Steamed bass & pak choi

For ➋
small piece of ginger, peeled & sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
splash of sherry or sake (optional)
2 x 140 g fillets sea bass
2 heads pak choi, quartered

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except the fish and the pak choi, together to make a soy mix.
Line one tier of a two-tiered bamboo steamer loosely with foil. Lay the fish, skin side up, on the foil and spoon over the soy mix. Place the fish over simmering water and throw the pak choi into the second tier and cover it with a lid. Alternatively, add the pak choi to the fish layer after 2 m of cooking – the closer the tier is to the steam, the hotter it is.
Leave everything to steam for 6-8 m until the pak choi has wilted and the fish is cooked.
Divide the greens between two plates, then carefully lift out the fish. Lift the foil up and drizzle the tasty juices back over the fish.

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

Steamed fish with ginger & scallions

For ➋-➍
600-800 g fish [porgy, black sea bass, Boston mackerel, or trout], scaled & gutted*
5-6 scallions, divided
4 cm knob ginger**
[optional alternatives: coriander or chilli]**
salt & pepper, for seasoning
1 ts Shaoxing wine or sherry
1 lime, juice & zest, divided
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fine mild red wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame seeds
4 tbs sesame oil
[optional green: sautéed pak choi]
[optional aromatics for steaming water:
star anise
knob of ginger, roughly sliced
Szechuan peppercorn
scallions or green garlic]

Rinse the fish with cold water inside and out and pat dry. Score a couple of gashes in the flesh on either side of the fish.
Slice 4 of the scallions and the knob ginger into a fine julienne and set aside. Save the scraps for stuffing the fish belly. Season the fish belly with salt and pepper and the ts of wine or sherry.
Stuff the fish with the scallion and ginger scraps and the lime zest.
Take a large stock pot and put about 8 cm of water in it and bring to a boil.
Inside the pot, place an inverted cake pan or some other such thing so that you can rest a large plate with the fish on it inside the pot and out of direct contact with the water. (The fish will be on a plate that is resting on another object that is in direct contact with the bottom of the pot.)
Chop the final scallion into 3 pieces and rest it on the plate. Season the fish with salt and pepper on the outside with and place the fish on the plate.
Place the plate on the object in the pot, cover the pot, and steam over high heat for 10 to 12 m (more for a larger fish), until done.
While the fish is steaming, mix the soy sauce with the vinegar and lime juice.
Remove the fish carefully and place on a serving plate. Place the julienned ginger and scallions across the top of the fish and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Heat the sesame oil in a small pan until just before smoking, then pour over the fish.
Finally, pour the soy sauce mixture onto the plate and serve. This fish is also quite tasty still served at room temperature.
Serve with rice or some sautéed greens like pak choi.

*This can be made with fish filets, but fish in the bone comes out much more moist and flavorful, as well as being a beautiful presentation.
**Add coriander or chilli to the ginger, or make a mix.

Pheasant & wild mushrooms

For ➍
3 dl fowl fond  or chicken stock
2 dl medium sherry
2 dl cream
salt & pepper
400 g wild mushrooms*
olive oil
3 large branches rosemary, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
lemon juice
4 pheasant fillets, skinless

Mix the stock and the sherry. Reduce on low heat to  2 dl. Add the cream, and simmer for 4 m. Season.
Shred the mushrooms. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms with rosemary and garlic over high heat, about 5 m, stirring continually. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Season the pheasant fillets and brown 2 m per side in olive oil, keeping them pink inside. Cut into fine slices.
Put on a plate. Dress with the sauce around, the mushrooms on top.
Serve with a potato mash with some small pieces of sweet-sour apple.

*Cook pheasant and serve with mirin cooked endives.

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.

