Spanish Liver Tapas

The return in popularity of offal is something long overdue. Liver for example 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 Lambs 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.

Salmon with Steak

Salmón con Ternera

Serves 4 - an unusual but delicious combination!

4 slices of salmon

1 bay leaf

A few slices of onion

8 cooked prawns

1 thick slice of ham

4 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs

Finely chopped parsley

1 clove of garlic

50g butter

Salt

Put a little salted water in a pan with the bay leaf and onion slices and poach for about 10 minutes.

Beat the steak pieces to tenderise, and sprinkle with salt. Lay them in a low-sided buttered baking dish.

Place the salmon on top of the steak, then arrange the prawns (peeled) and ham (sliced) around the meat and fish.

In a bowl, mix the breadcumbs, parsley and garlic (finely chopped). Sprinkle on top.

Melt the butter and pour over.

Bake in a hot oven 400F, 200C for about 10 minutes or so, depending how well done you like your steak.

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.

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.

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

Gazpacho Andaluz

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. We have combined tomatoes 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.