You can prepare it with canned tuna for a quick, nutritious (3 of the required "seven colors a day") family meal. You can make it as a savory infused chicken for a company dinner. Even use as an omelet filling, or just poach eggs in the simmering sauce and served on a toasted English muffin. For a different Sunday brunch with eggs and potatoes, or a breakfast-for-dinner, I've lightened up the Spanish "tortilla" or potato-and-egg "cake" and turned it into a frittata, using fewer eggs, and the teensy new red potatoes instead of the heavier sliced russets.
It should keep in the fridge for a few days, so just make it when you have a chance and reheat later or since it freezes well, why not make a double batch with just a little extra slicing and freeze one for later?
That will also save time later for those of us cruising in the fast lane with busy professional, social, and family lives.
Basquaise Sauce / Mixture
Yield: Approximately 2 cups
4 tablespoons olive oil (does not need to be extra-virgin)
1 large onion, sliced (2 cups)
1 tsp. salt
2 green bell peppers, sliced (2 cups)
2-3 tomatoes, diced and seeded (2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. hot paprika or cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil on medium heat.
Slice onion in half lengthwise (from root end up) and carve out the root end from each half. Lay onion on the flat side and slice along the lines into 1/4" slices. Place in the heated oil, add 1 tsp. salt and toss.
Then cover the pan--this is called "sweating." The salt will help draw out moisture from the onions so they will steam/braise in the oil.
While the onions are schvitzing in their little sauna, slice across the top of the peppers and pull out the woody core with the seeds. Cut the peppers in half, lengthwise. Then take a small knife and trim the ribs (they're edible, but they'll be megatough if you leave them on). Lay the bell pepper half sliced side down on your work table and slice into 1/4" slices (see, there's a theme here, as there is in all mixed vegetable cooking--make sure all the pieces of veggie are the same size). Slice up the "top ring" you cut off too. Willful waste is woeful want, after all.
That should take about 10 minutes, enough time for the onions to soften and translucentize. If you've got some extra time, crush or mince the garlic, a garlic press is invaluable here to speed that along, and reserve and then clean your work area... what we say in the restaurant biz is "clean, don't lean." It'll be wonderful later when you're finished and you've got your fragrant dish cooking and an orderly kitchen--fantasize you're on a food show! Anyway, by this time, add peppers to onion mixture and give a good toss or stir. Cook for another few minutes, uncovered, until peppers begin to soften.
Add the minced or crushed garlic and stir around for about a minute to soften the garlic and distribute it evenly in the mix.
Cover the pan again, but by this time there should be liquid in the pan so turn up the heat a bit to medium-high. Keep your eye on the onion-pepper mixture so it doesn't burn--turn down the heat if it shows signs of that.
Now on to the tomatoes. Core out the stem and cut in half, across the "equator." Take them to the sink and cradle each half in a half-circle formed by your forefinger and thumb. Give the half a bit of a squeeze to get the party started, and stick the forefinger of the other hand into the "holes" and pull out the seeds. Give the tomato half a rinse to rid the seeds, and that's all there is. SEEDED!
To dice, cut each half in half again across the grain and stack the two slices so it looks whole (well, a whole half) again. Slice in 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Turn 90 degrees (a right angle) and slice again). DICED!
(wipe the work area).
Take the lid off the pepper-onion mixture and add the tomatoes. Add the paprikas, or paprika and cayenne, stirring or tossing until mixed thoroughly. The sauce might be too hot at this point if you taste it and who wouldn't, but it will mellow out.
Leave on heat for about 10 minutes, uncovered, until tomatoes are cooked and the Basquaise is stewy-juicy. If too dry, add some water. If too wet, then turn up the heat and reduce. There. It's done. Almost. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. MMMMNOW it's done.
This looks like a patchke, but it's not, not really. Here's the short instructions, only 4 steps:
1. Slice and sweat the onion.
2. Slice and cook the peppers with the onion slices, add garlic.
3. Seed, dice, and add tomatoes.
4. Add seasonings and stew.
Tuna Basquaise
2 cans of tuna, drained and pressed
1 recipe Basquaise sauce (2 cups)
4 tablespoons lemon juice
Yogurt, (optional)
Open tuna, and drain off juice. Place the lid back on the can and press while can is tilted to squish off more juice (fish should be fairly dry). Give juice to the cat.
Add lemon juice to the Basquaise and stir. Then add tuna and mix well.
Season to taste with more cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper. Serve when heated through. Top with yogurt if desired.
Chicken Basquaise
8 chicken thighs
1 recipe Basquaise sauce (2 cups)
To basic Basquaise mixture, add 8 chicken thighs (remove excess fat and save for schmaltz), skin side down into the slightly bubbling sauce (too hot and it will dry and toughen the chicken) and cover. After 20 minutes or so, turn them over. Cook until done, about 40 minutes.
To plate, scoop Basquaise sauce on a plate and place 2 pieces of chicken on top of it. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on the chicken, maybe some chopped parsley. Maybe some chopped green onions.
Fritatta Basquaise
1 pound red new potatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons olive oil (does not need to be extra-virgin)
1 recipe Basquaise sauce (2 cups)
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
sour cream or yogurt (optional)
Place quartered potatoes in pan, and put in enough water to half cover.
Cook potatoes on medium-high heat until almost tender or water has evaporated. This can be done up to 3-4 days in advance. Can't do all of that? Just quarter the potatoes and keep them under cold water in the fridge until you're ready to proceed.
Either take cooked potatoes out of the fridge and fry on medium heat in an oiled pan, or if starting from raw, add olive oil to potatoes when the water has almost evaporated, turn down the heat to medium and cook potatoes until somewhat browned. Keep shaking the pan or loosening with a spatula to keep the potatoes from sticking to pan every so often.
While potatoes are cooking, crack eggs into bowl and add water. Add salt and pepper and beat.
When potatoes are browned and cooked through, add Basquaise vegetables, and heat together. Pour eggs into pan and let set, about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. When the edges are set and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, take a spatula and begin to turn the mass gently (don't break the potatoes) and scramble until eggs are done to your taste. Plate portions, and if desired top with sour cream (or yogurt) and sprinkle with paprika, and maybe a few more pieces of diced tomato.
Note for somewhat advanced cooks: to make a tortilla, or a cake you can cut in wedges, increase potatoes to 1-1/2 pounds. Then when the eggs have set as described (the edges are solid and pulling away from the side of the pan), place the pan in a preheated 350:F oven for about 10 minutes. Loosen mass *carefully* and place a large plate (should be 2" or so wider than the pan) and flip the cake over onto the plate. Garnish.
