Spanish mussels with Manchego & Serrano

For ➍
2 kg mussels
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs smoked paprika
½ ts peri peri
20 cl white wine
33 cl passata tomato frito
20 g flour
45 g Italian or Spanish ham s.a. Serrano
50 g Manchego
fresh flat-leaf parsley
juice 1 lemon
peanut oil

Rinse the mussels several times in cold water. Remove the beard.
Peel the garlic and onion. Squeeze the garlic. Cut 1 onion into rings and finely chop the other onion.
Heat some peanut oil in a mussel pot and fry the onion rings until translucent.
Add the mussels and deglaze with white wine. Bring to a boil under lid.
Shake up after a few m. Let it boil for another 2 m, or until the mussels open.
Remove from the heat and strain the mussels. Keep the mussel liquid.
Always remove the shell half to which the mussel is not attached.
Heat peanut oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion. Bake the smoked paprika powder and the periperi for 1 m while stirring. Add the flour and stir well. Add the passata.
Add 25 cl of mussel juice and let it boil for a few m.
Season with salt and lemon juice.
Reduce the heat after cooking time and add the mussels. Let them warm in the sauce for 1 m.
Finish with fine slices of ham, grated Manchego cheese and finely chopped parsley.
Serve with pasta, bread or rice.

A very fino martini

For ➊
4 cl Bombay gin*
0.5 cl fino sherry

Stir gin and sherry over ice-cubes in a mixing glass.
Strain the drink (without ice!) into a pre-cooled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

*Optionally, replace gin with top vodka.
**Some recipes recommend 4 cl gin  + 2 cl manzanilla or fino

Roast chicken with dates, olives & capers

For ➍
8 chicken legs, drumstick & thigh attached, skin on (2 kg net)
5 garlic cloves, crushed
15 g fresh oregano, torn, plus extra for garnish
3 tbs red wine vinegar
3 tbs olive oil
100 g green olives, pitted
60 g capers, plus 2 tbs of their juices
70 g Medjoul dates, pitted & quartered lengthways
2 bay leaves
12 cl dry white wine
1 tbs date syrup or treacle
salt & black pepper

Place the chicken in a large, non-reactive bowl and add all of the ingredients, apart from the wine and date molasses, along with ¾ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Gently mix everything together, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge to marinate for 1 to 2 days, stirring the ingredients a few times during the process.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Spread out the chicken legs on a large baking tray, along with all the marinade ingredients. Whisk together the wine and molasses and pour over the meat. Place in the oven and cook for 50 m (or up to 70 m, depending on the meat pieces' size), basting 2 or 3 times, until the meat is golden brown on top and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, transfer everything to a large platter, sprinkle over some freshly picked oregano leaves and serve.

This Ottolenghi favourite was inspired by the 1980's recipe for Chicken Marbella, a popular dish on Jewish pass over meals. Created in NYC, it blended influences from North Africa and Spain, as well as the mixing of poultry and fruit from Persia and the Middle East.

Gazpacho of lettuce, garden peas & chives

For ➍
2 onions
25 g butter
1 lettuce
450 g green peas (frozen)
75 cl water
1½ chicken stock tablet
25 g chives

Chop the onions. Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onion 3 m. Remove the leaves of lettuce. Wash and dry them and cut into strips.
Put the peas, lettuce, water and stock cubes in the soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 m on low heat.
Keep some chives for garnish. Cut the rest of the chives.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the chives and puree in a blender. Season with pepper and salt.
Let the soup cool for 30 m to room temperature. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 3 h.
Garnish the soup with the  chives and serve with sliced cereals bread.

Pure de calabacin (Spanish zucchini soup)

For ➍
3-4 medium zucchini, peeled & cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, cubed (small)
3-4 sprigs flat leaf parsley, chopped
5 tbs olive oil
2 eggs
2 tbs grated Parmigiano cheese
50 cl beef or chicken (or vegetable) broth
salt

Heat olive oil in a 30 cm frying pan on medium heat. Add onion and sauté until it becomes translucent, then turns golden in color. Add the carrot cubes and half the parsley, and stir, continuing to cook in pan. Add the zucchini and continue to sauté for 3-4 m.

Pour the broth over the vegetables and simmer for about 5 m, or until the zucchini is cooked. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 2-3 m. Beat the eggs.

