Kintoa “va-t-en venir” (just in and out), pan-fried with shallot
This is in fact more of a morning dish, a tribute to a monument of Basque cuisine: the morning pan-fried ham, often with fried eggs, but here, not in the English way. Just with shallot, the beautiful orange-pink shallot, the true plump and fragrant “chicken thigh”.
The origin of kintoa is very ancient: in 1411, the king of Navarre instituted the right of “glandage” (acorn-foraging; in which we are champions today). At the time it meant letting the animals feed on acorns in the forests of the Quint country (in Basque kintoa). We owe the rebirth of this breed in part to its ambassador Pierre Oteiza.
So, if you can resist the fashion for pata negra ham or other serrano or bellota, sliced as thin as cigarette paper, take slices thick enough to stand up to a little heat. Peel your “chicken thighs”, slice them, prepare your pan with a little duck fat. Sweat the shallots in it without rushing them. When the shallots are lovely and glossy, lay the “va-t-en venir” slices of ham on top, that is, just there and back, just so that they warm up and take on the taste and a little fat.
Your breakfast is ready: serve ham on the plate with shallots underneath and on top. Nothing forbids you from serving this jewel as a starter or main course, but it is better to keep such treasures for the true friends you will make swoon.
The moment the plate is on the table, the sight, the smell, the taste and the mouthfeel are sure to be a memory that would make even the simplest of admirers salivate.
