5 minute read
DISCOVER THE “GOOD PLACE”
Historic Leku Ona
by Pamela Kleibrink Thompson
Historic downtown Boise Basque restaurant Leku Ona is Euskara for “good place.” And Leku Ona boasts incredible regional cuisine with well-preserved family recipes that never fail while immersing you in authentic Basque culture. Opened in December 2005 and located in downtown Boise in the heart of the Basque Block, when you enter Leku Ona, you feel the establishment’s roots that travel back to Euskal Herria, their homeland, a small region between Spain and France in the Pyrenees.
Leku Ona’s Executive Chef, Asier Garcia, was born and raised in the Basque Country, in Bizkaia. He studied culinary arts and trained with Chef Martín Berasategui, the Basque chef and restaurateur with the most Michelin stars in Spain. After traveling throughout his homeland, Garcia moved to the United States and worked at Boise’s best restaurants, including Chandler’s Prime Steaks & Fine Seafood. Today, Chef Garcia shines with his honed Basque culinary repertoire at Leku Ona. “Every recipe at Leku Ona is authentic Basque,” said Garcia. “I worked for ten years in Basque country—from the coastline to the mountains—and incorporated all of that experience in the dishes at Leku Ona. The only thing on the menu that is not entirely authentic is the lamb shank entree which has been Americanized.”
PHOTO BY KAREN DAY
Seafood, lamb, and beef feature prominently on their menu, and every dish is infused with mouthwatering regional flavors. However, Chef Garcia recommends starting with croquetas or other tapas items to kick off the full-course Basque restaurant experience. “My mom used to make croquetas. Everyone’s mom made them,” said Garcia, who makes them with Serrano ham, fennel kimchi, romesco, green onions, and regional red chili pepper powder, piment d’espelette. “When you make croquetas, you have to let the batter cool before you can roll it,” he said. “So sometimes when my mom made croquetas, my brothers and I [would] eat the dough before she got a chance to roll them.”
Caldwell’s Boise River lamb chops served with chimichurri; trout a la Navarra—Hagerman trout with serrano-garlic refrito and Basque cider; and grilled salmon with roasted garlic, chili oil, and green onion are just a few of the dinner entree options from Chef Garcia.
From croquetas to Basque-style charcuterie, the recipes and selection at Leku Ona reflect the recipes and heritage of the owners and chef.
PHOTO BY OLIVIA FIXON
Popular lunch options include a lamb burger made with Boise River lamb, arugula, roasted peppers, and romesco on brioche or the Leku Ona Burger.
Finish your fine dining experience with chocolate goxua. Found in many Basque pastry shops, the translation of goxua is “sweet or tasty.” The traditional dessert is a decadent blend of sponge cake, whipped cream, pastry cream, chocolate, and sugar.
Keeping with its heritage as a former boarding house that opened in 1935, Leku Ona’s old-world feel continues to welcome tourists and residents alike with charming decor showcasing Basque traditions. The garlic and food aromas wafting from the bustling kitchen onto the street will lure you into this “good place.” Leku Ona and the adjoining boutique historic hotel in the heart of Boise’s Basque Block radiate the colorful Basque spirit and its authentic tastes and culture right here in Idaho.
SERRANO CROQUETAS
Croquetas at Leku Ona are made from Serrano ham, fennel kimchi, romesco, green onions, piment d’ezpelette and are made for sharing.
PHOTO BY OLIVIA FIXON
• 1 1/8 cups / 140 gr flour
• 14 TBL / 200 gr butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• ⅔ cup / 100 gr Serrano ham cut to matchsticks
• 4 ⅛ cups/ 1 L. whole milk
• panko breadcrumbs
• 3 eggs
• salt to taste
• Mince the onion and sweat it in the melted butter. Heat the milk in a separate pot and set aside. Slice the Serrano ham into matchsticks (lardons), add the ham to the onion, and sweat for another ten minutes.
• Add flour to form a roux, and make sure all the flour is completely integrated into the butter.
• Start adding the milk to the roux, slowly mixing nonstop. Once the milk is fully incorporated, let it softly boil for a couple of minutes and season to taste.
• Transfer this mixture to a pan, and cover it with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap is in direct contact with the dough so that it doesn’t form a crust. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
FORM THE CROQUETAS:
• Set up a rolling station using a small pan with panko breadcrumbs and one bowl with whisked eggs. Roll a piece of dough about 1 ounce in weight, drop it in the egg, then onto the breadcrumbs. Cover the croquetas in breadcrumbs and form into a round cylinder. Place in a pan and refrigerate uncovered.
FRY THE CROQUETAS:
• In a deep heavy pot (cast iron will be great) filled halfway with a neutral oil—canola will do. Heat up to 350F and slowly drop a few croquetas at a time, don’t overcrowd or the temperature will drop too much and the croquetas will burst.
• After 3 minutes or until golden brown, transfer the croquetas to a serving tray lined with towel paper. Serve with dipping sauce.
