White Bean and Sherry Garlic Dip

A lovely smooth blended dip full of flavour that goes exceptionally well with raw vegetables such as carrots,

celery and summer salads. A perfect dip for hot potato wedges with a bite that comes from the garlic and

cracked black pepper and hint of sherry vinegar. Great for the tapas table!

2 to 3 large potatoes
200g (7oz) jar of white beans
1 garlic clove
200ml (6 to7 fl oz) water
Pinch of cracked black pepper
250ml (half pint) extra virgin olive oil
Splash of sherry vinegar
Salt to taste

Cut the potatoes into wedges and place into a fryer and cook.

Meanwhile, place all of the other ingredients into a blender and blend for a good 60 seconds until a smooth paste is achieved.

Taste test, adding more garlic or sherry vinegar to achieve your preferred flavour strength. Add a little more olive oil if required.

Pour into a bowl or cazuela.

Serve with the hot potato wedges or salad.

Tip: Add half a teaspoon of hot smoked paprika for an extra smokey flavour.

Serves 2

Spanish Liver Tapas

Liver is tremendously healthy and full of vitamins and minerals - specifically iron. Simply fried in

olive oil and with a little salt and pepper, liver can make a great starter, or in this case, a lively tapa.

You will need:

1 lamb’s liver
Alioli
Hot smoked paprika
Bread
Parsley to garnish

Method

•Gently fry the liver in olive oil for around 12 minutes or until cooked through.

•Thinly slice some bread and toast (or use small tostadas)

•Cut the liver into small pieces and place on the toasts.

•Place a teaspoonful of alioli on top, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with fresh parsley.

•Can be served hot or cold.

Grumpy’s Garlic Mushrooms Tapa - Champiñones al Ajillo

Serves 4

50ml (2 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

250g (8oz) fresh mushrooms (sliced)

4-6 cloves of garlic (chopped or sliced)

3 tablespoons dry Spanish sherry

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Large pinch of dried chili flakes

Large pinch of paprika

Salt, freshly ground pepper

Chopped parsley to garnish

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Stir constantly.

Lower the heat and add the garlic, lemon juice, sherry, salt and pepper.

For a milder flavour you can leave it at that if you like. But if you like a few 'fireworks', now is the time to add the dried chili and paprika as well.

Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the garlic and mushrooms have softened then remove from the heat.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and divide up into pre-heated little dishes.
Serve with plenty of fresh, crusty bread to mop up the seriously garlicky juices.

Note: Tapa means ‘lid’ or ‘cover’ in Spanish. It’s thought that the name originally came from the practice of placing slices of meat on top of a sherry glass, to keep out flies. The meat, often ham or chorizo, were characteristically salty, inducing thirst. Bartenders saw this and began serving a variety of tapas which increased alcohol sales. Thus a new tradition was born.

Bethina’s Ham, Tomato and Garlic Toasts - Jamón, tomate y ajo con pan

Slices of bread (baguette, cut diagonally)

1 clove garlic, cut in half

1 very ripe tomato

Slices of jamon serrano or ham of your choice

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the grill.  

Toast the bread and, while still warm, rub with the halved garlic to flavour the slices. 

Then rub the bread with the halved tomato. Squeeze in as much of the flesh as you can. 

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and some freshly-ground pepper.

Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and top it off with the ham.

Crispy Potatoes in Spicy Tomato Sauce - Patatas Bravas

Serves 4

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled, and cut into 2cm (1in) inch cubes

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

500g (1lb) tomatoes

3 teaspoons (paprika)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon tomato puree

Olive oil, for frying

Chopped parsley to garnish

Par-boil the potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the water. Let the steam evaporate for a minute or so and then give the pan a good shake. This roughs up the outsides nicely. Set aside.

Prepare the tomatoes by cutting a cross in the base and plunging them into boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds.  Plunge into cold water and the skin should peel away easily.  Chop the tomatoes.

Fry the onion until soft.  Add the garlic, paprika, thyme and cayenne pepper, then cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the chopped tomato and puree and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. During cooking, add the salt and pepper to taste.  If the sauce seems too dry, add a little water.

Meanwhile, re-heat the frying oil and fry the potatoes until golden brown. This gives them a crisp coating and prevents the sauce from soaking in too much. They should be beautifully crisp outside and soft and fluffy inside.

