Destination # 5 - Nevada

It was not quite a full week ago when I first learned what "Basque" was. I had heard the term, of course, but didn't quite understand what it meant and always assumed that it was just some pocket of Spain that naturally produced a specific style of food. My friend, Vicki, had brought over a couple of Basque style cheeses for our Poker night and educated me on the fact that Basque was neither Spanish nor French but something in between; like a half breed of French and Spanish only with its own unique culture and style. I've always been partial to half-breeds so it was no surprise that I whole-heartedly took to this cheese and decided on the spot that I was going to explore the Basque community and cuisine further.

So I asked the Google about Basque style foods and it pointed me directly toward Nevada. Who knew? Apparently Nevada is not all about VEGAS baby and copious amounts of shrimp cocktail and extravagant buffets, after all.

Basque Cuisine

You can explore further at the link provided but the Erin Rae Cliff Notes of it are that during the late 1800's massive numbers of Basque sheepherders migrated to California and Nevada. They came together as a community and thus the Basque inspired cuisine became a popular staple to the desert folks of Nevada.

When I looked up Basque recipes I was literally overwhelmed by the options available, including a... get this... STEAK cooked in between two other thinner cuts of STEAK. WTF? Are the Basque immune to heart attacks? I opted for a chicken dish since my waist line has terribly suffered from our foray into the Southern and Midwestern states over the last couple of weeks. I cooked this entirely by myself and I should have taken a picture of the bomb that clearly went off in the kitchen as a result of my culinary efforts but alas, my hands were tied.

oh and by the way... this turned out AWESOME!!!

Basque Style Chicken - recipe courtesy of My Recipes.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast tenders $
2 teaspoons olive oil $
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced green olives
2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained $
1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preparation

1) Combine paprika and pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken.
2) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds. Turn chicken over. Add olives and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes.
3) Remove chicken from pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with prosciutto and parsley.
4) Serve with Saffron rice.

I served this with an amazing "Nine Hats" Red Table Wine... only because I didn't have any Basque wine on hand. Do the Basque make wine???

Our Culinary Road Trip continues to educate, entertain and inspire us.