Warm up with these recipes from Spain!
Winter has well and truly arrived here in Australia and our cold bodies are craving warming, comforting foods which
the Spanish happen to do very well. Here are some of my favorite Spanish
Winter recipes.
Castilian Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo
Castellana)
One
of the most humble yet famous recipes of Spanish Cuisine; the garlic soup or
Sopa de Ajo Castellana. The soup made by
grandmothers and mothers all over Spain, traditional and comforting. This soup can be served in individual earthernware dishes (cazuelas), in which case the egg is added after the soup has been poured.
Serves 4
6 tablespoons of olive oil
6 cloves garlic (more if you like!)
100 gr sliced Serrano ham (thickness your choice)
6 slices of stale bread, sliced (preferably from a crusty loaf)
1 teaspoon sweet pimentón/paprika (use hot if you like it spicy)
4 eggs
1 3/4 litres meat stock or water
6 cloves garlic (more if you like!)
100 gr sliced Serrano ham (thickness your choice)
6 slices of stale bread, sliced (preferably from a crusty loaf)
1 teaspoon sweet pimentón/paprika (use hot if you like it spicy)
4 eggs
1 3/4 litres meat stock or water
Method
Peel and slice the garlic, it does not need to be very thin. Heat the
oil in a skillet, soup pot or heat-proof casserole and add the chopped garlic. Saute until they begin to turn golden
brown. When just turning brown, add the sliced ham and slices of stale bread.
Fry together for two minutes then add the pimento/paprika. Brown, then immediately add the boiling stock or boiling water. Cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. The bread should almost dissolve into the broth. Place the soup into four individual earthenware bowls (or cazuelas) and add one egg in each bowl. Poach the eggs in the soup either in the oven or on top of the stove top. As an alternative, you can also beat the eggs and then stir them into the soup allowing it to cook until eggs have set.
Hot Gazpacho (Gazpacho Caliente)
Rural, simple
and exquisitely natural, a hot variation of the quintessential Andalusian
gazpacho. The following recipe is from “Cooking in Spain” by Janet Mendel, Santana books and will soon be
available through Artesano. (Image not from book)
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 green peer, chopped
2 large tomatoes,
peeled, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic,
minced
50 ml olive oil
¼ tsp of saffron
or paprika
¼ teaspoon of cumin
¼ teaspoon ground
chilli pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
4 slices of
bread, toasted and cubed
Mint for garnish and figs to accompany
In a soup pot combine
the onion, pepper, tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and let them stew for 10
minutes. In a mortar crush the saffron and mix with the cumin, pepper and salt.
Add to the pot with the water or stock. Bring to the boil and cook for 10
minutes more. Serve garnished with croutons of bread. Garnish with mint and serve with figs and pieces of green pepper and raw onions.
Meatballs in Almond Sauce (Albóndigas en salsa de almendras)
Meat balls are a
favourite hearty dish and this version with saffron and almond sauce, is
especially delicious. This recipe is taken
from “tapas a bite of Spain” by Janet Mendel, by Santana books, which we sell on
our website. (Photos not from her book). It makes about 36
meatballs: 12 tapas or 4 main dishes.
340 g minced
ground beef
340 g minced
ground pork
2 slices of stale
bread, crusts removed
1 clove of
garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons
finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons
chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
Flour for
dredging meatballs
6 tablespoons of
olive oil
3 tablespoons of
olive oil
40 almonds,
blanched and skinned
1 slice of bread
3 tablespoons
olive oil
10 pepper corns
½ teaspoon
saffron
1 clove or
pinched ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
175 ml 2/3 cup
white wine
240ml / 1 cup of
chicken or meat stock
Chopped parsley
Method:
Combine the beef
and pork mince in a bowl. Soak the bread in water or milk, cover until soft
Squeeze it out
and add to the meat with the garlic, onion , parsley, salt, nutmeg and egg
Knead well to
make a smooth mixture.
Form into 25mm/ 1
in balls and roll them in flour. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the
meatballs until brown on all sides. Remove and drain.
Place 3
tablespoons of oil in a clean frying pan and fry the almonds, bread and garlic
until golden. Remove. Set aside a few almonds for garnish.
In a mortar, crush
the peppercorns, saffron, clove and salt. In a food processor or blender, grind
together the tasted almonds, bread and garlic with the wine to make a smooth
paste. Add the spices to this mixture.
Stir the almond
mixture into the oil in the frying pan and add the stock. Bring to the boil,
then add the fried meatballs. Simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes in the sauce,
adding a little additional liquid if needed.
Serve the
meatballs garnished with the reserved toasted almonds and chopped parsley.
