Last year, when Landon Thompson set out to open a Basque restaurant in Atlanta, he found himself in the challenging position of trying to balance the old and the new.
The Basques have a “violent passion” for food, the executive chef of Cooks & Soldiers in West Midtown says. Their cooking straddles Spain and France, mountains and sea, city and farm. It is a rustic style of eating that embraces salt cod and cured ham, tomatoes and peppers, beans and potatoes, cheese. Basque cuisine is also an international movement that has spawned wild experimentation, celebrity chefs, Michelin stars.
Complicating matters, perhaps, is the fact that Thompson, who just turned 30, is a Columbus, Ga., native who is fully aware that we live in a time when Southern food seems to be everybody’s everything. “I don’t need deviled eggs and pimento cheese and fried green tomatoes anywhere on the menu,” he jokes.
But take a bite of Thompson’s Almejas — Clams with Basque Cider, Bacon, Feta, Apple and Fennel — and you can taste how the chef has found a happy spot that celebrates both the local and the exotic. Clams from Georgia’s Sapelo Island are steamed with cider from Spain—and tossed with salty bits of pork, melting cheese, slivers of apple, a hint of fennel. Sopped up with grilled bread, it’s an extraordinary dish that is not difficult to master.
This is not to say that Thompson’s recipes are simple.
Before you crack his clams, you’ll need to make soffritto, a seasoning paste of tomatoes, garlic, onion, celery, carrots and olive oil that is the foundation of so much Mediterranean cooking. And before you roll and bread his Croquetas de Jamon, you’ll need to stir up a rich, creamy bechamel sauce from milk infused with ham.
Looking for something a little less ambitious? Piperade — a versatile stew of peppers, tomatoes and onions — is a one-pot classic that comes together quickly and tastes good with most anything.
Thompson pairs Piperade with seared scallops and egg yolks he fries with a blow torch. That’s the new side of the coin. I like it the old way: with scrambled eggs and toast. That’s the beauty, the genius, the versatility of Basque cuisine.
Recipes
Clams with Basque Cider, Bacon, Feta, Apple and Fennel
Cooks & Soldiers executive chef Landon Thompson makes this dish with Sapelo Island Clams from coastal Georgia. The bacon, apple, feta and fennel is a lovely fall combination, and the Basque cider adds a nice mineral tang. (Thompson uses Isategi cider, which can be found at Hop City at Krog Street Market or H&F Finch Bottle Shop.) If you can’t find Sapelos, any littlenecks will do. Thompson adds a few extra clams to the pot to account for any that don’t open while cooking. Note: if storing fresh clams in the refrigerator, place them in a bowl covered with a damp towel; do not cover cover clams with water, ice or a lid, or they will die.
5 strips extra-thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lardons
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup diced fennel
1/2 cup soffritto (see recipe)
48 little neck clams (preferably Sapelo Island), thoroughly washed in cold water and scrubbed
8 ounces Basque cider
8 ounces dry white wine
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced into matchsticks
8 slices grilled bread
Saute bacon lardons in a skillet over medium heat until the lardons are just crispy, 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add diced fennel and toss to coat. Turn heat up to high, and cook until the fennel is just charred, tossing occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
Place crisped bacon and soffritto in a large skillet (with lid) over low heat. Stir to combine. Add clams, and shake pan a few times to heat up the clams, 2-3 minutes. Mix the Basque cider and the white wine; add to skillet. Raise heat to medium-high. Stir gently, cover pan and cook until the clams begin to open, about 5-8 minutes. (If the pan gets dry, add more liquid — either water or more of the cider-wine mixture — a tablespoon or two at a time.) As the clams open, remove one by one and place in a serving bowl. (Discard any unopened clams.) Add chopped fennel and butter. Stir to melt butter and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley.
Dump the sauce over clams. Sprinkle with feta; toss gently. Garnish with apple matchsticks. Serve at once with crusty bread. Serves: 4
Per serving: 418 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 23 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 53 milligrams cholesterol, 658 milligrams sodium.
Easy Soffritto
Cooks all over the Mediterranean use soffritto as a building block to season food. Cooks & Soldiers’ Landon Thompson simmers his tomato soffritto in vast quantities for hours, keeping it on hand to use as needed. I created this streamlined version using his recipe as a guide. Leftover soffritto will keep in the refrigerator for several days or can be frozen. It is also a great nosh on toasted bread.
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups San Marzano tomatoes, crushed, liquid included
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt and pepper
Place olive oil, onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the bowl of food processor. Pulse a few times to form a paste. (You want the mixture to be thoroughly minced but not soupy.)
Place the paste in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are quite tender and beginning to caramelize. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and liquid, sherry vinegar and sugar. Raise heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Turn down to low and cook for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring regularly at first and then more frequently as the soffritto thickens. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Makes: About 1 1/2 cups
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 28 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 2 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 32 milligrams sodium.
Piperade with Scallops and Egg
This traditional Basque stew of peppers and tomatoes, also known as piperrada, gets its distinctive flavor from smokey espalette peppers. It is a classic accompaniment for ham and eggs, though Cooks & Soldiers’ Landon Thompson likes to pair it with seared scallops and an egg yolk (which he sizzles with a blow torch). You may eat piperade as a main dish; tuck it into an omelette; or serve with fried, poached or scrambled eggs.
