Basque Salsa Recipes

HAKE WITH CLAMS IN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Place clams in a bowl, cover with cold water and set aside. If using fish trimmings, rinse them with cold water, place in a 3-quart saucepan, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and discard the solids. You should have at least 1 cup fish stock, preferably more. Set aside.
• Drain clams and scrub them. Rinse fish fillets and pat dry. Season with salt on the skinless side.
• Heat oil in a large sauté pan or stovetop casserole. Add garlic and cook on medium-high until garlic barely starts to color. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add wine, cook 30 seconds and add fish stock. Lower heat and simmer about a minute.
• Add fish to the pan, skin side up. Simmer gently about 3 minutes. Turn fillets over, add clams, placing them around the fillets. Cook about 5 minutes, or until clams open. If the liquid appears to be drying up, add some additional fish stock or water. When the clams open, scatter parsley around the pan.
• Remove pan from heat and move it in a circular motion a minute or two to swirl the sauce so it begins to emulsify and look smooth. Add more salt if needed. Serve directly from the pan or divide among individual shallow soup bowls.

HALIBUT A LA VASCO CON ALBUIAS EN SALSA VERDE (BASQUE-STYLE HALIBUT WITH WHITE BEANS AND HERB SAUCE)

Steps:

• For the white beans: Put the white beans in a container with the 4 cups water and soak overnight. The next day, drain the water and put the white beans, salt, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, onion and 6 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and skim any foam that forms on top. Simmer gently so as not to break the beans, until they are soft in the middle, about 2 hours. Take the pot off the heat and let the beans cool in the liquid. Drain, reserving the bean cooking liquid.
• For the fish stock: Put the olive oil, fennel, leek and onion in a 1-gallon stock pot and cook over medium heat to soften without browning, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice. While that is going, wash the fish bones in cold water and then add to the pot with the bay leaf and 8 cups cold water. Bring the stock up to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and simmer, skimming off any foam that forms on top, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the stock and cool in an ice bath. (Makes about 6 cups; leftover fish stock can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 2 months.)
• For the white bean stew: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the garlic and let it brown slowly. Once it starts smelling of cooked garlic, whisk in the flour so it dissolves into the oil to make a roux. Whisk in the wine and 2 cups of the fish stock until smooth. Increase the heat to medium high, bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, add up to 1 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid. Add the white beans and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons Calabrian chile flakes-add more if you prefer spicy. Add a little lemon zest and juice. Keep the stew warm while you cook the clams and halibut. Just before serving add the parsley to keep it as green and fresh as possible.
• For clams: Put the clams in a pot and with wine to cover. Cover the pot and bring the wine to a boil over high heat, to gently open the clams. As soon as the clams start to open, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate.
• For the fish: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the fish skin-side down until the first layer of fish starts to turn white, about 3 minutes. Flip, and cook until sides of the filets have turned white and the fish feels firm in the middle when you push down on the tops, another 2 minutes.
• To serve: Stir the parsley into the white bean stew. Divide the stew and clams among 4 bowls and top each with a piece of halibut, skin-side up. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve.

SPANISH HAKE AND CLAMS IN SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Scrub the clams under cold running water, discarding any that fail to close to the touch. In a large bowl, combine the clams, coarse salt, and water to cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours so that the clams release any sand trapped in their shells. Drain.
• In a large saucepan, combine the clams with the 4 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they open. As the clams cook, uncover the pan occasionally and stir with a wooden spoon to encourage them all to open at about the same time. Drain the clams, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard any clams that have not opened.
• In a large cazuela, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and fry, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic begins to turn golden. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well blended. Add 3 cups of the reserving cooking liquid and the salt, parsley and wine. Decrease the heat to medium and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add more cooking liquid if you prefer a thinner sauce. Rotate the cazuela in circular motions over the burner to mix all the ingredients, and boil gently for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is blended and looks whitish green.
• Sprinkle the hake pieces with the salt and place in a single layer in the sauce. Cook, turning once, for 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque at the center when tested with a knife tip. Add the clams and asparagus, shake the pan gently to prevent sticking, and simmer for 2 more minutes so heat all the ingredients through.
• Garnish with the egg wedges and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.

BASQUE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ham; sauté until golden, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ham to small bowl.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to saucepan. Add onion, bell peppers, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and Sherry. Bring to simmer. Cover partially; simmer over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in ham. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to simmer before using).

PIPERRADA

Steps:

• 1. Add enough water (about 3 to 4 inches) to a saucepan to cover the tomatoes completely. Bring water to a brisk boil.
• 2. Cut about 1/4 inch off the bottom end of each tomato so they'll stand upright without tipping over. Add tomatoes to boiling water and leave for 30 seconds or until the skins begin to wrinkle and peel near the bottom edge (where they were sliced). Place tomatoes in a small colander and rinse with cool running water. Peel off skin with your fingers, and roughly chop each tomato. Set chopped tomatoes aside.
• 3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, peppers and salt, and sauté about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until peppers are soft. Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute.
• 4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and piment d'Espelette (or hot paprika), cover skillet and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove cover and continue to sauté for 5 more minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened and the consistency of a salsa or condiment relish.
• 5. Cut the baguette into thin slices, and arrange slices on a serving platter.
• 6. Just before serving, garnish the Piperrada with chopped parsley, and serve with baguette slices.

BASQUE TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Place tomatoes in a shallow serving dish. Arrange onion rings on top. Arrange green bell pepper rings on top of onions.
• Combine olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, parsley, salt, sugar, and black pepper in a jar. Close jar tightly and shake vigorously until dressing is well-mixed. Pour dressing over tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Refrigerate until flavors combine, about 2 hours.

SALSA BARBECUE SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend salsa with olive oil, honey, and tequila in a food processor. Transfer mixture to a small pot; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Brush onto grilled meat. To store, let cool and refrigerate.