Chorizo in Apple and Cider

Chorizo tapas...the chorizo is perhaps one of Spain's most famous exports, a sausage known throughout the world and "typically Spanish". There are so many varieties of chorizo sausage in various guises but for this recipe we need some good old locally made, fresh chorizo, not too firm but mildly cured for a sweet and spicy tapas treat.

Chorizo and apple go well together, one of the more popular recipes is chorizo and apple kebabs, great for the barbeque ideally but for tapas indoors, starters or something a little different out the frying pan try the same pairing with the addition of cider and a hint of bay... super flavour and very easy.

The key to this recipe is simplicity and "juice", when Spanish chorizos are lightly fried in olive oil you get the fat oozing out the sausage with all that paprika, chili and Spanish flavour - ideal for cooking other ingredients, in fact it is worth retaining and popping in the fridge for a recipe the next day. Retaining bacon fat is not uncommon so why not from chorizo?

Ingredients (6 - 8 tapas)

3 Chorizo sausages
1 Apple (sweet)
300ml Asturian cider
1 Bay leaf
Olive oil

How to cook:

1. Slice the chorizo sausages into half inch segments.

2. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and heat.

3. Add the chorizo segments and cook for 1 minute each side over a low heat.

4. Meanwhile, slice the apple into 12 segments.

5. Add the apple, bay leaf and cider to the chorizo, turn up the heat and cook until the cider begins to thicken.

6. Serve hot with cocktail sticks.


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Spanish Rosemary Barbeque

Barbequing in Spain is almost a national hobby, buy a chicken from any local Spanish butcher during the summer months and you will be asked "para la brasa?" meaning is it for the barbeque? If it is then the chicken will be boned and spread out ready to throw on the grill.

Home made marinades are popular with the usual garlic, olive oil, vinegar and herb blends working their way into meat well before the barbeque is lit or even overnight, one such popular herb is rosemary which can be found in most Spanish gardens as an enourmous bush tied with string in many cases as they can get a little out of control.

Besides from removing the leaves from a sprig of rosemary and giving them a good bashing in the pestle and mortar for your marinade the remaining stalks can be used as a kebab sticks or "palillos". A novel way of cooking kebabs which offers a good degree more rosemary flavour. You will need quite mature rosemary to make your palillos but the end result is well worth it.

Easy Andalucian Kebabs:

1. Marinate your chicken or pork in your chosen mixture.

2. Cut the required amount of rosemary - use the older more woody stalks, you need stalks around 8 inches in length.

3. Remove the rosemary leaves but the leave the tips.

4. Thread mushrooms, peppers etc with the meat over the stalks, for the meat use a conventional kebab skewer to make the hole first.

5. Barbeque and enjoy.


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Spanish Chicken Chilindron

Good for a summer lunch or a winter stew this chicken is great all-rounder, serve will a light salad or make a meal of it with potatoes and seasonal veg.

"Pollo al Chilindron" is a classic Spanish chicken stew with a big flavour. You can use chicken breasts for this recipe but thighs and drumsticks tend to work better. Sweet smoked paprika is used to create those earthy hints and combined with tomatoes, red pepper and garlic this recipe is a true flavour of the Mediterranean.

Ingredients:

4 Large chicken legs/thighs, separated
100g Serrano ham, diced
1 Large onion, chopped
1 Red bell pepper, diced
400g Tin chopped plum tomatoes
2 Fresh bay leaves
6 Cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 Teaspoons sweet smoked paprika (D.O La Vera)
1 Lemon
Broad leaf parsley
Olive oil
Fresh ground peppercorns
Salt

How to Cook:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.

2. Fry chopped onions and peppers in the olive oil until the onions turn translucent and begin to brown.

3. Add garlic cloves and fry for a further 2 - 3 minutes.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chicken) mix well then leave to one side.

5. Brown the chicken all sides in a terracotta cazuela, pour the sauce over the top, season well, then cover with kitchen foil.

6. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 10 minutes.

7. Serve piping hot and garnish with parsley.


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Spanish Carving Knives (buying)

A carving knife is a carving knife right? Spanish hams are a challenge, ok for the ham enthusiast who knows what to do but what if your ham has been purchased for you as a gift? There are two main pieces of equipment you need to carve a ham - the ham stand, sometimes known as a ham clamp or "jamonero" in Spanish and the ham knife. The purpose of the stand is to keep the ham steady, the knife and to a large degree your skill does the rest.

There are many types of ham knife available in Spain and over the internet, the general rule and our advice would be to buy the best you can afford. A good quality knife will last a lifetime, a cheap and cheerful model probably only the lifetime of the ham, so...if your planning on another ham buy a decent knife (quality is key) as it will certainly prove more effecient and economical in the long run.

Experts use a trio of knives, the flexible ham knife which usually has a blade of 24cm or longer, the short boning knife for getting around the hip bone and bottom end of the ham and also a kitchen knife or "Santuko" knife which is great for both general purpose use and removing that first slice when "breaking in" to your ham and removing the outer, tougher skin. Although three knives are not essential it will certainly make life easier and help you achieve the best results.