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 red bell peppers, sliced into julienne strips
3 poblano peppers, sliced into julienne peppers
1 large yellow onion, sliced into julienne strips
3 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed, with liquid reserved
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 1/4 teaspoons pimentón (Spanish paprika)
1/4 teaspoons ground espelette pepper
1 pinch chili flake
Salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil
8 sea scallops (optional)
cooking spray
4 large egg yolks (optional)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until wisps of smoke appear. Add bell peppers, poblano peppers and onion. Reduce heat to medium; cook until the vegetables are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sherry vinegar, pimentón, espelette and chili flakes; mix well and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid is gone and the vegetables are soft but not mushy, about 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Place about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil begins to sizzle, place scallops in the pan, and cook until they are opaque at the center and brown on either side, about 4 minutes per side.
Wipe out pan, and coat the pan with cooking spray. Heat the pan for about 3 minutes over high heat; carefully drop in egg yolks. Fry about 1 minute per side. (Note: If you don’t want to fry an egg yolk, fry four eggs sunny side up, about 3 minutes.)
Divide the piperade between four dinner plates. Place two scallops and one egg yolk beside it. Serves: 4
Per serving: 321 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 12 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 219 milligrams cholesterol, 308 milligrams sodi
Croquetas de Jamon
Cooks & Soldiers chef Landon Thompson gets a double-whammy of ham flavor by using milk that’s steeped with ham scraps. If you happen to have a half pound of Serrano or Iberian ham sitting around, go for it. I used 3-4 slices of Serrano ham, to good results. You could also skip that step altogether and just use plain milk. This party-size recipe makes about 60 croquettes; if you don’t want to cook them all at once, freeze breaded croquetas until ready to fry.
1/2 gallon whole milk
4-8 ounces jamon scraps (you may use any kind of cured ham or cured pork scraps)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/2 onion, finely minced
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup finely minced Serrano ham (may use any kind of Spanish or Italian ham, such as Serrano or prosciutto)
3 (1/4-ounce) packets powdered gelatin (or 10 sheets of gelatin, soaked in cold water for 5-10 minutes)
Cooking spray
All-purpose flour for breading (about 2 cups)
4 eggs (for egg wash)
Bread crumbs or panko for breading (about 4 cups)
Vegetable oil for frying
1 recipe garlic aioli (see recipe)
Parsley or other herbs for garnish (optional)
Ground espalette (or any kind of ground red pepper) for garnish (optional)
Place milk and jamon scraps in a closed container; soak overnight in refrigerator.
Pour milk and jamon into a large, heavy-bottomed boiler; bring to a gentle simmer, stirring regularly, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Strain and reserve milk. Toss ham scraps.
Place 2 tablespoons butter and the minced onion in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Cook until the onion is tender and almost caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Melt remaining 10 tablespoons butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet or boiler over medium heat. (I used a heavy stock pot.) Add 2 cups flour and stir to form a blond roux, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Turn heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the mixture does not stick.
Add the sauteed onion and the gelatin, one packet at at time. (Be careful not to dump gelatin in the pot, or you may get lumps. Instead, sprinkle powder over the mixture; then mix well before adding another packet.) Bring to a low simmer, stirring constantly. When the mixture is completely smooth, take off heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes; stir in minced ham.
Spray a large baking tray (half sheet) with cooking spray; pour the batter onto the tray and allow to cool completely—at least two hours or overnight in the refrigerator, covered.
When ready to make the croquetas, form into 1 ounce ovals; place on a baking sheets lined with wax paper or parchment. (You will need two half sheets.)
Place about 1 cup of flour in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, whisk 1 egg with 2 teaspoons of water. In a third bowl, place about 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs or panko. Roll each croqueta in the flour, then the egg wash, then the crumbs, returning each to the baking sheet. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours. (You will probably want to do this in several batches, using fresh flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs.)
Fry croquetas in vegetable oil at 300 degrees until browned, about 1-2 minutes in a deep fryer or about 3 minutes per side if frying in a skillet. Drain on paper towels. Serve with garlic aioli, garnished with herbs and ground pepper if desired. Makes: About 60 croquetas
Per croqueta: 108 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 3.5 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 6 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 81 milligrams sodium.
Garlic Aioli
3 cloves garlic
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 pint (2 cups) 100 percent olive oil (not extra-virgin) or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 quarter teaspoon extra-course salt (such as Maldon)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Place two gloves of garlic in a small pan. Cover with water and simmer until the garlic is tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and reserve.
Place blanched garlic, remaining garlic clove, egg and egg yolk in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in 1 cup of oil. When the mixture has emulsified, add lemon juice, white pepper, extra-coarse salt, kosher salt, honey, sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard. Pulse a few times to mix. With the motor running, drizzle in remaining cup of oil. The aioli should be quite thick. Taste and adjust seasonings. You may add more lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, etc., as desired. Refrigerate in covered container until ready to use. Note: If the sauce is thicker than you like, you may thin it down by adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Makes: A little over 2 cups.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 117 calories (percent of calories from fat, 98), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 13 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 45 milligrams sodium.
