Traditional Cuisine: Past and Present - Products from the Sea

Cuttlefish, onion, tomato, bacon, and cuttlefish ink

The cuttlefish body is stuffed with sautéed pork or ham hock and trotters. Then it is cooked in an onion-based sauce with other sautéed vegetables, to which the ink is added.

A Basque Recipe with a Touch of the Orient?

Although it is one of the most typical recipes in Basque cuisine, its origin is unclear. One of the most likely theories was put forward in the thesis of Julián Otero, from the Basque Culinary Center, which suggests Filipino provenance.

Beware of the Ink!

The most laborious part of preparing this dish is cleaning the mollusks, removing the guts, eyes, mouth, and cuttlebone—a kind of wide, flat spine. It's also important not to break the bag of ink inside.

To enhance the black color of the sauce, fishmongers can usually supply extra bags of ink.

Tuna, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and peppers

The stew is prepared by browning the bones and the skin of the tuna before adding water and vegetables, some of them already sautéed. The last ingredient to be added to the pot is the tuna flesh, cut into chunks of 2–3 centimeters.

Food for Sailors

The origin of this dish is attributed to the fishermen of the region, who prepared it on their boats during the tuna fishing season.

The choricero pepper is a variety of shiny red pepper, which is usually air dried in strips, and is very common in Basque cuisine.

This ingredient gives the fish stew its unique flavor.

Salted cod loins, garlic, chili pepper, and extra virgin olive oil

Before cooking, the cod loins must be desalted. They are placed in a refrigerator in a container of water, which is changed approximately every 6 hours for 2 days.

A Fish of Legend

Several theories—undocumented but widespread—indicate that Basque fishermen arrived in North America, specifically Newfoundland (now Canada), well before Christopher Columbus.

Whether prior to the 15th century or in the 16th, as other sources suggest, the sailors who left from the Cantabrian coast to hunt whales found a more profitable product in Newfoundland: cod—in abundance and easy to catch.

All in the Wrist

The "pil-pil" sauce, which traditionally accompanies fish in Basque cuisine, would seem to be a simple recipe given its ingredients.

But some real skill is needed to achieve the final result: the pan must be moved to stir the liquid, relying solely on the gelatin from the fish and olive oil to thicken the sauce without adding any starch.

Anchovies, squid, mullet, whiting, yellowtail, flour, and extra virgin olive oil

Once cleaned, the fish are seasoned and floured just before being batch fried in oil heated to about 300ºF.

You can substitute other fish, as long as they are small.

A Millennia-Old Tradition

According to the historian Almudena Villegas, it is "a typical Mediterranean recipe, linked to 2 1000-year-old products: olive oil for frying, and small or cubed fish."

Frying to Perfection

There are several stages to good frying: the most important thing is to choose high-quality fish. Next, heat the oil to the precise temperature. And finally, remove the excess flour. This is best achieved by placing the floured fish in a sieve and shaking it quickly.

"You must always use clean oil, and don't wait for it to smoke, as that means it's burning. It is helpful to use a thermometer," advises María Llamas, from the Alambique cookery school.

A Method with a History

Earlier methods used before salt-baking involved covering the fish in hot ashes or wet clay to create a sealed surround. Archaeological evidence of both methods has been found.

How Is It Done?

As a general rule, coarse sea salt should be used, and the amount should be double the weight of the piece of fish to be baked.

A thick layer is first spread over the base to protect the fish from direct heat. The fish is then covered with the rest of the salt and water is sprinkled over the top to form a crust.

After cooking, it should be left to rest for a few minutes, and the crust should be broken while it's still hot.

Sea Bream and Sea Bass: 2 Salt-Baking Favorites

Any type of fish can be baked using this method, but it works best with medium-sized fish (between 2.2 and 4.4 pounds) that are neither too lean nor too oily. The most common are sea bream and sea bass.

Fava beans, clams, onion, parsley, and saffron

The dried beans are left to soak overnight. They are cooked for 2 hours and then "shocked" by adding cold water to halt the cooking process.

"We recommend using large pullet carpet shell clams, which release water but do not become chewy," explains the Asturian chef Xune Andrade.

Fava Beans

Fava beans are long, flat, white, kidney-shaped beans, grown in Asturias. Their thin, delicate skin and pleasant texture have made them a high-quality product with a quality brand of their own: "Faba de Asturias."

Fava beans are also a key ingredient in another traditional Asturian dish: "fabada" (bean stew).

Innovate with Tradition

Some Asturian chefs recommend preparing the stewed fava beans separately from the clams marinière, and then adding both to the vegetable stew. It is an effective way of controlling the cooking of both ingredients without the stew losing its flavor.