Ham knives have a felixible blade, similar to a salmon knife where thin slices are essential. Experts agree that correct carving enhances both flavour and texture so the correct knife plays an important role.

Expect to pay 22.00 euros/18.00gbp for an entry level knife of good quality, this will get you a 24cm blade ideal for carving smaller hams and front leg paleta's. Further up the range you can expect to see knives with longer blades (up to 35cm) and of course professional models which will last a lifetime.

A good knife and ham stand does not of course guarantee the best results which is why author and photographer Pilar Esteban Ordorica has published what is without doubt the most comprehensive book on Spanish ham carving available. A full book review will be coming soon on this beautifully illustrated piece but what we can say is that the approach is very different - less mundane text and more visual, from a practical point of view the book delivers on all levels - "Cortar Jamon" ~ The Art of Carving Spanish Ham is a must read for any budding Spanish ham enthusiast and professional alike.

You can discover Pilar's book and a comprehensive selection of ham carving knives on the Orce Serrano Hams website (22.00 - 79.00 euros). Ham carving questions? Why not drop us an email or leave a comment.



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Spanish Lomo in Olive Oil

What is "Lomo de Orza"? Lomo de Orza is chunks of premium pork tenderloin which are cut by hand before being fried with a special mix of herbs and spices. The large cubes of pork (lomo frito) are then stuffed into a jar containing extra virgin olive oil then preserved.

The flavour of Lomo de Orza is quite unique, hints of herbs and infused olive oil make this lomo a real treat with summer salads as well as on its own or with complimentary partners such as Manchego or good red wine. It is the texture though that really grabs your attention, the pork pieces are soft, almost melt in the mouth, a real Andaluz treat for the palate.

Every recipe of course is slightly different either through technique, herbs, chosen loin or type of extra virgin olive oil used for preservation. In the town of Huescar which lies in the foothills of the Sagra mountain on the edge of the altiplano is a secadero (Ovalo) who produces lomo de Orza in impressive 1.6kg jars. As their signature product the lomo is certainly one of the best in the area boasting a delicious texture and flavour. It is however a bit of a delicassy and comes with a price tag that suggests it has been prepared by hand from frying to bottling.

One thing you can be sure of though as soon as you experience the flavour is that every euro has been well spent.


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Spanish Food - Tortilla

Spanish tortilla ~ probably one of Spain's most famous recipes. There has been quite a lot of argument over "how to make the perfect tortilla" see last weeks comments in the Guardian to get an idea. Ask any Spaniard and they will tell you that there is no "perfect" way... why? Well its all down to how grandma used to make it, generations ago when even then there was no perfect recipe. Since then onions have been added, green peppers etc - all very debatable but surely its down to flavour no?

Does it really matter if we don't have the perfect tortilla? Like paella the humble Spanish omelette has been subject to a long running game of foodie chinese whispers, somebody one day threw in some serrano ham and all hell broke loose because it wasn't "authentic", Its all in the flavour amigo, all in the flavour. Cooking methods also vary, do you finish off under the grill or not. Wait! grill that tortilla if you dare I want mine authentic, a thin layer of runny eggs never hurt anyone...

The fact is Spanish omelette is one of those recipes which, unless you drop it and decorate the kitchen tiles ready for Fido to gorge himself on will turn out fine, taste great and feed the guests and family, the addition of ingredients that were never present generations ago when Mama used to make tortilla are surely not a bad thing but an experiment in flavour which is what food should be about, we can allways make the authentic version should one be found later. Spain, by her own self admission is a land of very simple food and recipes, a good platform perhaps for a little experimentation here and there...

Breaking the rules: Ham and vegetable tortilla (just don't tell anyone)

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
1 small red pepper
1 small green pepper
100g diced Serrano ham
8 eggs
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Peel and finely slice the onion and potatoes. Dice the peppers into quite small pieces.

2. In a large heavy based non stick frying pan heat the olive oil, you will need about 200ml.

3. Add the onions and potatoes and then turn down the heat to its lowest setting. Cook for about 10 minutes until they begin to soften stirring occasionally so the onions and potatoes don't brown. Then add the peppers and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Add the ham and cook for 5 minutes more.

4. Meanwhile beat the eggs in a large bowl with a little salt and pepper to season.

5. Remove the ingredients from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the eggs, mix well. Carefully pour away most of the oil into a bowl and set aside (you may need more later) Leave just a light covering of oil in the pan.

6. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and leave to cook on a very low heat for about 10 minutes. You can go round the edge with a knife to make sure the mixture is not sticking.

7. After 10 minutes or so (the omelette should be firm on the bottom and starting to cook through to the top), place a large plate or specialist tortilla flipper over the pan and very carefully turn the pan over. Lift off the pan and add more oil if necessary. Then slide the omelette back into the pan to cook the other side (careful of hot oil)

8. Cook the other side for a further 10 minutes or so until it is cooked right through. You may need to repeat the flipping process again.

9. Once the omelette is cooked through, flip again and place on a serving plate to rest.

10. The tortilla can be served warm or cold and is great served cut into little squares for tapas or in larger slices if eating as a main meal

It was grilled for a minute, its not authentic, we were just hungry.

Whats your version of the Spanish tortilla?


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