Rainbow Trout and Basque-Style Marinated Tongue

The promise of cold weather reminds me of fishing Lake Topaz in Nevada in the mid-1970’s, where in a three-day time span; my husband and I caught our limit and more of pan-sized Rainbow Trout. We landed enough trout to fulfill our mission to feed 100 people at a Spanish Basque Restaurant in Gardnerville, NV. This restaurant is the source for my  memories of learning to prepare and enjoy Basque-Style Marinated Tongue.
 

A boat or dinghy of some sort is required for serious trout fishing in the frigid waters of Lake Topaz.

We had been experimenting with a new inflatable Zodiac. The rubber boat had several inflatable compartments. We felt reasonably safe in it because if we lost the air in one compartment the other compartments would keep us afloat and allow returning to shore without having to abandon ship. After puncturing the bottom section or floor of the craft a couple of times we fashioned a sheet of plywood into the shape of the bottom of the inflated boat to  protect it and that also created more stability so we could walk and move around more easily.

We were fishing by hook and by crook. I found out later, that my husband was practicing an illegal form of fishing by “chumming” with whole kernel corn and salmon eggs. The corn and eggs he threw out in the deep, cold placid waters of Lake Topaz drew huge numbers of hungry fish to our inflatable boat where we were catching them with rod and reel. 

My husband was of French Basque descent and had become great friends with the Spanish Basque Restaurateur. Together they planned for this very special dinner for family and friends with our Rainbow Trout starring as the main attraction.

As is the custom in Basque style dining, participants sit around a single long table serving themselves from bowls and platters of food that are placed at regular intervals down the center of the table. The trout, a tongue and vegetable stew, an iceberg lettuce salad dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar, freshly baked sourdough bread and generous amounts of red wine create a much sought after meal in Basque communities.

Basque cuisine offers a delicious side dish of marinated tongue. It is one of my favorite dishes. I learned to prepare the tongue under the watchful eyes of the old Basque cook at the restaurant.

Occasionally one can purchase a nice size (small to medium) cow’s tongue at the local grocery store or meat market. The unavailability of a regular supply of tongue in this area makes this Basque Style marinated tongue even more of a long awaited treat.

ShebolithSays…

Wash the tongue in lots of cold running water and place it in a large stewing pot. Add enough water that will completely cover the tongue, toss in a teaspoon or so of salt and some whole peppercorns. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer the tongue until done. This can take up to an hour. Test the doneness from time to time by piercing the tongue with a fork. When the tongue easily falls back into the pot off the fork, the tongue is fully cooked. Allow the tongue to cool enough to handle without burning your hands.

Remove the skin from the tongue. It should peel quite easily. After the tongue has been cleaned and peeled of its skin, slice it into 3/8 to ½ inch medallions starting at the tip of the tongue and slicing cross wise the entire length of the tongue. Place the medallions in a bowl large enough to add a medium, sliced onion and 4 or 5 cloves of minced garlic along with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Toss these ingredients together and pour a mixture of oil and vinegar over. (For the oil and vinegar, dressing use ¼-cup red wine vinegar to ¾-cup olive oil.) Allow the tongue dish to marinate in this dressing over night or for several hours.

The tongue is now ready to eat! To serve as a side dish lay the tongue, onions and garlic on a bed of fresh lettuce and dribble the oil and vinegar marinade over the top. On the other hand, serve the tongue made into a dinner-sized sandwich using pungent homemade sour dough bread and freshly gathered watercress. A Red or Burgundy Wine goes well with this dish.