PORK WITH PEDRO XIMENEZ
Long time without writing a post. Been far too busy - all Brexit's fault!! 😂
Pedro Ximenez is a sweet wine from the region of Andalucia in Spain. You can buy it in most UK supermarkets. It is meant to be made with grapes that were introduced in Spain when Spain was ruled by the Arabs (many people forget that Spain was under Arab ruling for more years than under Christians)
You can use Marsala or Porto or indeed any other sweet wine, though Pedro Ximenez goes particularly well with pork as it has a depth that other sweet wines do not have.
You need:
- two pork loins (cut into thick medallions - I normally flatten them a bit with the back of a big knife)
- 2 onions
- 300 ml water
- 150 ml Pedro Ximenez
- a teaspoon of corn flour
- olive oil
- salt
Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Salt the medallions of pork and fry them on both sides until they are golden (2-3- minutes on each side). Take them off the pan and reserve them until later.
In the same pan add two more tablespoons of oil and fry the onions over very low heat for 15-18 minutes until they are very soft. Then add the water and Pedro Ximenez and let it all boil until you get bubbles. Take a quarter of a glass of the sauce, add the teaspoon of corn flour, mix well and return the mixture back to the pan. Add the pork back to the pan and let it all bubble for 8-10 minutes until the sauce becomes thick (I cannot stand thick sauces, so I often miss the corn flour step) It is great served with squared fried potatoes and swiss chard but also with mashed potatoes or even rice.
Pedro Ximenez is a sweet wine from the region of Andalucia in Spain. You can buy it in most UK supermarkets. It is meant to be made with grapes that were introduced in Spain when Spain was ruled by the Arabs (many people forget that Spain was under Arab ruling for more years than under Christians)
You can use Marsala or Porto or indeed any other sweet wine, though Pedro Ximenez goes particularly well with pork as it has a depth that other sweet wines do not have.
You need:
- two pork loins (cut into thick medallions - I normally flatten them a bit with the back of a big knife)
- 2 onions
- 300 ml water
- 150 ml Pedro Ximenez
- a teaspoon of corn flour
- olive oil
- salt
Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Salt the medallions of pork and fry them on both sides until they are golden (2-3- minutes on each side). Take them off the pan and reserve them until later.
In the same pan add two more tablespoons of oil and fry the onions over very low heat for 15-18 minutes until they are very soft. Then add the water and Pedro Ximenez and let it all boil until you get bubbles. Take a quarter of a glass of the sauce, add the teaspoon of corn flour, mix well and return the mixture back to the pan. Add the pork back to the pan and let it all bubble for 8-10 minutes until the sauce becomes thick (I cannot stand thick sauces, so I often miss the corn flour step) It is great served with squared fried potatoes and swiss chard but also with mashed potatoes or even rice.
POACHED QUINCE
This is one of my regular Autumn 'dinner party desserts'. It has an Arabic feel and it never fails to please. You need:
- 2 quinces (enough for 8 people)
- a tub of greek yogurt
- two tablespoons of honey
- 4 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
- a handful of shelled (unsalted) pistachios (chopped)
- half a tablespoon of pink pepper
- 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds
- two tablespoons of lemon juice
- water
Peel and quarter the quinces, getting rid of the core. Put them and the lemon juice in a pan with water (just enough to cover them) over medium heat. Once the water is boiling let it all simmer for 40 minutes more or less until the quinces are soft. Take the quinces off the liquid and reserve them.
Separately put one glass and a half of the water where you have boiled the quinces on a sauce pan. Add the pepper, sugar and orange blossom water. Heat it and let it all simmer for 20-25 minutes until it reduces in volume by two thirds. Once it is ready put it aside and let it cool down.
When you are going to serve this dish just put a quarter of a quince in a bowl. Add a kernel of greek yogurt beside the quince. Drizzle two tablespoons of syrup and a teaspoon of honey on top of the quince and yogurt. And sprinkle the pistachios and pomegranate seeds on top. That is all.
- 2 quinces (enough for 8 people)
- a tub of greek yogurt
- two tablespoons of honey
- 4 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
- a handful of shelled (unsalted) pistachios (chopped)
- half a tablespoon of pink pepper
- 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds
- two tablespoons of lemon juice
- water
Peel and quarter the quinces, getting rid of the core. Put them and the lemon juice in a pan with water (just enough to cover them) over medium heat. Once the water is boiling let it all simmer for 40 minutes more or less until the quinces are soft. Take the quinces off the liquid and reserve them.
Separately put one glass and a half of the water where you have boiled the quinces on a sauce pan. Add the pepper, sugar and orange blossom water. Heat it and let it all simmer for 20-25 minutes until it reduces in volume by two thirds. Once it is ready put it aside and let it cool down.
