This page to discover the pays basque

Duck confit soup

Ingredients
2 duck legs confit, 1.5 liter chicken broth, 1 leek, 1 turnip, 2 tablespoons canned white beans, rinsed, 1 stalk of celery, 1 carrot, 1/4 green cabbage, 50 g of bacon, 1 clove of garlic, thyme, bay leaf, a few sprigs of chervil.
Preparation
Cut carrot, turnip and leek into fairly large pieces. Finely chop the garlic and the celery stalk. Chop the cabbage leaves. Bone the duck legs and coarsely shred the meat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of fat. In a pot, heat the fat, brown the garlic, bacon bits and celery over low heat. Add the rest of the vegetables except the white beans. Also add thyme and bay leaf. Cover with broth. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat. Then add the meat and white beans. Add a little broth if necessary. Simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes depending on your taste (vegetables more or less cooked). Adjust the seasoning with pepper and salt. Serve with country bread, decorating with a few sprigs of chervil.

Basque velvety fish soup

Ingredients
1 kg of fish without the heads (here pout), 1 dl of white wine, 5 potatoes, 5 carrots, 1 large tin of natural tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes in season), 1/2 jar of piquillos ( natural red peppers from the Basque Country) or 2 seeded and skinless red peppers, 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, Zest of 1/2 an orange, 20 g of butter, Salt, Espelette pepper (replaces pepper ), A dose of saffron, 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig of thyme, 2 liters of water
Aioli with croutons :
Old fashioned baguette, Olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, Oil, Salt and Espelette pepper
Preparation
Old fashioned baguette, Olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, Oil, Salt and Espelette pepper
For the aioli :
All the ingredients must be at room temperature. Pound the peeled garlic in a mortar. Pour the egg yolk, mustard, mix well. add salt, add the Espelette pepper and begin to whisk, pouring in the oil little by little (I used rapeseed oil). Add the vinegar and check the seasoning

Cold green asparagus soup

Ingredients
75 cl of beef or poultry broth (prepared), 500 g of green asparagus (peeled, cleaned, stripped of their hard base and cut into sections), 12 tablespoons of liquid cream, 2 egg yolks , 1 pinch of caster sugar, Salt, Ground black pepper
Preparation
Blanch the peeled, cleaned asparagus, stripped of its hard base and cut into sections, for 3 to 5 minutes in a large quantity of lightly salted boiling water, also adding a pinch of sugar. Drain the asparagus pieces using a colander. Then put the asparagus back in a casserole dish, and cover it with the beef or chicken broth. Salt, then cook over medium heat and covered for 15 minutes, from the boiling point. After 15 minutes, pass the preparation off the heat in the blender (maximum power, for 1 to 2 minutes). To book. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with 6 tablespoons of fresh cream. Then add this mixture to the asparagus velouté. Mix well, in order to bind the whole well. Then put the soup back on low heat for 5 to 8 minutes. While reheating it, continue to mix well, so that the egg yolks cause the velouté to emulsify. Be especially careful not to boil! Then filter the velouté using a sieve, and leave to cool for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Présentation :
Before serving, mix the remaining 6 tablespoons of fresh cream into the soup. Mix well, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and mix well again

