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Traditions | Recipes | Songs | Piñata |
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CODFISH VIZCAINA
Christmas Eve Codfish from Spain (Serves 6 people)
The night before, put the codfish in cold water to remove the salt, changing the water several times. On the following day rinse and place in fresh water to boil on the stove top. Once it is cooked, rinse again and allow to cool. Flake the fish to remove the bones. In a large sauce pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil. Next, add the tomato along with a little of the pimiento and boil over a low flame until it thickens. Then add the codfish, the potatos, the parsley, the peppers, the olives, the oregano, and the whole head of garlic. If necessary a little of the broth can be added. Cook long enough to allow the flavors to mingle. Before serving place some pimiento on top. Can be served cold or warm. Accompany with bread.
For Jan. 6th, the Day of the 3 Kings
Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water, add 2 spoonfuls of flour and let it rest until it puffs up and doubles in size. To the side, sift the flour into a pile on a table. Form a hollow in the center and add half of the butter, the eggs, the yolks, the condensed milk, the salt, the orange blossom water, and the yeast preparation. Knead all the ingredients with the hands, into a pastry. Add the rest of the butter and continue to knead until the dough is soft and smooth. Place in a greased pan and allow the dough to raise. Transfer the dough to a greased and floured circular mold and place most of the fruit on top (saving some for decoration) along with the dolls so that they will sink in. Brush the surface with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until the Rosca rises and acquires a golden color. Place the rest of the fruit of on top and serve warm or allow to cool. Makes 24 portions.
Prepare a basic doughnut batter. Place the batter into a pastry bag with a middle - large round star tip. Squeeze the dough into the hot frying oil in strips. Roll the cooked pastry in sugar and cinnamon.
(multiply the ingredients by the number of servings desired)
Bring the milk to a slow boil while stirring in the chocolate and flavorings. In Mexico a special tool, called a molinillo is used to stir the milk, and a specially formulated chocolate with the flavor already added can be found in any store. In the U.S. this chocolate can sometimes be found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store.
(Ponche is traditionally made with brandy but fruit juice can be substituted and is just as good)
Place the prunes and raisins in a glass bottle with the brandy or rum for 2 weeks, shaking them every day so that the flavor is spread. After 2 weeks strain the liquor. Boil a little water with the plums, the lemon rind, and the raisins and prunes from the brandy, adding sugar as necessary after it's boiled a little. Remove from the flame, strain and add the black tea and the brandy. Seve hot. Variations - Experiment with apple cider, sugar cane, apples, lemons, and/or oranges in slices, cinnamon tea, peaches, mincemeats, pineapple, strawberries, maraschino cherries, cloves, etc.
Husk and wash the corn, saving the husks for later in some warm water. Next, remove the corn from the cob and grind it with just a little bit of milk. Cream the butter and mix with the corn mash and baking powder. Beat until the mixture reaches the point that when a small ball of the mixture is placed in a glass of cold water it rises, then sweeten to taste and dye with the food coloring. Grease the corn husks. Spread the center of each husk with 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Top with the raisins, and/or citrons if you wish. Fold the sides of the husk toward the center, the bottom of the husk up, and the top down. Tie each tamale with a corn husk strip. Pour 2 inches of water into a large steamer. Arrange tamales on a rack in the steamer. Steam for 45-50 minutes. To reheat leftovers, use the steamer again. Variations - Do not sweeten, and replace the raisins and citrons with spiced meat or jalapeño strips in tomato sauce or cheese.
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