After David P. (BA ’92, MA ’94) and Michelle Stowell Laraway (BA ’92) met at BYU, Michelle embraced David’s Basque family heritage, learning to make traditional Basque recipes from David’s mother.
“It was a way to not only enjoy good food together but to be welcomed into the family and become part of a tradition that is now my own,” Michelle says. David’s great-grandmother emigrated from the Basque provinces, located on the border of France and Spain, to Boise, Idaho, where she managed a Basque boarding house. Growing up in Boise, where a substantial Basque population resides, David often ate dishes featuring Basque chorizo sausage.
“It’s a family staple ,” he says. David thinks of recipes as a “story that’s passed on” and appreciates how cooking Basque meals reminds him of his roots. “There’s something wonderful about how our palate in the United States is a collection of different traditions,” he says. Here are two Laraway family favorites.
Abuela’s Basque Rice
Basque rice has been a Laraway family staple for generations. David’s great-grandmother specialized in serving large portions of hearty dishes like this to immigrant sheepherders.
- 3 uncooked Basque chorizos, thinly sliced (available from Basque restaurants or online; in a pinch, cooked chorizo can be used)
- 1/2 c. roasted red peppers, diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 c. long grain rice
- 4 c. chicken broth
- Pinch of saffron (optional)
In a large pot sauté chorizos until brown and caramelized. Move to the side of the pan and sauté onions in the juices for 5 minutes. Add rice and red peppers and stir until coated with juices. Pour in chicken broth with saffron (optional) and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves five.
Basque Chorizo, Chickpea, and Vegetable Soup
This Basque-inspired original was invented by Michelle Laraway. Don’t forget the garnish—the chorizo is the best part!
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3/4 c. celery, diced
- 3/4 c. carrots, diced
- 4 uncooked Basque chorizos (available from Basque restaurants or online)
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 1/2 c. chicken (or vegetable) broth
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 c. potato, peeled and diced
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained
- 1 tsp. salt (or less if broth is salty)
- 1 tsp. pepper
In a soup pot or Dutch oven, sauté onion and one roughly cut chorizo in butter for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add celery and carrots and sauté for another 8 minutes. Move vegetables and chorizo to the side and sauté garlic in the chorizo juices, stirring for 30 seconds.
Add the broth, bay leaves, rosemary, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes. Add chickpeas and salt. Bring to a boil again, then lower to a simmer. Cover for 20–30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
While the soup cooks, dice the remaining chorizos and fry them in a little cooking spray on low heat for 20 minutes or until crispy. Don’t discard the juices.
Once the soup is cooked, use an immersion blender in the soup for 5 seconds. Or blend 1 cup of soup in a blender and add it back to the soup so the soup is partly chunky and partly smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish each bowl of soup with a spoonful of crispy chorizo and drizzle with the chorizo juices. Serves six.