Basque ttoro

Ingredients
2 heads of fish (hake or conger), 500g monkfish, sliced, 500g conger, sliced, 500g hake, sliced, 500g gurnards, sliced, 1kg mussels, 8 langoustines or large prawns, 2 onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots, 1 bouquet garni, 8 tomatoes, 6 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, 1 dried Espelette red pepper, 2 sweet green peppers, 8 small potatoes, 6 tbsp of olive oil, 20 cl of dry white wine, 3 l of water, 1 l of defatted broth, A few pistils of La Mancha saffron, Bayonne salt
Preparation
Preparation of the fumet: :
Wash and split the fish heads in two. Wash the fish trimmings. Peel and cut the carrots into rounds. Peel and crush 2 cloves of garlic. In a large pot, brown the carrots and the heads and trimmings in 3 tbsp of olive oil for 5 minutes. Moisten with the white wine, add the water, the bouquet garni, the Espelette pepper, the garlic cloves, salt. Simmer gently for 2 hours. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onions. Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes. Peel the garlic cloves. Hull, deseed and cut the sweet peppers into rings. Brown the onions in a large pan in the remaining oil without browning them. Add the tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic cloves. Mix, add the broth, bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour. Meanwhile, peel, wash and cut the potatoes into pieces, cook them for 20 minutes in a pan of salted boiling water. Clean and wash the mussels. Rinse the langoustines and grill them for 10 minutes under the oven grill. Book.
Finish
Pass the stock through a vegetable mill, grinding as many bones as possible to give flavor and body to the soup. Pour the stock into the pot and add the saffron. Also mix the broth and add it to the fumet. Put back on the heat and bring to a light simmer, check the seasoning. Dip the slices of fish in the soup to poach them and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes. Let cook for another 5 minutes. Add the mussels. Mix gently with a wooden spatula until the mussels open. Place the langoustines on top and serve with large napkins and finger wash.

Braised cucumbers, tomatoes basil salt with Espelette pepper

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 5/6 fresh basil leaves, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, a handful of salted peanuts, salt with Espelette Sakari pepper, pepper
Preparation
Wash and cut the tomatoes into small cubes. Peel and blend the shallot with the peanuts in a blender. Mix the tomatoes with the shallot and the peanuts. Add the lemon juice, the washed and chopped basil, then the Espelette pepper salt and the pepper. Chill your tomatoes. Peel the cucumbers and remove the seeds. Cut them lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the cucumbers. Salt and pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot cucumbers with fresh tomatoes.

Basque tartine Compagnons du Goût style

Ingredients
1 red pepper 1 green pepper 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 teaspoon of Espelette pepper 1 tablespoon of olive oil Salt, pepper 1 hard-boiled egg 2 nice slices of raw ham Selection Compagnons du Goût 4 slices of sourdough bread 1 nice juicy tomato Fresh chervil
Preparation
The day before, prepare the piperade: wash, seed and dice the peppers, the chilli, the onion and finely chop 1 clove of garlic. Simmer the mixture in olive oil for 20 minutes. Slice the bread and set aside in a dry cloth. The next day, rub the bread with the garlic and tomato. Add the piperade, the previously grated egg and the ham in strips. To finish Present the sandwich with a few leaves of arugula and chervil.

Octopus salad with lemon and garlic

Ingredients
1 kg of octopus Juice of a lemon 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley 2 cloves of garlic, chopped Olive oil Salt, pepper
Preparation
Properly clean the octopus under running water. Separate the head from the tentacles. Turn the head then remove the organs. Extract the beak in the middle of the tentacles then remove the eyes. Put the octopus in the pressure cooker then cover it with water and cook for at least 40 minutes. Open the pressure cooker, drain the chicken then clean it under running water, removing all that comes off. Cut the octopus into small pieces and set aside. In a salad bowl add the olive oil, the chopped garlic, the parsley, the lemon, the salt, the pepper and the pieces of octopus then mix. To finish: Put a cling film on the salad bowl and put in the fridge for at least an hour.

Cod, potato and red pepper salad

Ingredients
2 thick steaks of desalted cod 2 red peppers 1 kg of new potatoes 2 large, not too ripe tomatoes, cut into rings 1 small onion, cut into thin half-moons ground garlic salt and pepper virgin olive oil wine vinegar 1 bunch coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
Prepare the barbecue. Heat the grill well. Grill the cod steaks on both sides. Cut the peppers in half and grill them on the barbecue. To book. Cook the potatoes with the skin in boiling water. Drain, let cool and peel. Dice or slice depending on size. Shred the cod and cut the peppers into strips. In a salad bowl, put the slices of potatoes and tomato. Add the flaked cod and the pepper strips. Scatter the onion half-moons and the chopped parsley on top. To finish: Prepare a vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, ground garlic, salt and pepper. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette

Garlic watercress salad

Ingredients
4 handfuls of watercress (preferably from the river); well cleaned 1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half 4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil The juice of a lemon Salt Ground black pepper
Preparation
Rub the inside of a salad bowl with the garlic clove peeled and cut in half. Then get rid of the garlic, because it only serves to flavor the salad bowl. Mix the lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil in a bowl. Beat together well using a hand whisk. To book.
Présentation
Arrange the watercress in the salad bowl. Drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette, and toss well before serving.

Fresh goat cheese caviar with piquillo peppers

Ingredients
12 piquillos 1 large fresh goat's cheese (250 g) 1 clove of garlic 2 tablespoons of fruity olive oil 3 leaves of fresh basil Fleur de sel Ground black pepper
Preparation
Peel the garlic clove before degerminate it. Wash, dry and finely chop the basil. Clean to drain the piquillos. Book 2 separately. Then place the goat cheese with the rest of the piquillos, the olive oil, the garlic clove and the chopped basil in the blender bowl. Mix coarsely for a few minutes. To book. Cut the 2 piquillos previously reserved into small dice, then add them to the mixed preparation. Season with salt and pepper, then mix well. Book cool.
Présentation
Serve this very chilled goat's caviar, spread on slices of gray bread or lightly toasted country bread or as an accompaniment with a salad of raw vegetables.

Chicken à la basquaise

Ingredients
6 chicken thighs (or 4 thighs) 3 peppers 12 cl white wine 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper 1 chicken stock cube 1 large onion 1 clove garlic 1 sprig of thyme 1 bay leaf 1 can crushed tomatoes Salt, pepper Parsley
Preparation
Mince the onion. Peel the garlic clove and press it. Wash the peppers then cut them into strips one centimeter wide, taking care to remove the white partitions and the seeds. Brown the onion and garlic over medium-low heat, without letting them brown (cover the pan if necessary). When the onion becomes translucent, sprinkle it with Espelette pepper and stir. Add the peppers, lightly salt and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Brown the chicken thighs in a large Dutch oven with a bottom of fat. When the skin is nicely browned, turn the meat over on the flesh side and sear it quickly. Discard the fat extract from the cooking tops and deglaze with white wine. Add the peppers and onions, the crushed tomatoes, the crumbled chicken broth as well as the sprig of thyme and the bay leaf. Cover and simmer over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes. Season with pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving, with white rice or steamed potatoes.

Basque muclade

Ingredients
3 kg of bouchot mussels 2 slices of Bayonne ham 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 onion 30 g of shallots 2 cloves of garlic 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley 1 sprig of thyme 1 bay leaf 20 cl of liquid cream 50 g butter 2 cl olive oil 1/4 liter dry white wine 5 g Espelette pepper 1 pinch of fleur de sel from Guérande
Preparation
Clean and wash the mussels well in cold water. Thoroughly tear off the small thread called the byssus. Cut the slices of ham into thin strips. Peel and finely chop the onion and shallots. Finely chop the garlic. Make a bouquet garni by tying the sprig of thyme, the bay leaf and half the bunch of flat-leaf parsley. In a saucepan, heat the white wine. Add the shallots and the bouquet garni. When boiling, add the mussels. Cook covered until all the mussels are open. Remove half a shell from each mold. Filter the cooking juices. To book. Wash, stem and seed the peppers. Cut them into strips. Chop the rest of the flat-leaf parsley. In a skillet, melt the olive oil and the butter. Stew the chopped onions. Add the pepper strips, the garlic and the juice from the mussels. Reduce. Pour in the cream and check the seasoning by adding the fleur de sel and the Espelette pepper. Pour this very hot mixture over the mussels. Decorate with thin strips of bayonne ham and chopped parsley.