Process the vegetable mixture with a food processor or stick blender until smooth. Pour mixture back into the pan, with heat on low, and slowly stir in the beaten eggs. Salt to taste.

When serving, sprinkle the rest of the chopped parsley and grated cheese.
*variations:
potatoes: peel and cut two potatoes into small squares. Place in a medium sauce pan, just cover with water and boil until just cooked. Drain and process potatoes with other vegetables.
garlic: peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves, and saute with the other vegetables.
quesitos: add 4 small quesitos (little cheeses) to the mixture in the food processor. Be sure that they are at room temperature. In Spain, quesitos refers to the soft bland cheeses that come in individual servings, such as Vache qui rit or Babybel brands.
Serrano ham & croutons: cut Serrano ham (use prosciutto if Serrano ham is not available) into small bits, and sprinkle on top of each serving with some croutons.

Sautéed mussels & chorizo

For ➍
4 tomatoes
1 shallot
1 kg of mussels
curry powder
piment d'Espelette or cayenne pepper
olive oil
salt & pepper
150 g chorizo
fresh herbs: basil, parsley etc.

Cut the tomatoes into brunoise and chop the shallot. Cut the chorizo into sticks.
Heat a pan with olive oil until it is very hot. Add the mussels, chorizo, shallots and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Season with the curry and cayenne pepper or piment d'Espelette.
Bake for a few m.
Add the chopped herbs. Serve with good bread.

Solomillo de cerdo ibérico con salsa de naranja al Pedro Ximénez (Ibérico pork sirloin in orange sauce)

For ➍
2 (Iberico) pork sirloins
2 tbs oil
10 cl Pedro Ximénez*
marinade:
2 tbs oil
juice of 2 oranges
zest of 1 (untreated) orange
2 tbs soy sauce
2 ts vinegar
salt & cayenne pepper
caramelized onion:
2 onions
2 tbs sugar
2 tbs oil

Mix the ingredients of the marinade together. Season the meat. Marinate the meat for 12 h in the mixture in the refrigerator.

Remove the sirloins from the marinade. Drain. Put aside until they have reached room temperature.

Slice the onion into rings.

Heat the oil and brown the meat on both sides.

Remove from pan, cover on a plate.

Add marinade to cooking juices. Reduce for 10 m over a hot flame. Add the Pedro Ximénez and bring to a boil, mixing in all the pan juices.

Meanwhile, gently fry the sliced onions with the oil and sugar, until caramelized.

Cut the pork into slices and serve with the sauce and caramelized onion.

*Or sweet sherry or Malaga wine.

The cerdo Ibérico is the famous 'black pig' living in the hills of Andalusia and Extremadura, and fed with acorns. It is also used to produce pata negra, taking full advantage of the fat streaks.
The grape variety Pedro Ximenez grows mainly in the Montilla Moriles region, around Cordoba. It is also the name of an almost black, sweet noir des blancs wine. In the past, it has been the base for sherry varieties (a-montilla-do...) and Malaga wines, but is now gaining a place for itself, replacing Banyuls with dark chocolate or blue cheese.

Ensalada de garbanzos con pimentones e alcaparras (Spanish chickpea salad)

For ➍*
1 large red pepper (or use canned grilled peppers)*
250 g cooked chickpeas, rinsed if canned
1 tbs mint, chopped
1 tbs capers, rinsed
1 tbs fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
¼ ts salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided

In a large frypan, heat 1 tbs oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown (this takes about 10 m). Set aside to cool.

Cut the peppers* into 1 cm wide strips and put them in a large bowl together with the pan-fried chickpeas, herbs and capers.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic and oil. Pour over the chickpea mixture and combine.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate it for a few h/a day to get the flavors to mingle.

Serve as appetizer, a tapa, or as light meal, depending on the quantities.

(Add some chopped mint leaves just before serving.)

*Double quantities, serve half, put the other half in the refrigerator for the next day. Serve with chunks of grilled chicken fillet.
**If roasting your own peppers, preheat the oven broiler. Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the pepper halves in the pan, cut side down, and place in the oven on the shelf closest to the broiler. Broil until the pepper skins are completely black, about 8-15 m. Remove from the oven, wrap the pepper in the foil and allow to stand for 10 m. Remove the foil and rub off the skins of the peppers. Set peppers aside.

Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Andalusian chicken

For ➍
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
3 oranges
4 cloves
75 g Serrano ham (including the fat), or pancetta
thyme sprigs*
4 tbs olive oil
450 g pickling onions or small shallots, peeled
1 glass dry fino sherry
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a casserole dish. Fry the breasts and thighs until brown all over. Remove it from the casserole dish. Scrub the lemon and oranges and chop into chunks. Poke some cloves into the peel of the oranges.**
Fry the onions, cloves and fruit for five minutes until the onions are brown. Roll the ham into bundles and secure with thyme stalks.**
Remove half the onions and fruit and reserve. Put the chicken back into the dish.
Add the wine and a glass of water to the casserole dish. Let it bubble up, adding salt and pepper then add the bundles of ham on top of the chicken pieces. Turn down the heat and cover for 20-30 m.
Remove the chicken pieces and keep them warm along with the reserved fruit and onions. Boil up the fruit and onions and mash until the sauce is thick.***
Serve each piece with its own sauce on (or with) a thick toasted slice of country bread rubbed with a little garlic.*** Enjoy a glass of amontillado sherry at room temperature.

*Alternatively, spread some crumbled thyme leaves, fresh or dried, over the meat and roll the slices firmly. Gently pose them in the dish, with last fold down.
**Alternatively, or when using treated citrus, discard the peel and white skin. Cut into slices. Add cloves separately.
***Add half a spoon of honey to soften the bitter taste.
****Alternatively, rub some garlic over a few slices of bread, with a little bit of olive oil. Bake in the 200°C oven for 5 m. Put in the bottom of a dish and spread the chicken and sauce over or beside it. Or crumble over the chicken.

Read the cooking chicken tip.

Conejo en menestra de verduras (Spanish rabbit with vegetables)

For ➎-➏
1 whole rabbit (or substitute a chicken)
1 medium yellow onion
1 carrot
1 large leek
1 large red bell pepper
several tbs olive oil
60 g peas (frozen or canned)
25 cl dry white wine
1-2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
75 cl water*

Clean and cut rabbit (or chicken) into pieces. Remove excess fat and skin.
Peel and chop the onion. Cut the carrot and leek into round slices. Chop the red pepper, removing the stems and seeds.
Pour several tablespoons olive oil into a large, deep frying pan, or a casserole. Heat oil and sauté the vegetables for 8 to 10 m, stirring occasionally.Season rabbit with salt and pepper. Add rabbit to pan and brown pieces on both sides.(If pan is too small for both meat and vegetables, remove vegetables from pan before browning meat, then return vegetables to the pan once the rabbit is browned.)
Pour the white wine and simmer the stew to reduce wine a bit. Then, add water* until the rabbit is covered. Add thyme and bay leaf. Simmer for approximately 1 h**, or until rabbit is tender, stirring occasionally. If too much water evaporates, add more so rabbit does not dry out. Add peas and simmer for 5 more m.
Serve with baked or home-fried potatoes and some bread to pick up the sauce. Serve with a glass of Spanish dry white wine.

*Use less water to get a thicker sauce.
**Adjust cooking time according to the thickness of the chunks.

Patatas fritas. (Spanish fried potatoes).

For ➏
6-7 potatoes (medium)
Spanish virgin olive oil for frying
salt to taste

Peel all the potatoes. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Slice each half length-wise into French-style potatoes. Salt the potatoes and toss to season evenly.
Pour oil into a large, open frying pan. Oil should be about 2.5 cm deep in the pan. Heat the oil on medium high heat. Place all potatoes in the pan and fry until golden brown.
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spatula and allow to drain before serving.
Serve with almost any Spanish dish. (e.g. rabbit with vegetables).

Gambas al ajillo (Spanish garlic shrimp tapa)

For ➍
500 g (25) shrimps, peeled or not  **
4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 ts sweet Spanish paprika
1 ts red pepper flakes
7 cl cognac (or dry sherry)
12 cl virgin olive oil
3 ts chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon for juice
1 fresh baguette, sliced

In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they just begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Raise the heat to high. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl, about 3 m.
Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with fresh bread.

*If preparing for a main course, double the recipe.
**If using frozen shrimp, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Allow for a longer cooking time for shrimp that are not completely thawed, and to cook thoroughly.

Try shrimps & garlic @ microwave, a similar Spanish recipe or the Italian version.

