Mussel and Serrano Ham Salad

Mussels...arguably the king of shellfish. Its often very difficult to walk by the fish shop in Orce village, especially on Fridays, owner Antonio has a long marble topped bench crammed full with all manner of seafood delights. At the far end though is a spot reserved for mussels where he piles kilos of them into a mini mountain, carefully discarding any that look like they won't make the grade.

"¿cuántos kilos" He always asked that as we usually buy a couple of kilos for ourselves or even double that if the rellies are over and a big seafood paella is on the cards. When these mussels are in season boy are they good...! Enormous tapas, hearing them clunk and rattle as Antonio shovels them into a bag immediately gets you thinking of parsley and white wine - or another favourite we recently discovered "mussels in Asturian cider" as well as summer salads drenched in extra virgin olive oil.

If you fancy something different to do with mussels but yet incredibly simple then why not try a mussel and serrano ham salad ~ or iberico ham if your in a more gourmet mood... Both work very well in this land and sea affair.

Ingredients:

1kg Fresh mussels, cleaned
100g Serrano ham
1 Baby lettuce
1 Tomato
2 Slices white bread, cut into squares
Cracked black pepper
Salt
White wine
Broadleaf parsley

Dressing:

1 Teaspoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Wine from the mussels

Method:

1. Place the mussels into a Spanish olla or cooking pot and steam in a splash of white wine for 5 – 6 minutes until all shells are open.

2. Remove the mussels from their shells and keep to one side, retain the wine mussel liquor and reduce over a high heat.

3. Mix 1 tablespoon of mussel liquor with the olive oil and cider vinegar, season with salt and pepper, mix well.

4. In a frying pan add a drop of olive oil, slice the ham into strips and fry.

5. When the ham is crispy, add a little more olive oil to the pan and fry the bread, turning regularly.

6. On a serving plate arrange the baby lettuce leaves with slices of tomato.

7. Toss the mussels, fried ham and bread and place on top of the salad.

8. Pour over the dressing and garnish with torn up parsley.

Bonito Bonito...

“Para su pagina web!” was the cry from Antonio holding up a full cured tuna fish one Friday morning in his pescaderia. Antonio is also a glazier so one of those surprising situations you have to get used to when customers come into the fish shop and order a pane of glass for their new window…

Antonio is passionate about all things seafood, in season you can experience what can only be described as a highly impressive seafood spread with fillets, shellfish, snails, crayfish and the odd monkfish head carefully parked right in the centre of the display, usually with an unfortunate sardine or anchovy spiked on its teeth. Tuesday sees Antonio doing his rounds in his van, packed with all manner of fresh delicacies, a pair of scales and a large enough float for his euros. It was one Tuesday afternoon (that would be 7.00pm) when he passed by the office to explain in great detail his highest quality bacalao salted cod and his special order “Bonito tuna”

Now, we are already familiar with Antonio’s fabled “bacalao” but this time he presented us with some fabulous examples of full fish salt cod, high grade and weighing a very impressive 2000g. We were advised that the “orejas” or ears of the cod (those are the two flaps on the widest part of the opened fish near the top) are the best part for flavour as well as more recipes for the fish and techniques for getting the “soaking” process just right.

The real star of the exercise though was the enourmous “Bonito Tuna”. Antonio skillfully removed a sliver of flesh from the cured tuna loin and presented it to us as a mini tapa to taste test. Rustic, artisan and just as it should be but boy, the flavour, and the texture! With a little negotiation we purchased a 2kg Bacalao and a quality loin of cured tuna plus some complimentary tapas >>> a lesson in cured fish

Over the following weekend we devised various tapas, unfortunately with this Bonito tuna there are few (if any) cooking possibilities, quite possibly a good thing as the flavour of the fish is exquisite.

Tapas ideas:

*Bonito and Philadelphia Spinach wraps

*Bonito and Apple Toasts

*Bonito and Avocado

*Bonito Summer Salad

When the following Tuesday arrived we were invited to photo shoot some full tuna fish before Antonio began his rounds, this time we were in the fish shop so took the opportunity to snap some hanging bacalao too. The full tuna comes as an open fish, the back is tied on two bamboo canes, fillets and half fish are also available.
It is worth noting that Bonito is very different to “Mojama” (air dried tuna loin) each have exceptional flavour with the Bonito being more moist than the air cured loin.

If you fancy a loin or two of Bonito tuna (pic here) then it is special order, however it is available most Tuesdays and Fridays so don't hesitate to get in touch ~ we guarantee it will be worth the wait.

Devilled Mushroom Tostada

The tostada is one of Spain’s most famous breakfasts. Usually served very simply with rubbed garlic, tomato frito, olive oil and salt morning workers can be seen in almost every bar enjoying this Spanish style breakfast with a short beer or “tubo” (named so due the tall slim glass).

I remember our first Andalucian breakfast was a traditional Spanish tosatada - kindly bought for us by the local plumber who had just fitted the bathroom in our cave house, of course it was an introduction to his favourite tapas bar as well and being the newly arrived expat we simply had to find out more about his local watering hole.

Although garlic, tomato and olive oil make the basic version, the humble tostada can be served with a multitude of toppings, this recipe involves a spicy twist with devilled mushrooms which creates one of those get up and go flavours ~ a great recipe for a midday winters lunch. Enjoy.

