Potatoes with Rosemary (Pastel de Patata con Romero -
Spain)

1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
4 medium baking potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup half-and-half

Heat butter in skillet until melted.
Stir in onions, rosemary,
salt and pepper.
Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until
onion is very soft and begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

Arrange half of the potato slices in bottom of greased 10-inch
pie plate.
Top with half the onion mixture.
Repeat layers.
Pour
half-and-half over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at
350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 20 minutes
longer.
Cut into wedges to serve.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Scrambled Eggs with Peppers and Tomatoes (Pipérade
Basquaise)

The Basques live on either side of the border dividing France
and Spain.

2 medium green bell peppers, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup 1/4-inch strips fully cooked smoked ham
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook and stir green peppers, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt
and the thyme in 1 tablespoon of butter in 10-inch skillet over
medium heat until green peppers are crisp-tender, about 8
minutes.

Add tomatoes; heat until hot, about 2 minutes.
Drain excess
liquid from vegetables; place vegetables on platter.
Keep warm.

Heat remaining oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot.
Mix remaining ingredients; pour into skillet.
Cook uncovered over
low heat, stirring frequently, until eggs are thickened through but
sill moist, 3 to 5 minutes.

Mound scrambled eggs in center of vegetables.
Sprinkle with
snipped parsley if desired.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Spanish Braised Oxtails (Rabo de Toro a la Andaluza)

3 pounds oxtails, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, cut into fourths
1 bay leaf
4 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
Minced parsley

Cook oxtails in 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat
until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt,
thyme and pepper; add onion fourths, bay leaf and water.
Heat to
boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 3 hours.

Remove oxtails with slotted spoon; remove bay leaf.
Pour liquid
into bowl; skim off fat.
Reserve 1 cup of the liquid.
Cook and stir
chopped onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over
medium heat until onion is tender.

Stir in flour.
Gradually stir in wine and reserved cooking
liquid.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1
minute.
Reduce heat; add oxtails.
Cover and simmer until oxtails
are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Yields 4 servings.

Spanish Crullers (Churros)

Churros is the name of a shaggy-coated sheep, and these crullers
look a bit shaggy, also.

Vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat 1 to 1 1/2 inches oil to 360 degrees F.

Heat water, butter and salt to rolling boil in 3-quart saucepan;
stir in flour.
Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a
ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.
Beat in eggs all at once;
continue beating until smooth.

Spoon mixture into decorators’ tube with large star tip.
Squeeze
4-inch strips of dough into hot oil.
Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time
until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side;
drain.
Mix sugar and cinnamon; roll crullers in sugar mixture.

Makes about 24.

Spanish Hard Rolls (Bolillos)

1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 1/2 teaspoons water

Dissolve yeast in 2 cups warm water in large bowl.
Stir in
honey, salt and 3 cups of the flour.
Beat until smooth.
Stir in
enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough
onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5
minutes.

Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up.
Cover; let rise in
warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Dough is ready if
indentation remains when touched.

Punch dough down.
Cover; let rest 15 minutes.

Divide dough into 16 equal parts.
Shape each part into oblong,
about 5 inches long; pinch ends to form points.
Place on greased
cookie sheets.
Make slash about 3 inches long and 1/2 inch deep the
length of each roll.
Cover; let rise until double, 45 to 60
minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix cornstarch and 2 1/2 teaspoons water; brush on rolls.
Bake
until rolls are golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm.

Makes 16 rolls.

Baked Fish, Spanish Style

1 1/2 pounds fish steaks or fillets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into rings
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Lemon wedges

If fish pieces are large, cut into serving pieces.
Arrange fish
in ungreased 8-inch square baking dish.
Sprinkle with salt, paprika
and pepper.
Top with green pepper rings and tomato and onion
slices.
Mix lemon juice, oil and garlic; pour over fish.
Cover and
bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Uncover and cook until fish flakes easily with fork, 10 to 15
minutes longer.
Garnish with lemon wedges.

Yields 6 servings.