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I made two dishes, with three recipes.  I was looking through some Basque cookbooks that were more oriented towards restaurants of the American West, and they featured multiple potato salads.  I learned how to make mayonnaise and created my own recipe for potato salad.  I also made sizzling shrimp that were called Jesus's Shrimp a la Pil Pil from Recipes from Basque Restaurants of the American West by Clara Perkins. 

Mayonnaise
(From The Art of Basque Cooking by Clara Perkins)

Crack an egg plus an extra yolk into an electric mixing bowl and beat well.  In a thin stream, beating continuously on a high speed, add two cups of olive oil.  When the mayonnaise is thick, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Beat in one tablespoon of cold water to keep it from separating.  Makes about 3 cups.




Rebecca's Spicy Potato Salad
Serves 4 


1 Slice of serano ham or prosciutto, chopped into small slivers
3 piquillo peppers, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 an onion

3 T.  chopped parsley
1 1/2 T.  capers, chopped
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
2 t.  espelette chili (or other kind of crushed chili pepper)
1/2-1 cup mayonnaise
6 medium-small sized potatoes

Thinly slice the onion and sautee it until it is translucent and light brown.  Combine the ham, peppers, onion, capers, vinegar, and mayonnaise and set aside.  Boil the potatoes, take care not to over cook, and then slice them into 1/3 inch slices.  Toss in the mayonnaise mixture and serve.  If the salad is too strong, add more mayonnaise.

Jesus' Prawns al Pil Pil

According to Recipes from Basque Restaurants of the American West, pil pil means sizzling hot.  These are basically sizzling garlic shrimp.
24 shrimps
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T.  garlic, minced
1/4 t. red pepper, crushed
1 T. parsley, minced
2 T. butter
juice of 1/2 lemon

Have everything ready before you start cooking the shrimp.  Peel, devein, and clean the shrimp.  Place oil in a heavy 2 quart pot.  Bring the temperature up high and then stir in garlic.  Quickly add shrimp. Stir them gently for a few second and then reduce the heat as soon as they begin turning pink.  Stir in lemon juice, parsley, red pepper and butter.  Serve immediately, Jesus recommends serving it on heated plates.