Tapas recipes from the night before Lynn Coady's wedding
White Wine Sangria
1 bottle Spanish dry white wine (Pirramimma Chardonnay or a nice Vinho Verde)
1 lemon, peeled in a continuous thin spiral, flesh thinly-sliced crosswise
1 orange, peeled in a continuous spiral, thinly-sliced
3 oz brandy or to taste
2 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau (I used Patron Citronge tequila liqueur)
2 T simple syrup (bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil to dissolve the sugar; cool)
1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced
½ C sliced strawberries or plums
½ C green grapes
1 C cold club soda, or 2 C Prosecco if you have some open
In a large pitcher, combine wine, lemon and orange peels, sliced fruit, brandy, triple sec and syrup. Stir and taste, adjust with sugar or brandy or triple sec, remembering that it will be diluted further with soda and ice. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Add peach and strawberries and grapes, re-cover and return to fridge for 2 hours, but no longer. Just before serving, add soda and ice cubes and stir. For a larger crowd, use two bottles of wine and adjust the brandy and Cointreau/Citronge to taste.
Best Gazpacho
4 ripe tomatoes
1 English cucumber, roughly chopped
1 1/4 C finely diced onion
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, grated into blender
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 C good-quality canned tomato juice
1/4 C sherry vinegar, or as needed
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or as needed
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 C tiny croutons (fry small cubes of bread in olive oil with 2 smashed cloves garlic, add salt)
Puree first six ingredients in blender, then stir in juice, vinegar, seasonings. Chill overnight. Serve in small glasses, with tiny garlic croutons.
Garlic chicken
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces
Sweet paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed, plus 2 cloves, minced
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
¾ C fino or manzanilla sherry
¾ C chicken broth
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Rub chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper and refrigerate overnight. In an ovenproof casserole, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not colored, 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces and fry, turning as needed, until golden on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes: colored on the outside but not cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove smashed garlic from the oil and discard. Return the pan to low heat. Add minced garlic and cook briefly. Add thyme, bay leaves, sherry, and broth, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Bake at 400º til cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme. Cool, refrigerate till ½ hour before serving time, reheat in oven.
Spanish potato tortilla
1 C olive oil
5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 eggs
Salt
Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch sauté pan and add the potato slices. Cook, turning occasionally and shifting so slices don't stick together, over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain into a colander set over a bowl, saving the oil. Return 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan. (Remaining oil can be refrigerated and used for frying within a couple of days.)
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes, and stir gently to coat with the egg without breaking up slices. Add the egg-coated potatoes to the very hot oil in the skillet, spreading them evenly to completely cover the base of the skillet. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook, shaking the pan frequently, until mixture is half-set.
Use a plate to cover the skillet and invert the omelette carefully. Swab out the sauté pan with paper towel, add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and slide the omelette back into the skillet on its uncooked side. Cook until completely set. Allow the omelette to cool, then cut into wedges or squares. Refrigerate if necessary but serve at room temperature.
Gambas al Pil Pil (garlic shrimp)
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ t salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
6 T olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 t red pepper flakes or 1 mild dried chile, broken
1 t sweet paprika
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Mix the 2 cloves of minced garlic with the shrimp, 2 T olive oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes. Smash 4 cloves garlic with the flat side of a knife, then heat with 6 T olive oil in the castiron skillet over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4-7 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and allow the oil to cool to room temperature. Remove smashed garlic and discard.
Thinly slice remaining 8 cloves garlic. Return skillet to low heat and add sliced garlic, bayleaf and chile. Cook, stirring occasionally, til the garlic is tender but not browned, 4-7 minutes. (If the garlic has not begun to sizzle after 3 minutes, increase heat slightly.)
Increase heat to medium and add shrimp and marinade to the skillet, spreading shrimp into a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until the oil starts to gently bubble, about 2 minutes. Flip shrimp and continue til almost cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Increase heat to high and stir in sherry vinegar and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, til shrimp are cooked through and oil is bubbling vigorously, about 15 seconds. Serve immediately.
Grilled Asparagus with Serrano Ham
Wrap asparagus spears in slices of Serrano, then grill until ham crisps and asparagus is bright green.
Serrano ham-stuffed mushrooms
30 crimini mushrooms (2”), brushed clean
2 T fresh bread crumbs
2 T chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 t minced fresh sage
1 large clove garlic, minced
90 g serrano ham, finely chopped
3 T crème fraiche (sour cream in a pinch, but it's not as fantastic)
salt and pepper
2 T vermouth or sherry
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Lightly oil a heavy baking pan large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer. Remove stems, trim, and chop finely. In a large bowl, combine chopped stems, bread crumbs, parsley, sage, garlic, ham, 3 T crème fraiche, ¼ t salt and fresh-ground pepper. Mix thoroughly: the mixture should hold together in clumps. If it seems dry, add another teaspoon or two of crème fraiche.