Almejas Al Jerez (Spanish clams in sherry)

For ➍
1 kg small clams or mussels, cleaned* & rinsed
½ medium yellow or white onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 tbs olive oil
12-17 cl dry sherry
4-6 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley
1 medium lemon (optional)

Peel and chop the onion and finely chop the parsley. Peel and slice the garlic. Pour olive oil into a large (20-25 cm) frying pan and heat on medium. When oil is hot, sauté the onion and garlic until it just turns brown. Add the sherry and half of the chopped parsley, cooking for 2-3 m.
Add the clams to the frying pan, and stir. Cover and simmer on low for about 4 m. Clams should open as cooking. Discard any clams that do not open.
Divide the clams and sauce between 4 plates. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley. Squeeze lemon juice over top of each plate (optional).
Serve hot as a tapa with warm crusty bread to soak up the sherry sauce and chopped onions.

*Put in a plastic bag with salted water to remove sand.

Read the related mussels with sherry recipe.

Espinacas con garbanzos (spinach & chickpeas)

For ➍
230 g dried chickpeas, cooked until soft (or 2 cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed)
6 tbs olive oil
450 g spinach, washed
2.5 cm slice from a country loaf or about 2 slices (75 g) from sandwich loaf bread, crusts removed & cut in small cubes*
6 cl tomato sauce*
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ ts ground cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes
1½ tbs red wine vinegar
½ ts smoked paprika
salt & freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice, to taste

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add ½ the olive oil. When it is hot, add the spinach with a pinch of salt (in batches, if necessary) and stir well. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain in a colander and set aside.

Heat 2 more tbs olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bread for about 5 m or until golden brown all over, then the remaining tbs of oil and the garlic, cumin and pepper. Cook for 1 m more or until the garlic is nutty brown.

Transfer to a food processor, blender or mortar and pestle along with the vinegar, and mash to a paste.

Return the mixture to the pan and add the drained chickpeas and tomato sauce. Stir until the chickpeas have absorbed the flavors and are hot. Season with salt and pepper.

If the consistency is a little thick, add some water. Add the spinach and cook until it is hot.

Check for seasoning and serve with paprika on top as an appetizer, or on fried bread toasts. Or as a side dish with roast lamb.

*Optional

Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Salmorejo (Cordoba cold soup)

For ➍
500 g ripe tomatoes, skinned & chopped*
1-2 clove(s) garlic, chopped
50 g (4 slices) of dry white bread without crusts
4-6 tbs olive oil
2 tbs (sherry) vinegar
salt*
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped

Crumble the bread in some water. When soft, squeeze until the water is gone. Put the tomatoes and the garlic in a blender. Liquidize until smooth by turning on and off the blender at low speed. Add a dash of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Add some bread and oil and mix again. Continue until all the bread is used. Chill for a few hours.
Serve with the chopped egg. (Add some chopped Serrano ham if wanted.)

*Use 0.5 l tomato juice instead. Omit the salt, if the juice is salted.

Salmorejo is the Cordoba variation of a classic Spanish cold soup, gazpacho.
Read more gazpacho recipes: gazpacho, white gazpacho , ajo blanco.
Read more cold soup recipes.

Beef slices with oloroso sherry

For ➍
4 slices beef steak, approx. 150 g each
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 rosemary sprig
1 garlic clove, finely diced
230 g jar piquillo peppers, drained & sliced
6 tbs dry Oloroso sherry
4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped
4 mint sprigs, chopped
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 crops lettuce, sliced
extra virgin olive oil

Slice the steaks up into 1 cm wide strips.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat until it shimmers. Add the beef and rosemary and stir-fry for about 1 m. When the meat starts to turn a bit brown, add the garlic and pepper slices. Cook for 1 m more and then pour in the sherry. Let it bubble furiously until the alcohol has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley and mint. Season to taste.

Divide up the lettuce between four plates, followed by the beef mixture, making sure each serving gets some of the juices. Shake a few drops of extra virgin olive oil over the beef, and serve with a glass of the Oloroso sherry.

Cordero Moruno (Spanish Moorish lamb)

For ➍
1 kg lamb shoulder or leg, boneless, or 2.5 kg with bone
1 ts cinnamon
1 ts ground cumin
½ ts salt
¼ ts pepper
3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions
2 cloves garlic
75-125 cl chicken stock
45 g (4 tbs) raisins
8 cl (5 tbs) sherry
2 tbs almonds

Pat lamb dry. Combine cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture on all sides of lamb. Set aside.