Tostada Ingredients:

Half a French stick or “barra”
10 Cup mushrooms, halved
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
75ml Double cream
3 tbsp white Rioja
Chili flakes
Tabasco sauce
Black pepper
Salt
Olive oil
Knob of butter

Method:

1. Fry the halved mushrooms and garlic in olive oil and butter for 3 – 4 minutes.

2. Sprinkle a few chilli flakes over the top, add white wine and mix, cook for a further 2 minutes until wine begins to reduce.


3. Add the Tabasco sauce to your preference and the cream, season mixture with black pepper and salt, simmer for a further 2 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, slice the bread lengthways and toast on both sides.

5. Pour over the mushrooms and serve piping hot.

Tapas Recipe & Tosatada Kits

Winter Cazuela Pies

Spanish winter recipes...Mmmm cazuela pies. This February has seen the second significant covering of snow over Orce village and outlying hamlets. When it comes it comes!,even in an old Andalucian cave house with 2 meter thick walls it gets cold so a good winter warming recipe is called for.

Cazuela pies will certainly keep you warm, (and your lap if you decide to enjoy in front of the tv) in fact the insulation properties of the terracotta cazuela will keep these pies hot for hours. A great way of serving up piping hot winter pies, for this simple recipe we have used beef. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 kilo stewing beef, cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
250g mushrooms, wiped and chopped
half bottle red wine
2 beef stock cubes
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
300g shortcrust or puff pastry

How to cook:

1. In a large casserole dish, heat a little olive oil and butter and when it is really hot and smoking, add the beef and brown on all sides. This may need to be done in batches.
2. When all the beef is nicely browned, add the stock cubes and cook until they dissolve in the juices.
3. Add the vegetables and the wine bring to the boil.
4. Add the bay leaves and season. Reduce to a very low heat and cook covered for 3-4 hours, removing the lid for the last hour or so.
5. When the beef is done, preheat the oven to 230 degrees.
6. Spoon the beef mixture into 4-5 14cm cazuelas. Divide the pastry into 4-5 even sized pieces and roll out into rounds.
7. Dampen the edges of the cazuelas and top with the pastry. Press down to seal and flute the edges. glaze with egg wash and make a hole in the middle for the steam to escape.
8. Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is a golden brown.
9. Serve with thick cut chips for a hearty and warming winters meal.

5J, Cinco Jotas, Jabugo

"Cinco Jotas" or the 5J Iberico ham is respected worldwide as one of the finest artisan Spanish hams money can buy. A rare ham produced in limited numbers which command a high price.

Sanchez Romero Carvajal has been producing premium grade iberian hams for generations, way back since 1879 so if any company knows the secrets to artisan ham production it is them.

So what makes the 5J ham so different? The big difference is that Sanchez Romero Carvajal use only 100% Iberian pigs to produce this supreme ham. Nothing out of the ordinary there then, well, actualy yes... 100% Iberian pigs are very rare, native to the Iberian peninsular in South West Spain the hog is still only available in limited numbers ~ compare this to other iberian hams where the pigs (specified by the authourities) have to be no less than 75% iberico and you soon realise that a 5J ham is the purest iberian ham available to man.

The town of Jabugo where these hams are produced had been put on the map due to the quality of the "Cinco Jotas Jamones" There are also some very happy and content pigs roaming the meadows in the area, known as "dehesas" these meadows boast the oak trees ("Holm" oak being the largest) from which drop the acorns (bellotas) that make up the main part of the pigs diet.

Flavour is sublime, texture equally so and a nutty aroma, marbled with fat these hams are exquisite in every sense of the word. Each leg is carefully tended to by the meastro secadero (ham expert) during its 3 years of curing, such are the strict controls and quality standards for the 5J, Sanchez Romero Carvajal hams are envied as some of the very finest available.

The 5J ham is slender in shape, cut in a "V" and has the black hoof or "pata negra". Ham once cut into is a deep rose red with fat boasting a pale yellow tint. Unique aroma and very pleasant bouquet. Perfect accompaniments to this ham would be equally high standards of cheese and wine, a denominacion de origen cheese and a 1996 Rioja or 1999 Ribera del Duero will always compliment well as will, quite plainly a good bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

View the 5J hams >>>

Cazuela Beef Rib Asado

Beef rib "Asado" or "roast" is one of those versatile recipes that you can enjoy a good degree of experimentation with. Using beef rib, red wine and plenty of herbs along with some good old veg you can create a large dish for friends and family.

It has been quite a few years since our first Spanish "asado" - a dish for which the village of Orce is famous. Orce asado is always made with lamb or the local Cordero Segureno, bar Salero in the village baked their recipe not even in situ but in the neighbours bread oven a few doors down. Such is the preperation surrounding the dish and the slow cooking you have to order the day before.

Our very first Asado was ordered for 6 people and arrived in a oven baking tray that almost didn't fit the table, from there you simply dig in. Asado can be made from beef and pork as well although any Spaniard will tell you that the "traditional" dish is always made with prime lamb. Slow cooking is the key to this dish so the meat literally falls away from the bone.

Ingredients: (Serves 6)

1 large rib of beef cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large onions, peeled and chopped into large chunks
8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
4 carrots, broken into thirds
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 large glasses red wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 bay leaves

How to cook

1. Pour a little olive oil into a large cazuela
2. Add all of the ingredients and mix
3. Season with salt and pepper and mix again
4. Cook in a low oven for about 4 hours until the beef is very tender

A great way to eat this is to put the cazuela in the middle of the table and everyone just dig in. Serve with fresh bread to mop up the lovely wine juices.