Warming Winter's Brunch
A very traditional Andalucian breakfast, typically eaten by farmers,
shepherds and workers during the winter months, out in the countryside. Very
filling and warming, ideal to get you prepared for the working day ahead. This recipe is courtesy of Orce Serrano Hams.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Orce Serrano Hams |
Ingredients
5 - 6 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
Jar white beans
3 or 4 sweet chorizo
Olive oil
1 red pepper
Jar white beans
3 or 4 sweet chorizo
Olive oil
Method
Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Remove the top and seeds from the
pepper, chop into bite sized chunks. In a large frying pan, heat the olive
oil and add the garlic and peppers and fry until slightly coloured. Chop up the chorizo also into bite
sized chunks and add to the pan, cook for a few minutes on a high heat. Add the beans and than lower the heat,
cover and cook gently for 20 minutes. Serve with thick slices of fresh bread.
Tip:
Instead of sweet chorizo you can use
the picante or hot variety for extra bite! You can substitute the white beans for
chick peas or even baked beans.
Paella "Pablos Paella"
Spanish Hot Chocolate (Chocolate
a la Español)
Ingredients
500 ml milk,
Method
ahh the Paella.."When people think of paella, they almost always imagine the
seafood variety although traditionally it was made with rabbit, chicken and
pork. The dish originated from the region of Valencia where it was cooked by
the men who worked in the countryside. They set a large paella pan over a wood
fire and used whatever ingredients were to hand - meat, rice and vegetables.
The dish has hardly changed over the years although there are many different
recipes and variations" excerpt Orce Serrano Hams. Paella Great all year around but in Winter I like to serve the meat variety rather then the seafood variety.
This recipe from “Mouth-Watering Spanish Recipes” by Gayle Macdonald and Victoria Tweed. Their book is available as an e-book online. Follow link below. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mouth-
Gayle: Pablo is our neighbour and also a
chef in the village. We are very lucky to be treated to little
morsels of whatever has been cooking that day...if there is any left over. One
bright January day, he
invited us and some other neighbours round for his famous paella, cooked on the barbecue.
During the cooking, he let us in on some of his secrets, which I am happy to
share below.Victoria: The meat is
cooked on the bone and the barbecue method of cooking adds lots of outdoor flavour.
Serves 10-12~ 20 minutes preparation ~~ 50 to 60 minutes cooking
Serves 10-12~ 20 minutes preparation ~~ 50 to 60 minutes cooking
.jpg) |
| Photo courtesy of Orce Serrano Hams |
Ingredients:
1 rabbit,
cut into pieces
2 chicken
legs, cut into pieces
250g (8¾ oz)
pork ribs, cut into small pieces
(ask your butcher to do this)
1 large
onion
1 large red
pepper
1 large
green pepper
4 cloves of
garlic
6 ripe vine
tomatoes
1kg (2.2
lbs) bomba or paella rice
1½ litres
(51 US fl.oz) chicken stock
Good pinch
of saffron
Olive oil
Salt
Lemon wedges
to serve
Method:
1) Salt the
pork ribs and set them aside.
2) Peel and
finely chop the onion. Peel and slice the garlic. De-seed the peppers and chop
into
small
pieces. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.
3) Put the
stock on a low heat to warm through gently. In a pestle and mortar, grind the
saffron,with a
little heated stock, and leave to stand.
4) Heat a
little olive oil in the paella pan and add the chicken. Cook until browned all
over, then add the
rabbit and the pork. Continue cooking until all the meat is nicely browned all
over.
5) Add the
garlic and the onion, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the peppers
and cook for about
five minutes more.
6) Add the
tomatoes and cook until they are soft. (Don’t worry if they begin to stick, in
fact it is better if
they do!
7) Add a
little stock (about 1 full cup) to the saffron and season with salt.
8) Add the
rice, a cupful at a time, counting as you go. (You will need approx. 1.5 cups
of stock to every cup
of rice.)
9) Stir the
rice and cook until it turns translucent. (Again, don’t worry if it sticks, it
all adds to the flavour! In
fact, when the rice sticks to the bottom of the pan and goes crispy, it is
known as socarrat and is a
sign of a good paella.)
10) Add the
hot chicken stock, counting as you go, to get the correct ratio of rice to
stock. (If the pan seems
full, leave it for a bit, and, when the liquid has reduced, you can add more
stock.)
11) Check
the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.
12) Give the
paella a stir and then check the heat.
13) The
paella needs to be left alone now, to cook gently. Enough heat is needed to
ensure the paella is
slightly bubbling all over, but not boiling too much.
14) Leave to
cook for about 15 minutes, regularly checking the fire. You may stir the paella
provided
there is liquid. Once the liquid begins to be absorbed, shake the pan from time
to time but touch it
as little as possible.
15) After 15
minutes, taste the rice. If it is still quite hard, add a little more stock (or
hot water) if necessary,
and cook some more. Adjust the seasoning.
16) After 20
minutes, the rice should be nice and tender and all the grains separated. Cook
for 5 more minutes
if necessary.
17) Remove
from the heat and cover with a towel, foil or newspaper. Leave to stand for 5
minutes,
while you enjoy a glass of wine!
18) Garnish
with lemon wedges, place in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in.
Fantastic!
You cant go past a Chocolate a la Español on a cold winters day or night. Rich and delicious.
For 4 persons/or allow 50 grams of chocolate for each cup
