The whole cook massive (minus Gus) descended on northern Spain for grandma Betty's 80th birthday.Despite some teething problems with the villa and a bonkers weather system that involved rainstorms of biblical proportions, we all had a great time.
We didn't find any fabulous markets to buy gorgeous produce but we did find a big supermarket that provided most of the essentials although precious few fresh herbs.
top tip: I had downloaded a few favourite Spanish recipes to the notes pages of my iPad which is a he'll of alot easier to carry than a load of bits of paper and significantly lighter than dragging the Moro cookbook with you.
We cooked very small lamb chops mechoui style over charcoal and had it with chickpea salad made with very nice jarred chickpeas and served with plain yoghurt.We bulked it out a bit with some cooking chorizo and aubergine caviar or baba ganoush ...... Delicious!
We also cooked paella with a special twist courtesey of Charlie Cook mistaking 4 teaspoons of paprika for 4 tablespoons ..... Then we managed to burn the bottom of the pan, but nobody seemed to mind the extra smokiness that these minor aberrations created.
Every lunch all ten of us sat round the very big outside table and enjoyed the kind of simple lunches that the med is made for, tomato salad, watermelon, serrano ham, bread, salami, roasted peppers. On occasion the sun even managed to put in an appearance
I didn't get round to trying out any of the patatas bravas recipes that I had brought on the iPad
chickpea salad.
Ingredients.
2 x 400g tins of cooked chickpeas, rinsed (or jars if you can get them)
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
1 large green chilli, halved lengthways, seeded and very finely diced (omit or reduce to taste)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
a squeeze of lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced
10 cherry tomatoes, ahlved, seeded and finely diced
1 small bunch each of fresh mint and corinder, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Method
Put the garlic, chilli, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl.
Stir well and then add the rest of the ingredients - the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and coriander. Taste for seasoning.
drizzle over a little extra olive oil.
Chill for a fresher taste.
Option:
Serve with some greek yoghurt seasoned with salt and thinned with a little milk.
Moro chicken and prawn paella version.
ingredients (serves 4)
300g uncooked prawns
I lire chicken stock
pinch of saffron - 20 threads
5tbs olive oil
350g boned and skinned chicken cut into 2cm cubes
300g chorizo sliced into thick slices
1 1/2 spanish onions finely chopped
1 green pepper halved seeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
150g green beans cut into 3cm pieces
1 tsp sweet paprika
250g paella rice (calasparra)
75ml white wine
sea salt and black pepper
2tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon cut into wedges
Method
If prawns still have shells, remove them and put shells into chicken stock and simmer for 10m minutes and then strain and add the saffron. (if the prawns are already peeled just simmer chicken stock for 5 minutes and then add the saffron
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a paella pan or a large frying pan. When the oil is hot add the chicken pieces and stir fry for about 2 minutes untile sealed on all sides but fractionally undercooked in the centre. Remove with a slotted sp[oon and set aside.
Now cook the chorizo in the same oil for a minute each side then remove.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and when it is hot add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often.
Now add the chopped garlic, beans and paprika and cook for a further 5 minutes until the onions and beans have some colour but aren't burnt..
Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat the rice (up to this point everything can be cooked in advance) the next stage should be started 20 mins before you want to eat.
When you are ready to cook the rice bring the stock to the boil remove and put to one side.
Place the paella pan over a medium high heat and add the wine followed by the hot stock and season with salt and pepper. Do not stir the rice after this. Simmer for 10 minutes or until there is just a little liquid above the rice. Spread the pieces of chicken evenly over the rice and push each piece under the surface. Gently shake the pan to prevent sticking and turn the heat down to low cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the prawns and push under the rice and spread the chorizo on top, cook for a further 5 minutes now turn the heat off and cover tightly with foil. Let the rice sit for 3-5 minutes.
