Basque recipes highlight of ‘Jayni’s Kitchen’

Join “Jayni’s Kitchen” this week for a repeat of “Jayni’s Tour de France: Traditional Basque Recipes with Snapshots of St. Jean de Luz.”

Host Jayni Carey will prepare the following recipes.

A new show airs at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. The show also is broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday; 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 9:30 a.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday.

PIPERADE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup onion, cut into small dice

1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into small dice

1/2 cup sweet red pepper, cut into small dice

2 tablespoons Anaheim pepper, cut into small dice, or 2 tablespoons canned green chilies, diced

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

Pinch Piment d’Espelette (Basque ground red pepper), or cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato, prosciutto and a pinch of ground red pepper. Simmer the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens. The vegetables should be very tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pipérade may be served as a side dish or a topping for meat or fish. It can also be used to make a Basque-style Omelet (recipe follows). Serves 4.

BASQUE-STYLE OMELET

1 recipe Piperade (above recipe)

6 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Prepare the Piperade as directed above. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the salt and pepper and beat lightly. Add the butter to the Piperade. When melted, pour in the beaten eggs. Wait about 30 seconds, allowing the eggs to begin to set up, then stir gently once or twice until the eggs are set. Serves 4.

CHICKEN IN BASQUE SAUCE

Basque Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, cut into 1-inch dice

1 large sweet red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice

2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Piment d’Espelette (Basque ground red pepper) or cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper

1 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1/4 cup peanut oil

salt

Basque Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, parsley and ground red pepper. Simmer the mixture for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium-high heat in a large braising pan or skillet with a lid. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour, shaking off the excess. Place the chicken pieces in the pan and brown on all sides (do not crowd). Lower the heat to prevent burning if necessary. Remove the browned pieces to a platter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the pan and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Pour the Basque Sauce over the chicken. Cover and simmer the chicken gently over medium-low to low heat for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Baste the chicken with the pan juices once during cooking. Before serving, skim the excess fat from the pan, if desired. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

Serving suggestion: Serve the chicken with steamed or boiled new potatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and parsley. To serve, arrange the chicken pieces on a large platter, top with the sauce and surround with the new potatoes.

BASQUE-STYLE MUSSELS

2 pounds mussels

1/4 cup butter

2 cups fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Italian parsley sprigs

To clean the mussels, scrub and rinse them in several changes of water. Remove the beards. Tap or press any open mussels to see if they are alive. If they do not close, discard them.

Melt the butter in a large braising pan over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer the tomato sauce, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.

Stir the white wine and the tomato paste dissolved in water into the tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, add the mussels and cover immediately. Cook the mussels until they open, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook or the mussels will be tough. Discard any unopened mussels.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to individual soup or pasta bowls. If the tomato sauce has cooled down, re-heat. Pour the sauce over the mussels and garnish with Italian parsley sprigs. Serve immediately. Makes 4 main courses or 6 to 8 first courses.

? Recipes by Jayni Carey