To serve, place the potatoes in a serving bowl, then cover with the spicy sauce.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Spanish Potato Salad - Ensaladilla

3 medium potatoes

150g (5 oz) fresh or frozen peas

120g (4 oz) green beans

1 large carrot

1 small onion

1 small red pepper

2 tablespoons green olives

2 hard boiled eggs

1 medium tomato

1 tablespoon capers

Peel and dice the carrot and potato. Boil the potato and carrot in water until just tender.

Add the peas and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked.

Drain and place in a large bowl or serving dish.

Peel and finely chop the onion, chop the pepper and tomato and slice the hard boiled eggs.

Add the pepper, onion, eggs, capers, tomato and olives to the other vegetables and mix together.

In a separate bowl, make the dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.

Slowly spoon the dressing onto the salad and mix together without smothering the salad.

Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

This is a popular tapa dish that goes particularly well with beer.

Vegetable Kebabs - Brochetas de Verduras

Serves 4

1 aubergine

8 - 10 cherry tomatoes

1 medium red pepper

1 medium green pepper

1 medium onion

8-10 mushrooms

Fresh or dried thyme

Olive oil

Cut all vegetables into bite sized slices. Peel the onion and slice.

Create the kebabs by alternating

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a large shallow dish, adding plenty of thyme.

Lay the kebabs in the oil and allow to marinade for about 2 hours. Turn occasionally.

Add the kebabs and allow to marinade in the oil turning now and then for an hour or so.

Cook on a barbecue or grill until ready.

Serve with barbecued meat and crusty bread.

Carmen-Bethina’s Poor Man’s Potatoes - Patatas a lo Pobre

Serves 4

15 tbsp olive oil

1 kg (2lb) potatoes - peeled, cut into chunks

3 large onions

3 green peppers - seeded and roughly chopped

Large handful mushrooms - wiped, roughly chopped

5 cloves garlic - roughly chopped

4 fresh bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and pinch of salt. Cook slowly on a lowish to medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes. Stir frequently until onion is golden brown and soft.

Add the peppers, garlic and bay leaves. Cook for another 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the potatoes and salt lightly.

When the peppers are soft, add the remaining oil. Ensure the oil is hot before adding the potato chunks. Simmer gently for 20 -30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft.

Drain using a slotted spoon or colander.

Serve with fresh crusty bread, or as an accompaniment with roast pork or lamb.

Lamb Cochifrito

Lamb Cochifrito originally came from Northern Spain but is a very popular dish in Andalucía

today. You will find this dish as a main meal on many restaurant menus and it is occasionally

served up as hot tapas.

1 kg (2lb 4oz) lamb steaks
1 onion (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
Broadleaf parsley

First, take the lamb steaks and remove the bone from the centre, then slice the meat into strips.

Heat a little olive oil in a large cazuela or frying pan and add the lamb. Cook until browned then add the onion and fry for a further 2 minutes.

Add the garlic, green pepper, smoked paprika and lemon juice, reduce heat and cook for 15 - 20 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve and garnish with roughly chopped parsley.

Tip: Adding a splash of cream works very well with the paprika.

Catalan Chicken and Chorizo Stew - Pollo a la Catalana

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts cut into large pieces

2 red onions, sliced

1 large red pepper, seeded and sliced

2 garlic cloves crushed

250g (9oz) chorizo sausage diced

1 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

150 ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine

Approx 20 mixed olives, pitted

1 400g (14oz) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

250ml (8 fl oz) chicken stock

1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the onions until soft, then quickly brown the chicken pieces.

Put it in a casserole dish.

In the remaining oil in the frying pan add the peppers, crushed garlic and chorizo sausage and cook for a few minutes.

Add to the chicken.

Pour the tomatoes, stock and wine over the chicken and add the chickpeas and olives.

Sprinkle on paprika and add the thyme.

Stir it all, and place in a preheated oven 170C/325F/Gas mark 3 and cook for about 1 hour and a quarter.

Gazpacho (cold tomato soup) from Andalucía

Serves 4

2 or 3 slices of white bread

4 large tomatoes

1 small cucumber peeled

1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)

half a small onion

1 small red pepper

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

water

ice cubes to serve

Pull the bread to pieces and soak in a cup of water.

Roughly chop the tomatoes, pepper, onion and cucumber. Place in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.

Squeeze the bread to remove excess water, add the oil, vinegar and seasoning.

Blend for a second time, adding water little by little until you achieve the desired consistency.

Refrigerate until well chilled.

Serve in tall glasses with crushed ice.