Pollo Marsala (chicken Marsala)

For ➍
2 boneless chicken breasts with skin, halved***
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
200 g mushrooms, sliced thinly
10 cl (dry) Marsala*
20 cl chicken broth**
2 tbs fresh parsley leaves, minced

Pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 ½ tbs of butter over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.
Discard all but 1 tbs fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated. Add Marsala* and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth** and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 m. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.
Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 10 cl. Remove skillet from heat and stir in ½ tbs of butter***. Salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter*** is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve with fresh egg pasta, or with a fresh green salad or aspargus in season. And a glass of spicy white wine, or a fresh red Sicilian wine.

*Replace broth and Marsala with 20 cl Marsala and 10 cl dry sherry.
**Replace ⅓ of the Marsala with dry sherry or crisp white wine to cut the sweetness.
***Replace butter with heavy cream for a thicker, creamier sauce.
****Replace chicken with thin veal or even pork.

Marsala is a fortified wine from the Sicilian city of Marsala, similar to port. It was developed by the British trader John Woodhouse in the late 18th century. Being fortified, it could easily be transported to England and the colonies. It became popular as a cooking wine in, because it could be stored open for a longer time than other wines. Chicken Marsala is much more an American favourite than an original Italian dish.
Picture shows an ad from Ingham Marsala wine.
Read the chicken cooking tip.

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.

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.

Chickpeas with cumin & sherry

For ➋-➍
1 tbs wok oil (or use a mixture of sesame, garlic & vegetable oils)
2 ts cumin seeds
2 x 410 g cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
130 g rocket salad
1 ts sea salt or kosher salt, or ½ ts table salt
60 ml rich cream (sweet) sherry

Heat the oil and cumin seeds in a wok or large frying pan.

Add the chickpeas, rocket salad, salt and sherry and stir over a medium heat until the rocket and other leaves have wilted, the chickpeas have warmed through and the liquid has reduced a little.

Serve as a light meal, with or without a poached or soft-boiled egg on top, or as a side-dish for e.g. scallops with chorizo.

Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

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.

Mussels & sherry @ wok

For ➋-➍*
2 kg mussels
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 red pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 ts dried thyme
1 dl dry sherry, at room temperature
200 g firm tomatoes, cut & drained

Rinse the mussels. Cut the onion, the garlic and the pepper in small chunks.
Heat the oil in the wok. Fry the vegetables for 2 m. Add thyme. Add mussels. Sprinkle sherry. Add tomatoes. Fry on high heat until all mussels are open, about 3-5 m.

Serve with warm brown bread. And a very dry sherry at room temperature.

*For ➍ as a starter.

Read the related clams in sherry tapa recipe.

Catalan monkfish & mussels

For ➍
4 chunks (200 g) monkfish*
60 g flour
½ ts ground cumin
½ ts sweet smoked paprika
sea salt & ground pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 kg mussels**
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15 cl sherry
4 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
400 g tin of butter beans, rinsed & drained
2 tbs butter
tomato bread***

Mix the flour, paprika and cumin in a shallow dish. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Dust fish in the seasoned flour on both sides and shake off excess.

Heat olive oil in pan over a medium high heat. Fry fish on both sides until just cooked. Don't let the flour burn.

Transfer fish to a plate and keep warm while you cook the mussels.

Increase the heat to high and pour in the sherry, garlic, most of the parsley and mussels. Give it a quick stir.

Cover with lid and cook over high heat, shaking the pan until mussels have opened. Discard any unopened mussels. Add the butter and just swirl it all together.

Tip any juices from the fish that was resting into the mussels. Place fish in a shallow dish or soup bowl and spoon the mussels, beans and juices over the fish. Season with freshly ground pepper and garnish with a a bit of extra parsley.

Serve with a slice of (sourdough) bread, Catalan tomato bread for instance.

*Or any firm white fish.
**Use clams instead.
***Optional.

Parsnip soup

For ➍
5 large parsnips*
butter
garam masala**
1.5 l vegetable stock
pepper & salt
sherry

Peel the parsnips, cut them finely. Sauté in butter, season with garam masala* and salt. Add stock, cook until done.
Mix through a strainer. Season with pepper, salt and sherry.

*Add a large cubed onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Sauté them for 10 m in the butter, then add the parsnips.

**Or a mix of fresh coriander & ginger.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.