St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish
Gloria McNitt prepares Basque-style food
As seen on "Our Daily Bread” 10/13/2001
"Our Daily Bread" airs every second Saturday at noon on WKBW Ch. 7
St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish
3840 Macklem Avenue
Niagara Falls, NY 14305-1897
282-5583
Msgr. Leonard Biniszkiewicz, Pastor
Gateau Basque
Cream Pastry
2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tbsp. sugar
½ cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
In a medium saucepan mix together eggs, sugar and lour. Slowly add milk. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened (boiling.) Add vanilla and extracts. Cool in refrigerator.
Tip From Gloria: When cooling cream, place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the cream so a skin does not form.
Crust
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
Put flour in large mixing bowl, making an indentation in center. Sprinkle baking powder over flour. Put the sugar, 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks, butter and extracts in the indentation. Mix until the dough no longer sticks t sides of bowl. Place ¾ of dough into a spring-form pan (removable bottom). Pat dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Add the cool cream pastry. Cover with remaining dough.
Bake at 400* for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Basque-Style Chicken
Goose fat is extensively used in the Basque county, and it gives this dish its individuality.
3 to 4 lbs. Chicken, cut into serving pieces
4 tbsp. goose fat or 3 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. butter
4 medium-size onions, minced
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or 1 lb. Canned Italian plum
tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 large green pepper, cut into julienne
1 large red pepper, cut into julienne
¼ cup diced Bayonne or Polish ham
Bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
Salt and pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup Armagnac or Cognac
Fresh chopped parsley
In a large skillet, sauté the chicken pieces in the butter and oil until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a Dutch oven or casserole.
Sauté the onions and garlic in the same skillet. Add 2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil if necessary. When golden, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, green and red peppers, ham, bouquet garni and seasonings to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, and then add the wine and Cognac.
Transfer the mixture to the Dutch oven or casserole. Cover and simmer for 30 – 35 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings. Remove the chicken to a hot serving platter
Boil the sauce for a few minutes until reduced t the right consistency. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Note: Saffron can be added when cooking the onions. Serve with a rice pilaf flavored with saffron, molded in individuals tins or glass cups and unmold around the chicken. Top each one with tiny rounds of red pimiento.
e-mail: daybreak@buffalodiocese.org