Note: This is a popular Spanish summer starter.

Colin’s Spanish Omelette recipe as dictated over the phone - hence the occasional surprising word…

Tortilla de Patatas

8 or 9 eggs

About half a kilo of spuds, peeled and sliced thinly

A generous pinch of salt

50% olive, 50% vegetable oil

possibly some lemon juice

a proper non-stick 20 cm frying pan

a circular dinner plate

45 - 60 minutes

And here's what you do:

Half fill the pan with the oil. Heat it gently. Put the spuds in the oil, and stir to make sure they are all coated. The idea is to soften the spuds without browning them. It’ll take about half an hour, and you need to give them a stir every now and again. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oil. If you don't expect to eat the tortilla all in one go, you can sprinkle lemon juice on them - this’ll stop them from going grey over the next few days (nothing wrong with the spuds in your tortilla going grey - it just doesn't look very appetising).

Break your eggs into a bowl, throw in the salt, and beat with a frisk or fork until the egg whites and yolks are thoroughly mixed. Add the spuds and stir.

Drain most of the oil from the pan, leaving a thin coating. Turn up the heat a little (about 60% of full), and pour the egg and potato mixture in. When the mixture has begun to set, pull the edges away from the pan with a splatula - you're trying to get a rounded shape to the edge of the tortilla.

Now comes the tricky bit - turning it over which can be pretty clumbersome. The Spanish do it by holding an oiled dinner plate against the top of the pan, and flopping them over. In Spain, you can buy a thing called a vuelca de tortilla, basically a plastic lid with a knob on one side for holding it.

Once you have the tortilla on the plate, slide it back into the pan and carry on cooking and shaping the edge. Turn it two more times, so each side gets cooked twice, and when you have a nice golden colour on both sides, you're done.

It's important not to overcook the tortilla. I prefer ones that still have a little bit of runniness in the centre, but more sensitive souls prefer them to be cooked solid. Let it cool for a bit, and then cut yourself a wodge and serve with a hank of crunchy baguette and a cafe con leche. Perfect!

Beef in Fruit Sauce (Ecuadorian Recipe) - Carne con Salsa de Frutas

Serves 6

3lbs (1.3 kilo) beef, cubed

1 large onion (chopped finely)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

16 tablespoons beef stock

16 tablespoons dry white wine

16 tablespoons cream

2 peaches (peeled and chopped)

2 apples (peeled and chopped)

2 pears (peeled and chopped)

2 large tomatoes (peeled and chopped)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

Sugar to taste

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and saute onion. Transfer onion (use slotted spoon) to a casserole dish, and seal beef cubes quickly in remaining hot oil.

Add to the casserole with the stock and wine.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cover, bring to the boil. Simmer on a low heat for approximately 2 hours, until meat is tender.

Transfer beef (use slotted spoon) to a serving dish. (Keep warm.) Put stock aside.

In a saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add fruit, tomatoes and sugar. Cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously.

Add enough of stock to just cover and simmer, stirring frequently.

Allow to cool a little then blend, liquidise or sieve to a puree.

Return the fruit puree to the saucepan. Add the cream and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Pour hot sauce over meat and serve with rice.

Tomato and Pepper Salad

There is nothing more refreshing and satisfying in the heat of the

summer than a lovely tomato salad with piquillo peppers and alioli

for a delightful Spanish take on this classic summer dish.

You will need:

3 medium vine tomatoes
1 small jar piquillo peppers
Alioli

Method

•Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a large plate around the edge.

•Place the piquillo peppers in the middle.

•Season with salt and dress the whole thing with a little alioli.

•Sprinkle with freshly chopped chives or parsley.

Sherried Chorizo

This chorizo tapas recipe is incredibly easy and quick to make and is packed full of flavour. Use spicy

chorizos for a fiery kick, accompanied with fino de Jerez sherry. The flavour combination works really well

and creates great tapas for the summer.

3 chorizo sausages

1 Spanish onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

Half teaspoon hot paprika

250ml (half pint) fino de Jerez sherry

Parsley

Cracked black pepper

Olive oil

Lightly fry the onion in olive oil until it begins to brown.

Meanwhile slice the chorizo into half-inch pieces, and add to the softened onions in the pan. 

Fry for a further couple of minutes.

Add the garlic, paprika and sherry to the onion and chorizo and cook until the sherry is reduced.

Add a cup of warm water then simmer for 10 minutes.

When the mixture has thickened add the parsley, season with pepper and stir well.