Squid sautéed with garlic and parsley

Ingredients
800 g very fresh whole baby squid or baby squid 8 cl extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves of garlic (preferably new garlic) 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley salt, pepper
Preparation
Clean the squids under running water and let them drain while drying in absorbent paper Peel and finely chop the garlic Stalk and finely chop the flat-leaf parsley Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat Add the squids and cook for 5 minutes, taking care to stir well, making sure they don't brown too much. The baby calamari should be just golden. Remove from the heat and drain the squids. Place the squids in absorbent paper Discard the cooking oil from the pan and put it back on medium heat Add the garlic and let melt for 1 minute Add the squids, the garlic, 2/3 of the chopped parsley and the rest oil Leave to cook for another 5 minutes until the squid are tender Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper to taste Stir well

Axoa

Ingredients
1 kg of veal in the shoulder or back 1 large yellow onion 200g country ham with fat (Bayonne ham) 2 cloves of garlic 6 green peppers from the Landes ¼ tsp Espelette pepper powder Fine Bayonne salt
Preparation
Ingredient preparation
Cut the veal into cubes. Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Cut the ham into small cubes and set aside the fat cubes. Deseed, peel and cut the peppers into strips. Peel and crush the garlic. . .
Preparation
In a skillet, melt the diced ham fat, throw in the onions and diced ham and brown them. Add the veal and the peeled and crushed garlic cloves. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the green peppers, mix for a few minutes. Salt and cover and cook gently for 20 minutes. add the Espelette pepper at the end of cooking.

Mashed potatoes with olives and piquillo peppers

Ingredients
1 kg of potatoes (bintje type) 4 tablespoons of olive oil 4 piquillos 100 g of black olives 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley 1 bay leaf Fine salt Ground black pepper
Preparation
Rinse then cut the olives in half, pit them then cut their flesh into small dice. To book. Wash then cut the piquillos into small dice. To book. Clean and finely chop the parsley. To book. Peel the potatoes, rinse them under cold water then cut them in half. Cook them for 20 minutes in a large volume of lightly salted boiling water, adding the bay leaf. Drain the potatoes at the end of cooking and place them in a large salad bowl. Then add the olive oil, the piquillo peppers, the olives and the chopped flat-leaf parsley. Then mash the whole coarsely with a fork, until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Taste then adjust the seasoning if necessary by adding salt and ground pepper and mix well. Reheat over low heat before serving hot;

Basque piperade

Ingredients
1.3 kg of tomatoes 2 large onions 8 Espelette peppers 2 eggs 4 slices of Bayonne ham (Ibaïona) A pinch of sugar Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Preparation
Peel and slice the onions Deseed peppers and cut them into strips. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 2 minutes, peel them and cut them into quarters.
Preparation of the piperade
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan Melt the onions for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until the water evaporates, then lower the heat, cover and cook for an hour. At the end of cooking, beat the eggs in an omelette and pour them over the mixture, stirring vigorously. Serve this piperade with slices of ham.

Hake with golden onions and sweet peppers

Ingredients
1 hake, around 1.5 kg 10 onions 2 red peppers 2 green peppers 30 cl balsamic vinegar 10 cl olive oil 1 tablespoon duck fat 1 teaspoon caster sugar Fine salt Black pepper from the mill
Preparation
Ask your fishmonger to remove the hake fillets and cut them into 4 fillets of around 160 g each, leaving the skin on. In a saucepan, reduce the balsamic vinegar over very low heat until the consistency of a syrup is obtained. Then remove from heat and let cool.
Preparing the onions
Peel and then finely chop the onions. Then brown them for 15 minutes in a pan with the duck fat. Stir the onions often during cooking, then add salt and pepper. Towards the end of the cooking time, add the sugar and allow the preparation to caramelize a little. Keep warm.
Preparation of the peppers
Clean then dry the peppers. Then cut them into small dice, after seeding them and removing the hard filaments. Then sauté them for 5 minutes in a pan with olive oil. At the end of cooking, remove them with a slotted spoon then keep them warm. Preheat the oven to 90°C.
Preparation of hake steaks
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan used for cooking the peppers and heat over medium heat. Then lay the hake fillets on it (skin side down). Leave to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then gently flip the steaks over and let them cook for 30 seconds on the other side. Then place the hake fillets on a preheated serving dish and keep them warm in the oven, with the door open.
Presentation
Spread a bed of golden onions on 4 plates (preheated). Place a piece of hake on top and add a few teaspoons of hot peppers to it. Season with salt and pepper, then decorate around the plates with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil. Serve immediately