When you are going to serve this dish just put a quarter of a quince in a bowl. Add a kernel of greek yogurt beside the quince. Drizzle two tablespoons of syrup and a teaspoon of honey on top of the quince and yogurt. And sprinkle the pistachios and pomegranate seeds on top. That is all.
SKATE WING WITH BUTTER
This is always a winner in my home. One of the best fish to get children to eat fish with bones because the bones are huge and therefore easy to spot - and also they are all facing the same direction, so it is easy to find your way through them. You need:
- a skate wing stake per person (we do 5 portions)
- 100 gr of butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- juice of a lemon
- three tablespoons of flour to dust the fish
- salt
Put skate wings in a big pan. Pour boiling water on them and let it all simmer for 3 minutes. Take the skate wings out and pat dry them with kitchen paper. Salt them on both sides and dust them with the flour also on both sides.
Put half of the butter on a frying pan ( I do this with two frying pans so that the fish is ready for all at the same time, as indeed this dish is best if you eat it very hot). Fry the skate wings over medium heat on both sides until golden ( it takes 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 on the other side). Take the wings out and put them on a serving plate. Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan together with the parsley and let it all warm up for 2-3- minutes. Add the juice of the lemon to the butter and parsley and pour this sauce over the wings. It is simple and delicious. I serve it with boiled potatoes.
- a skate wing stake per person (we do 5 portions)
- 100 gr of butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- juice of a lemon
- three tablespoons of flour to dust the fish
- salt
Put skate wings in a big pan. Pour boiling water on them and let it all simmer for 3 minutes. Take the skate wings out and pat dry them with kitchen paper. Salt them on both sides and dust them with the flour also on both sides.
Put half of the butter on a frying pan ( I do this with two frying pans so that the fish is ready for all at the same time, as indeed this dish is best if you eat it very hot). Fry the skate wings over medium heat on both sides until golden ( it takes 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 on the other side). Take the wings out and put them on a serving plate. Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan together with the parsley and let it all warm up for 2-3- minutes. Add the juice of the lemon to the butter and parsley and pour this sauce over the wings. It is simple and delicious. I serve it with boiled potatoes.
CRAB CHICORY BOATS
This is a good way to get children to get used to chicory. You can vary the fillings (tuna mayo, shrimps and cocktail sauce, a mixture of cream and blue cheese…) but it works particularly well with crab. You need:
- a chicory (separate the leaves)
- 100 gr crag meat (I normally use white meat as it is a softer flavour)
- half a chill chopped very thinly
- a teaspoon of chopped coriander
- 2.5 tablespoons mayonnaise (home made really works best on this as shop bought mayo is far too strong for crab) - see our two minutes mayo recipe: http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/04/2-minutes-mayonnaise-sauce.html
-juice and zest of half a lime
Mix the crab, mayo and lime juice. Put the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Then put a bit of the mixture on top of each chicory leaf. Sprinkle with the chile, coriander and lime zest. That is all there is to it.
- a chicory (separate the leaves)
- 100 gr crag meat (I normally use white meat as it is a softer flavour)
- half a chill chopped very thinly
- a teaspoon of chopped coriander
- 2.5 tablespoons mayonnaise (home made really works best on this as shop bought mayo is far too strong for crab) - see our two minutes mayo recipe: http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/04/2-minutes-mayonnaise-sauce.html
-juice and zest of half a lime
Mix the crab, mayo and lime juice. Put the mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Then put a bit of the mixture on top of each chicory leaf. Sprinkle with the chile, coriander and lime zest. That is all there is to it.
CATALAN CREAM or CREMA CATALANA
This is a very typical catalan dessert. In Catalan it is called 'crema', while in Castillian it is called 'crema catalana'. Though Calaluna can legitimately claim ownership of this recipe (as indeed there are references to it in Catalan literary works even from the Middle Ages) the fact is that it is eaten all over Spain. And indeed in Europe, as it is just a variation of the typically French 'creme brûlée' that the Belgians make to absolute perfection. Here in the UK this is a 'burnt cream' or a 'Cambridge burnt cream'. Some also claim it is a 'Trinity cream', as they say it was invented in Trinity College in Cambridge in the XXVII century. Despite the disputes about the origin of this recipe, the fact is that it is a delicious dessert. And it is rather uplifting that no matter the country, language or region, at the end of the day we all eat the same.
You need (for 5 people):
- 500 ml full fat milk ( alternatively use 400 ml half-fat cream and 100 ml single cream)
- 3 egg yokes
- half a stick of cinnamon.
- zest of a quarter of a lemon and a quarter of an orange (only the yellow and orange bits)
- 50 gr sugar
- 40 gr corn flour
- more sugar to burn the top of the cream
Heat the milk with the lemon and orange peels and the cinnamon. Let it come to almost boiling point, then lower the heat, simmer for 8 minutes and then cover it and let it cool down for another 20 minutes.