Serve on tapas plates with fresh crusty bread and peppered vine tomatoes with olive oil.

Makes 6 tapas

Slow-Cooked Brandy Chicken

4 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks
1 and a half bulbs of garlic
Reasonable size glass brandy
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Paprika (mild or hot)

Sprinkle the chicken with a generous amount of salt, pepper and paprika, then rub the seasoning into the chicken and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.

Peel and roughly chop the garlic.

Heat a little olive oil in a large casserole dish and slowly brown the chicken pieces on both sides. Add the garlic about halfway through this step.

When the chicken is browned, add the brandy and bay leaf.

Cover and cook gently until the chicken is tender, about 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.

Serve with rice or a salad.

Serves 4

Summer Pork with Sherry

6 - 8 thin pork fillets
2 onions
3 carrots
2 bay leaves
1/4 ltr (8 fl oz) Fino de Jerez or similar dry sherry
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Peel the onions and carrots and chop into small pieces.

Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the pork. Then, in a large frying pan, heat a little olive oil and brown off the pork fillets on either side. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.

In the same oil as the pork, gently fry the onions and carrots until soft, don't allow them to go brown.

Return the pork to the pan, adding the bay leaves, sherry, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook gently for about 40 minutes, adding water if necessary, until the pork is tender and the sauce has reduced.

Serve with creamy mashed potato, rice or a jacket potato.

Baked Mackerel

A very popular Spanish recipe for baked mackerel, which is cooked in the oven with ripe tomatoes

and potatoes. Full of herbs and spices, this dish makes a lovely healthy lunch or supper.

4 large mackerel fish cleaned and cut into thirds
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
4 large ripe tomatoes quartered
4 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
3 large glasses white wine
Olive oil
Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper

Place the mackerel, tomatoes, potatoes and garlic in a large oven-proof dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Pour the wine over and sprinkle with the parsley.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook in a moderate oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the mackerel is cooked through but still moist.

Devilled Kidney and Wild Mushroom Tostada

The tostada is a typical Spanish breakfast enjoyed in bars all over Spain, and you will see workers

eating "tostada de tomate" most mornings. The humble tostada lends itself well to a whole variety

of toppings. In this recipe there are pigs’ kidneys (although lambs’ kidneys work equally well) and mixed wild mushrooms. Together with a little smoked paprika, this hearty tostada will keep you going until lunchtime!

Half a stick of French bread
200g (8oz) mixed mushrooms, quartered
1 pig’s kidney (or 4 lambs’ kidneys)
50g (2oz) butter
1 tablespoon plain flour

1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
Salt
Cracked black pepper
Parsley

Slice the French stick horizontally and toast on both sides. Leave to cool.

Melt half the butter in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms. When done, set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, slice the kidney lengthways, but not all the way through. Open like a book then cut into strips.

Add the paprika to the flour and season with salt and pepper, dust the sliced kidney ensuring a good covering.

Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan and fry the kidney for 2 minutes turning regularly.

Reintroduce the mushrooms for 30 seconds and mix with the kidney.

Butter the toast, then spoon over the ingredients.

Garnish with torn parsley before serving.

Serves 2

Spicy Broad Bean and Serrano Ham Fritters

If you like your Spanish tapas hot and spicy, then this Serrano ham and broad bean recipe will

certainly get the taste buds tingling. Serrano ham and broad beans are often enjoyed together in

tapas bars all over Spain. In certain bars you can see the locals shelling the beans and dipping them in a little salt before accompanying them with a wafer-thin slice of ham, washed down with a glass of ice-cold Fino sherry. For this recipe these simple fritters combine the same flavour combination but with the added kick of chili and a hint of hot smoked paprika.

250g (9 oz) fresh broad beans
100g (3-4 oz) diced Serrano ham
A quarter teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1 small red chili pepper (diced)
1 tablespoon plain flour
Half a lemon
Salt

Olive oil
Cracked black pepper

Shell the broad beans and place into a food processor.

Add the diced ham along with the smoked paprika and chili pepper. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the mix.

Blend for a few seconds until the ingredients become the texture of breadcrumbs.

Remove the mixture and tip into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add the flour, mixing together using a fork.

Meanwhile, heat a good inch (3cm) of olive oil in a frying pan.

Using two tablespoons, shape your fritters by rolling between the two and add to the oil, fry until deep golden brown on the outside.

Serve with a cool yogurt mint dip.