Basque cake

Ingredients
Ingredients (for a 24 cm diameter mold): Your choice, to garnish: black cherry jam or pastry cream, quantity according to taste 1 egg yolk, to brown Ingredients for the dough: 360 g flour 180 g butter 180g caster sugar (preferably fine) 2 medium eggs 1 pinch of baking powder 1 good pinch of salt Optional: finely grated zest of ½ lemon
Preparation
Buttering the pan. To book. Pour the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest into a bowl and mix everything together. Incorporate the diced butter and the sugar and work with your fingertips (or in a food processor). When the dough takes on a very sandy texture, add the eggs and continue working until it forms a ball. The dough can be used immediately, but the ideal is to let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Separate the dough into 2 unequal pieces: the first piece should represent about 2 thirds of the dough, the second should represent about a third of the dough. Roll out the largest piece of dough (2/3) about 7mm into a circle about 27cm in diameter (it needs to be bigger than the diameter of the mould). Place circle in the mold, taking care to raise the dough on the edges. Spread your filling (jam or pastry cream) on it about 1 to 2 centimeters thick. Finally, roll out the second piece of dough (which represents 1/3) about 7 mm in a circle about 24 cm in diameter (so that it is about the size of the mould). Place it on the filling and seal the edges with the pastry underneath. Do not hesitate to take the time to weld the 2 discs of dough correctly to prevent the filling from escaping during cooking. Brush the surface of the cake with the egg yolk. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about forty minutes (+ or - depending on the oven) the cake should be golden brown. I let mine cook for 45 minutes.

Quince Paste

Ingredients
2 kg of peeled and seeded quinces 1.6 kg of caster sugar The juice of a lemon
Preparation
Arrange the peeled and seeded quinces in a salad bowl. Add sugar, then drizzle with lemon juice. Mix the ingredients well using a spatula, then cover the bowl with transparent cling film. Then let the bowl rest in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. After the rest period, pour the contents of the bowl into a saucepan, and boil the preparation for about 1 hour over medium heat; stirring the quince compote regularly to prevent the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After 15 to 20 minutes of cooking, lower the heat if necessary. At the end of cooking, pass the fruit through a potato masher and then pour the preparation into a rectangular plastic mould. Then leave the dough to cool before letting it rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Présentation
Cut the golden pastry into slices. Serve with cheeses and fresh bread.

Koka

Ingredients
75 cl of milk 14 egg yolks 4 egg whites 15 cl of whipping cream 200 g of caster sugar
For the caramel
100 g of sugar 4 tbsp. water
Preparation
To make the caramel, cook the sugar in a saucepan with the water. When it turns brown, pour it into the mold to cover the bottom. Refrigerate to harden. In a saucepan, boil the milk. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, beating vigorously; pour in the milk without ceasing to stir. Add the egg whites, mix well or whisk, then add the whipping cream. Gently pour the cream obtained into the mold. Bake in a bain-marie for 35 minutes in an oven at 130°C. Leave to cool in the fridge and serve chilled.

Sangria

Ingredients
For a pitcher: 1 bottle of red wine 6 cl of cognac 6 cl of port 30 cl of orange soda 5 sugar cubes cinnamon 1 lemon 1 orange 1 lime
Preparation
Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl, fruit and soda excepted , film, and leave to macerate for 4 hours in the refrigerator