Preheat oven to 400º Spoon a generous dollop of ham mixture into each mushroom cap and smooth into an even round. Place mushrooms in the baking dish. Drizzle sherry around the edges of the dish, and sprinkle each cap with a little Parmesan. Bake uncovered til golden, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Crab cakes
3 T butter
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
½ white onion, minced, or 2 shallots, minced
1 T water, if needed
½-¾ C whipping cream
1 T Dijon mustard
1½ T finely chopped bottled pimiento
salt and fresh-ground pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb lump crabmeat (frozen, not canned)
1 C fine dried breadcrumbs, homemade or bought
2 T peanut oil
½ lemon
saffron aioli, lemon mayo, or salsa for serving
In a small sauté pan over low heat, melt 1 T of the butter. Add the celery and onion, cover, and cook gently until tender, about 10 minutes. Add cream, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and cool.
Add mustard, pimiento, ½ t salt and ½ t pepper to the cooled cream mixture and mix well, Whisk in the egg, then add crabmeat, breaking it up a little but leaving lumps intact. Toss gently until evenly mixed. Mixture can be refrigerated at this point for up to 2 hours.
Spread breadcrumbs on a plate in an even layer. Take a golf-ball sized lump of crab mixture, gently squeeze out any excess liquid. Shape into a small patty—the mixture is quite wet and loose. Place the patty on the crumbs, and scoop more crumbs on top. Carefully turn the cake over onto your palm, letting excess crumbs fall back onto the plate. Turn cake back onto the spatula and slide it onto a platter. Repeat to make 12-14 crab cakes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 3 hours.
In a large frying pan over medium low heat, melt 1 T remaining butter with 1 T peanut oil. When the foam subsides, slide half the crab cakes into the pan. Cook on the first side til golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Turn and brown on second side, 4-5 minutes longer. Keep first batch of cakes warm in a low oven. Wipe out the pan with paper towel and repeat to make second batch of cakes. Squeeze lemon over all the crab cakes and serve with aioli to accompany.
Saffron Aioli
1 T fresh lemon juice
pinch of saffron, about 12 threads
1 egg, at room temperature
1½ t dijon mustard
salt
¾ C canola or corn oil
¼ C extra virgin olive oil
Put lemon juice in a small saucer and warm for several seconds in a microwave (or on the stove). Add saffron threads, making sure they are all submerged. Set aside. In a blender, combine the egg, mustard and ¾ t salt. Process to blend. Combine the oils in a measuring cup with a lip. With the motor running, start pouring the oil into the mixture in a very thin, slow stream. Continue adding the oil patiently and slowing until about half has been blended in, then add the remaining oil a little more quickly. Add saffron lemon juice to the mixture, using a small spatula to scrape out all the coloured liquid from the saucer. Pulse to distribute the saffron in the aioli, and taste to check both salt and lemon, adding more if necessary. Make a day ahead, to expand the saffron flavour, and keep refrigerated. Doubles well.
Romanesco Sauce
4 large tomatoes, cored
½ onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves
1 dried ancho chile
¾ C extra-virgin olive oil
4 T blanched almonds
1 slice firm white bread, cut into strips
1/4 t dried hot red pepper flakes
½ t smoked paprika (or more, to taste)
½ C bottled piquillo peppers (roasted red peppers)
½ cup hazelnut butter
4 T red wine
1 T red-wine or sherry vinegar
1 t salt, or to taste
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a small baking pan with foil. Roast tomatoes until tender and browned, about 30 minutes. While tomato is roasting, slit ancho chile open lengthwise and discard stem and seeds, then tear chile into small pieces.
Heat oil in an 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then add chile and cook, stirring, until fragrant and chile turns a brighter red, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Transfer chile with a slotted spoon to a heatproof bowl. Add to skillet hazelnuts, almonds, bread, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until bread and garlic are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mixture (including oil) to chile in bowl and cool slightly.
Transfer roasted tomatoes to a food processor and buzz. Add bread-nut-chile mixture, piquillos, wine and vinegar and purée until smooth. Thin with water or tomato juice if too thick, and season to taste with salt.
Patatas Bravas
3 lb. small red potatoes, unpeeled
olive oil
Place a rimmed baking sheet on the highest rack shelf in the oven and preheat to 450°F. Quarter the potatoes (or cut in eighths, if large) and toss with 1 T cornstarch, ¼ t garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Remove preheated pan from oven, add oil, and tilt to coat evenly. Place potatoes cut side down in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast until browned around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using a metal spatula, turn potatoes skin side down. Roast 10 minutes more, till crisp and deep golden brown. To serve, place the potatoes on a serving platter and pour half the aioli over the top. Serve immediately with aioli and romanesco sauce.
For garlic potatoes, another time:
1 T butter, softened
1 t fresh parsley, minced
½ t grated lemon zest
1 garlic clove, grated
Mix butter, garlic, parsley and zest together in the bottom of a large bowl. When roasted, transfer potatoes to the bowl with the butter mixture and toss til evenly coated.