Peel and chop onions and garlic. Pour olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed frying pan and heat on medium. When oil is hot, sauté the onions and garlic until onions are translucent.

Place lamb in pan and brown on both sides. Once meat is browned, add 50-75 cl of stock to cover meat. Cover pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 to 1.5 h. Check every 15 m, adding more liquid as necessary. When done, meat should be cooked through and tender.

While lamb is cooking, pour sherry into a small bowl and soak the raisins. Coarsely grind the almonds.

About 15 m before cooking is complete, add the sherry, raisins and almonds to the pan.

When lamb is ready, slice. Serve with sauce and white rice or couscous.

Pollo a la Riojana (Rioja chicken)

For ➍
1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces*
1 yellow onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic
2 red peppers
1 Spanish (sweet) chorizo sausage
3-4 tbs olive oil
2-3 sprigs parsley
20 cl white wine
20 cl chicken broth
200 g peas, drained (canned or frozen)**
salt & pepper

Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Remove the stems and seeds and cut the red peppers into strips. Slice the chorizo into rounds. Chop the parsley.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a couple tbs of olive oil. Brown the chicken in the pot on both sides.*** Remove pot from heat and set aside.
While the chicken is browning in the pot, heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add parsley, peppers, chorizo***. Cook, stirring often for about 10 m.
Add vegetables to the large pot of chicken and mix. Add white wine and chicken broth. Stir. Cover and simmer for 30-40 m. About 5 m before removing chicken from stove, add peas.
Serve with bread or potato wedges and a glass of full-bodied Spanish red wine.
Let it cool. Cut the chicken piece into smaller chunks and serve, at room temperature, as a salad.

*Or 8 pieces of legs and breasts.
**Use chickpeas instead.
***Put chorizo into the pot before the chicken, allowing the chicken to take the colour. Add other ingredients after removing chicken pieces.

This winter dish from the northern Spanish region of Rioja works well in any season. Try another chicken & chorizo combination.

Salsa romesco (sauce)

For 50 cl*
12 blanched almonds or almond slivers
10-12 hazelnuts
1 head garlic
1 slice stale bread
2 ripe medium size tomatoes, or 1 large tomato
2 large roasted red peppers, well-drained
20 cl extra virgin olive oil
10 cl red wine or sherry vinegar
¼ ts red pepper flakes or small hot pepper (optional)

Rub off excess dry skin from garlic head. Put on baking sheet and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Roast in oven for 20 m at 150°C or until garlic on inside is roasted and soft.

Place almonds and hazelnuts into food processor and process until finely ground.

Pour a few tbs of virgin olive oil into a small frying pan. Quickly fry bread until both sides are browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a plate.

Cut tomatoes into quarters and sauté in same pan, adding oil if needed. Sauté for 4-5 m. Remove pan from heat.

Once bread is cooled, tear into 6 pieces and process with the nuts. Add sautéed tomatoes and continue to process. Squeeze roasted garlic from the skins into the processor. Place roasted red peppers into the processor with the other ingredients and process until ingredients are a thick puree.

While processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil and vinegar. Add salt to taste.

Serve with meat, fish, poultry or vegetables. Or on a slice of good bread.

*Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Romesco sauce originates from Tarragona, Catalonia in Spain. It was originally pounded in a mortar, like Italian pesto, and French rouille and tapenade. It is said that the fishermen of the area made it to eat with fish. Some say its origins are Roman, from the time that Tarragona was a provincial capital of the empire. Others credit the Moors: 'rumiskal', meaning to mix, from the Moorish era in Spain, may point to Arab origins for the sauce.
Try a quick version of romesco.

Pasta con almejas y pimientos rojos (pasta with clams & peppers)

For ➍
300 g dried spaghetti or linguine
2 cloves garlic
1 medium white or yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
8 cl virgin olive oil
6-8 cl dry white wine
500 g littleneck clams

Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente.

Rinse the clams until cold running water and remove any debris on outside.

Peel and finely chop onion and garlic. Remove stem and seeds from bell pepper and chop into small squares, 0.5 cm across. Pour a few tbs olive oil into large frying pan and sauté onion, garlic and pepper until onion is translucent. Add white wine and clams, and simmer on low, stirring often.

Add cooked and drained spaghetti to the pan with the sauce and toss to coat the pasta.

Serve immediately.

Try the similar Italian spaghetti con vongele or the quick variant.