3 minute read
MIMI’S HEIRLOOM RECIPES
KISS ME, I’M BASQUE!
STORY, RECIPE AND PHOTO BY MIMI FAUBERT
Tis quintessential foodie is a Food Hero at our local Central Market. Ms. Faubert is not professionally trained – instead, she is one of those rare talents with a superior palate and natural skills. You’ll typically fnd her in a kitchen, whipping up something extraordinary at home for her family or at work. And her tips, stories and recipes are always spot-on. A round 1200 BC, the Celts spawned in the area where the Danube River begins in modern-day Germany. Tis was about 150 years after Ancient Egypt’s revolutionary move from polytheism to monotheism under the rule of Pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti.
As a group of migrating tribes, the Celts spread their culture and language to indigenous peoples from Turkey to Ireland. Teir legacy in Ireland, established in 500 BC, drives our collective reasoning that to be Irish is to be Celtic. Now, 2500 years later, the ancient Celts are still present in our modern sense of Irish-ness.
Take a few deep cleansing breaths intermingled with thoughts of Celtic Tunder, Celtic Woman, Celtic Nights, Irish Celtic, Celtic Dreamtime, Celtic Steps, Celtic Legends and A Celtic Christmas. Is your stomach in (Celtic) knots with the excitement and wonder of tribal lore yet?
But as it turns out, to be Irish is also to be Basque – not through a Celtic connection, but thanks to genetics. According to a published DNA study performed by genetic researchers tracking Y-chromosome genes, Ireland was originally settled about 6200 years ago by prehistoric migrants from the European continent, before the English, the Scots, the Norman invaders, the Viking invaders or even the Celts got there. Te ancestral, Paleolithic European DNA signature goes back some 30,000 years and is prevalent mostly in Basque and Ireland. Te study revealed the DNA signature as being 1.8 percent Turkish, 33 percent Northern Italian, 50 percent French, 75 percent Irish and – wait for it – 89 percent Basque – and in the province of Connacht, 98 percent Basque!
If you aren’t familiar with it, Basque Country is a cultural region that crosses borders and straddles the Pyrenees and opens towards the Bay of Biscay in Northwestern Spain/Southwestern France. Teir Euskara language and its seven dialects are distinct and entirely unrelated to any other living language.
Basque Country is also known for its superb yet humble food. One of my favorites seasonings is the Piment d’Espelette or Ezpeletako biperra, the treasured chile of Basque. Like all chiles, it originated in the Americas. Espelette’s history can be traced back to migration during the 1500s. It’s used as black pepper in Basque cuisine, a signature spice used to cure their famous Bayonne Ham, for gently spicing stews and garnishing the small snacks called pintxos. With all this in mind, this St. Patrick’s Day, how can I resist pairing such a beautifully earthy and mild spice with mussels? As one of Ireland’s most abundant shellfish and a mainstay of Basque cuisine, I think Molly Malone would approve of this simple, nutritious and flavorful pot of mussels. So, as they say in Gaelic, CBJOUBJUBNI BTEPCIÏJMF ... enjoy your meal! Or in Basque, FHJO!
THE RECIPE CLASSIC MUSSELS
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1-1½ pounds blue mussels, 1SJODF&EXBSE*TMBOE.VTTFMTBSFDPNNPO ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 medium clove garlic, chopped 1 pinch Piment d’ Espelette 1-2 tablespoons Txakolina wine, white or rosé 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped 1-2 tablespoons Irish butter 0QUJPOBM 'MBLFETFBTBMUUPUBTUF %*3&$5*0/4 6TF a lidded pot that is wide enough to accommodate the mussels you will cook. Many mussels available from stores are already debearded and cleaned so make sure to rinse them well and discard any broken ones – set them aside. Place garlic, olive oil and Espelette in the pot and stir over medium-high heat. As the garlic becomes fragrant and sizzles (do NOT let it brown), add mussels and wine. Gently stir and cover. After a couple of minutes, they should begin to simmer and open. Stir and cover a couple of times to help them cook more evenly. The mussels are ready when the shells open and the meats look plump. Remove from heat and stir in butter and salt. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mussels to warm dishes or bowls, garnish with parsley then spoon the spiced, buttery juices from the pot over them. /05&%JTDBSE BOZNVTTFMT UIBU EJE OPU PQFO EVSJOH UIF DPPLJOH QSPDFTT Serve with warm crusty bread and the rest of the Txakolina or cold Sagardo Naturala cider &HJO
