Can't remember the date

For this dinner, I had a few friends over and served piquillo peppers stuffed with cod, oven fried fries (like I made in my first entry), a grilled leg of lamb, someone brought salad, and for dessert, flan. 

Stuffed Peppers
 These stuffed peppers are a bit more authentic new Spanish Basque cuisine.  They are absolutely delicious and are an example of one of the many uses of piperade.

From The Basque Table

1/2 pound skinned and boned salt cod
3 T. oil
1 T. flour
3 c. milk
12 canned piquillo pepper, canned pimentos, or roasted, peeled, and seeded red bell peppers
2 cups piperade, emulsified  (a food mill works well)

In a shallow bowl, cover the fish with cold water. Refrigerate the fish for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water every 8 hours or so.  Drain the fish on paper towels, and shred it with your fingers.

In a skillet or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the fish, and saute it for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned.  Add the flour, and mix well.  Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, adding the mild a little at a time and stirring until the cod bechamel is smooth. Set the pan aside, and let the bechamel cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a teaspoon, stuff the peppers with the bechamel.  Arrange the peppers in a casserole just large enough to hold them snugly.  Spoon the piperade over the peppers, and bake them, uncovered, for abut 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are heated.

Grilled Lamb

 To prepare the lamb, I trimmed the fat, poked holes with a paring knife, about an inch and a half apart, and inserted a sliver of garlic into each one.  I inserted the garlic right after I poked the hole, because it is hard to locate it later.  I then marinated the lamb in olive oil, extra garlic, salt and pepper for about 3 hours.

  

To grill a leg of lamb, cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side over high heat.  Reduce the coals to produce medium heat, cover the grill, and cook for another 7 to 15 minutes.  The internal temperature should be 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare.
http://www.ehow.com/how_18214_grill-leg-lamb.html

Flan

This was my great-grandmothers recipe, but was recorded by my great aunt Orelie.

For a large flan:

Heat the milk
2 qts milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large sauce pan or pot, place all of the above ingredients.... and stir.  Heat milk but do not boil.  Start warming the mild and medium heat and then turn to low heat as you caramelize the sugar in the custard pan.

Caramelize the sugar
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Fill the sink with cold water so it will be ready for cooling the caramelized pan.  In the custard pan, put in the sugar and water. Using a wooden spoon, stir water into sugar.  At high heat, boil and continuously stir sugar until it is golden brown- watch closely.   Justa s soon as the sugar turns, immediately remove from heat  Do not let the sugar turn brown because it will be bitter.  Set caramelized pan in cold water for 30 seconds- just long enough to stop the cooking.  Remove pan from water.  Caramelize the sides of the pan.  Careful! Hot sugar really burns!  Hold the pan with tow potholders and slowly tilt and turn the pan so caramel rolls around inside of the pan all the way to the rim.  Continue until sugar no longer moves.  Place caramelized pan upside down on sink to harden for upwards of 5 minutes.  When sugar has hardened, place pan in sink water to shatter the caramelized sugar.  Careful not to get water inside the pan.  While waiting for the sugar to shatter, just leave the pan floating in the water and start to prepare the milk and eggs.

Milk and Eggs

10 eggs
1/4 cup sugar

In a large mixer bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar.  Mix at medium to high speed until eggs are beaten together but not whipped.  Get the heated milk, remove orange rind and cinnamon stick.  By the cupful, gradually add heated milk to eggs that are beating at low speed.  Get bath pan and put about 1 inch of cold water in it.  The water is to be no more than half way up on the custard pan- so water won't bubble up into the custard.   Get the caramelized sugar pan, place foil handle under it.  Place caramelized sugar pan into bath pan so that foil handles hang out of the bath pan.

Strain Milk and Add Liquors

Place strainer in caramelized pan and pour milk/egg mixture through it into the pan.   Add vanilla and all the liquors shown below and stir. If pan not quite full, add a little milk.

1 T. Vanilla

4 T. Bourbon or Rum
2 T. Brandy
1 T.  Grand Marnier or Cointreaux

Place the custard/ bath pan in the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  When its done, the top will be browned, the custard will be starting to pull way from the edges of the pan and a toothpick or fork comes out clean when stuck in it.  Lift the custard out of the bath pan and let it cool for several hours.  When cooled, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.  To serve, run a dinner knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the custard.  Place a large serving bowl over the custard pan, hold tight, and flip over.  Scrape the caramelized sugar out of the bowl.