Basque in the Flavor

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 to 4 pounds chicken breasts, with bone and skin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, sliced or 2 roasted red peppers
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Spread onions and garlic evenly in the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan. Cut each chicken breast in half. Sprinkle chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Place chicken, skin side up, in pan. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with paprika. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, red peppers and broth. Continue baking 35 to 40 minutes, basting chicken occasionally, until chicken juices run clear. Serves 8.

Recipe by Tara McElhose-Eiguren and Charles Smothermon, "Basque in the Flavor," Sept. 2009.

Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Custard filling:
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. To prepare dough, combine flour, almonds, baking powder and salt.
2. Combine butter and sugar; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add egg yolks and vanilla; mix until smooth. While mixing, slowly add flour mixture. Beat until thoroughly combined and mixture clings together when pressed against the side of bowl. Divide into 2 portions, with one portion slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into a disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. To prepare custard filling, heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. When milk mixture is hot, slowly drizzle it into yolk mixture while vigorously whisking. Return mixture to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until custard becomes very thick. (If lumps form, whisk until smooth.) Stir in vanilla. Transfer custard to a medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400F. Butter bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan.
5. To assemble, roll larger portion of dough into a 101/2-inch round (dough will be thick).




Place in bottom of pan, pressing excess dough up the inside edge of pan. Add filling, spreading evenly. Roll remaining dough into a 9-inch round. Place on top of dough and filling in pan; press edges of dough to seal and form a rim. Place on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and continue baking 15 minutes, or until cake is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack at least 45 minutes before serving. Slice using a serrated knife. Refrigerate remaining cake after serving. Serves 10.

Recipe by Tara McElhose-Eiguren and Charles Smothermon, "Basque in the Flavor," Sept. 2009.

Per serving: 380 calories, 23g fat, 180mg chol., 6g prot., 41g carbs., 1g fiber, 310mg sodium.