I always end up cutting something at the last minute, which gives me the illusion that I've got plenty of time now... We didn't make these for the party, but I made them the next night and they were fantastic.
Pinchitos Moruños
Little Moorish kebabs (made defiantly with pork once the Spaniards kicked the Moors out)
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 t Patak's mild curry paste
½ t fennel seeds, ground in mortar
½ t caraway, ground in mortar
½ t nutmeg, fresh ground
¼ t ground cloves
½ t ground cumin
½ t ground coriander
1 t Spanish sweet paprika (or smoked if you like)
½ t dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic gloves, grated or minced
½ t salt
1/3 C white wine
½ lemon, juiced
Cube meat, then in a non-reactive bowl mix marinade ingredients: olive oil, curry powder/pinchito, cumin, coriander, paprika, saffron, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper, garlic, wine, and lemon juice. Rub into cubes. Skewer the meat on bamboo sticks, 3-4 cubes to a small stick, and marinate them in a shallow dish, turning so they are well coated. Leave overnight or all day, refrigerated. Spread the pinchitos out on the barbecue (or on foil under a grill) and grill over high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Here are a few more recipes that didn't make the cut, but might next time:
Prawns with Chorizo
3 T olive oil
1/2 lb cured mild smoked or unsmoked chorizo sausage, cut into small cubes
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 t smoked paprika
24-30 large uncooked peeled prawns, tail on
3 T dry sherry (fino)
Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo and sauté a few minutes until crisp. Add the garlic and smoked paprika. Sauté 1 or 2 minutes until the garlic is softened. Add the prawns and sherry, sauté until opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with plenty of rustic bread to soak up the juices.
Red Onion Salad
4 ripe medium oranges, peel and pith cut off
1 small red onion, sliced fine
2 T sherry vinegar
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 T golden raisins, covered for 20 minutes in hot water, then drained
20 kalamata or dried black olives, pitted
4 T slivered almonds, toasted
Springs of fresh mint, to garnish
Cut oranges crosswise into ¼” slices. Arrange on a serving platter and scatter sliced red onion over them. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon this dressing over the onion and oranges. Sprinkle with the raisins, olives, and almonds. Garnish with mint springs and serve chilled.
Potatoes with Saffron and Tuna Ventresca
1 lb cooking potatoes, peeled
9 threads of good saffron
750 ml milk or cream
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
Fine Ventresca tuna from the tin
Boil potatoes till soft. Mash with saffron when still hot, then mash in salt, pepper, milk or cream and salt. Serve topped with drained tuna.
Garbanzos al ajillo con chorizo y aceite de perejil
Chickpeas with garlic, red sausage and parsley
¼ C olive oil
200 gm chorizo sausage, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 t cumin
½ t cayenne
1 t paprika
large can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
parsley
Add garlic cloves to cold oil (to prevent the garlic cloves browning) in a sauté pan. When oil starts to heat, add the cumin, cayenne, paprika and sausage. Before the paprika turns brown add the chickpeas, stir until warm, and serve, garnished with parsley.
Pintxo de pisto ibéricos con queso
Iberian ratatouille with cheese toast
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
50 g each smoked ham & chorizo, cubed
rustic or ciabatta bread
manchego cheese
Saute garlic, chopped onion, pepper and zucchini and lightly fry for another couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt (if needed). Finally add ham and sausage, and leave long enough to release in their flavour.
Grill slices of bread. Spread ratatouille on each toast. Place a couple of manchego slices on top, and put in a preheated oven until cheese melts.
Albóndigas de atún
Tuna Balls, Rafael Lechuga Butron
100 g canned tuna
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 eggs
¼ C parsley, chopped
flour to coat the balls
Crumble the tuna fish and then mix with the onions, parsley, and garlic. Add the eggs, and mix. Form the mixture into ball shapes, coat with flour and fry.
I didn't really like the cake from the Tapas party. This is a better one:
Chocolate Orange Flourless Cake Nigella
2 small organic thin-skinned oranges, about 375g total weight
6 eggs
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
8 oz ground almonds
9 oz extra-fine granulated sugar (regular will do)
2 oz cocoa
Put the whole orange or oranges in a pan with some cold water, bring to the boil, then cook at a rolling simmer for 2 hours or until soft. Drain, and cool.
Preheat oven to 350º and butter a 9” springform cakepan.
Cut oranges in half, remove any big seeds, and whirl in a food processor till pulped. Add eggs, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar and cocoa to the orange in the food processor. Run until nearly smooth, but still flecked with orange peel. Pour into the springform pan and bake until a tester comes out clean—probably an hour, but check after 45 minutes. Cool in the tin, on a rack. Sieve icing sugar over, or serve as it is. Good with whipped cream, chocolate sauce or Haagendazs Mexican chocolate ice cream.