Before serving sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve with the wedges of lemon
We didn't find any fabulous markets to buy gorgeous produce but we did find a big supermarket that provided most of the essentials although precious few fresh herbs.
top tip: I had downloaded a few favourite Spanish recipes to the notes pages of my iPad which is a he'll of alot easier to carry than a load of bits of paper and significantly lighter than dragging the Moro cookbook with you.
We cooked very small lamb chops mechoui style over charcoal and had it with chickpea salad made with very nice jarred chickpeas and served with plain yoghurt.We bulked it out a bit with some cooking chorizo and aubergine caviar or baba ganoush ...... Delicious!
We also cooked paella with a special twist courtesey of Charlie Cook mistaking 4 teaspoons of paprika for 4 tablespoons ..... Then we managed to burn the bottom of the pan, but nobody seemed to mind the extra smokiness that these minor aberrations created.
Every lunch all ten of us sat round the very big outside table and enjoyed the kind of simple lunches that the med is made for, tomato salad, watermelon, serrano ham, bread, salami, roasted peppers. On occasion the sun even managed to put in an appearance
I didn't get round to trying out any of the patatas bravas recipes that I had brought on the iPad
chickpea salad.
Ingredients.
2 x 400g tins of cooked chickpeas, rinsed (or jars if you can get them)
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
1 large green chilli, halved lengthways, seeded and very finely diced (omit or reduce to taste)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
a squeeze of lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced
10 cherry tomatoes, ahlved, seeded and finely diced
1 small bunch each of fresh mint and corinder, roughly chopped
sea salt and black pepper
Method
Put the garlic, chilli, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl.
Stir well and then add the rest of the ingredients - the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and coriander. Taste for seasoning.
drizzle over a little extra olive oil.
Chill for a fresher taste.
Option:
Serve with some greek yoghurt seasoned with salt and thinned with a little milk.
Moro chicken and prawn paella version.
ingredients (serves 4)
300g uncooked prawns
I lire chicken stock
pinch of saffron - 20 threads
5tbs olive oil
350g boned and skinned chicken cut into 2cm cubes
300g chorizo sliced into thick slices
1 1/2 spanish onions finely chopped
1 green pepper halved seeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
150g green beans cut into 3cm pieces
1 tsp sweet paprika
250g paella rice (calasparra)
75ml white wine
sea salt and black pepper
2tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon cut into wedges
Method
If prawns still have shells, remove them and put shells into chicken stock and simmer for 10m minutes and then strain and add the saffron. (if the prawns are already peeled just simmer chicken stock for 5 minutes and then add the saffron
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a paella pan or a large frying pan. When the oil is hot add the chicken pieces and stir fry for about 2 minutes untile sealed on all sides but fractionally undercooked in the centre. Remove with a slotted sp[oon and set aside.
Now cook the chorizo in the same oil for a minute each side then remove.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and when it is hot add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often.
Now add the chopped garlic, beans and paprika and cook for a further 5 minutes until the onions and beans have some colour but aren't burnt..
Add the rice to the pan and stir for 1 minute to coat the rice (up to this point everything can be cooked in advance) the next stage should be started 20 mins before you want to eat.
When you are ready to cook the rice bring the stock to the boil remove and put to one side.
Place the paella pan over a medium high heat and add the wine followed by the hot stock and season with salt and pepper. Do not stir the rice after this. Simmer for 10 minutes or until there is just a little liquid above the rice. Spread the pieces of chicken evenly over the rice and push each piece under the surface. Gently shake the pan to prevent sticking and turn the heat down to low cook for 5 minutes.
Now add the prawns and push under the rice and spread the chorizo on top, cook for a further 5 minutes now turn the heat off and cover tightly with foil. Let the rice sit for 3-5 minutes.
Before serving sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve with the wedges of lemon
Comments
Chickpea salad was excellent.
Am about to Bbq some veggies and paprika sturgeon to go with the chickpea salad. Made the raita too.
you inspired me to get cooking again!
Trev.