Separately mix the eggs and sugar (with the back of a spoon, so that you do not create any air bubbles). Add the corn flower, and then the milk (through a colander so that you do not get any cinnamon bits in). Put this mixture back in the pan over medium heat while you stir it until it gets thick (it takes around 8 minutes) I normally get this though a colander again to make it very smooth, but I suppose you are fine to do without this step if you cannot be bothered to do it.
Put the cream on the individual pots, cover with cling film ( really important as otherwise you will get a really unpleasant 'custard skin' on top) and let it cool down in the fridge for 3 hours. When you are going to serve it, put some sugar on top and then burn the sugar under a hot grill or (much -much easier) with a torch.
Very delicious - and surprisingly light.
You need (for 5 people):
- 500 ml full fat milk ( alternatively use 400 ml half-fat cream and 100 ml single cream)
- 3 egg yokes
- half a stick of cinnamon.
- zest of a quarter of a lemon and a quarter of an orange (only the yellow and orange bits)
- 50 gr sugar
- 40 gr corn flour
- more sugar to burn the top of the cream
Heat the milk with the lemon and orange peels and the cinnamon. Let it come to almost boiling point, then lower the heat, simmer for 8 minutes and then cover it and let it cool down for another 20 minutes.
Separately mix the eggs and sugar (with the back of a spoon, so that you do not create any air bubbles). Add the corn flower, and then the milk (through a colander so that you do not get any cinnamon bits in). Put this mixture back in the pan over medium heat while you stir it until it gets thick (it takes around 8 minutes) I normally get this though a colander again to make it very smooth, but I suppose you are fine to do without this step if you cannot be bothered to do it.
Put the cream on the individual pots, cover with cling film ( really important as otherwise you will get a really unpleasant 'custard skin' on top) and let it cool down in the fridge for 3 hours. When you are going to serve it, put some sugar on top and then burn the sugar under a hot grill or (much -much easier) with a torch.
Very delicious - and surprisingly light.
CHOCOLATE SWISS ROLL
Every time we make this my guests are impressed, but it is in fact really easy to make. In Spanish this type of cake is called 'brazo de gitano', ie. 'gypsy's arm', no idea why. We first learned to make these decorations a couple of years ago in a Spanish blog called www.recetadelafelicidad.com and since then we have changed colours, flavours and also slightly adapted the recipe. This is one of my children's favourite combinations of flavours.
You need:
- 30 g melted butter
- an egg white
- 30 g sugar
- 40 g plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 120 more g plain flour
- 25 g cocoa
- 120 more g sugar
- 4 tablespoons apricot jam
- a 250 g tub of mascarpone cheese
- two tablespoons icing sugar
The easiest manner to do this is with an indented silicon mat. We bought ours in Spain (see link: http://www.utilcentre.com/utensilios/pasteleria/tapete-relieve-silicona-60-c-a-230-c/tapete-relieve-relief-10-modeloflowers.html). We have not found them in the UK, but they send them internationally (the mats are huge, so we cut them in half and kept one in Spain, but you can always pass one half to a friend who likes to bake…) If you cannot/do not want to get the matt, you can also make this very easily by hand.
Just mix well the melted butter, egg white, 30 g sugar and 40 g flour and extend this mixture over the silicon mat ensuring the mixture gets into every indentation. If you do not have the mat, put the mixture into a piping mat with a very small nozzle. Print whatever pattern you like, put baking parchment on top of the paper with the pattern and then just pipe the mixture following closely the pattern. Put the silicon matt or baking parchment with the mixture into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Then, preheat the oven at 170 degrees. Whisk the eggs and 120 g sugar well (and electric whisk is best) until it acquires the consistency of whipped cream. Add the flour and cocoa and mix it all with an spoon ensuring you do not loose any air. Put this mixture on the swiss roll mat or on a swiss roll tin with the decorated baking paper at the bottom. Bake it for just 10 minutes (not a minute longer or it will get very dry!)
Take it the roll off the oven and put it over a clean cloth. Roll it over itself and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the mascarpone and icing sugar. When the roll is cold, extend it, spread the apricot jam on top and then the spread mascarpone over the jam. Roll it all tightly ensuring you do not leave any air inside it. Cut the extremes so that you get a nice swirl on the side and serve.
You need:
- 30 g melted butter
- an egg white
- 30 g sugar
- 40 g plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 120 more g plain flour
- 25 g cocoa
- 120 more g sugar
- 4 tablespoons apricot jam
- a 250 g tub of mascarpone cheese
- two tablespoons icing sugar
The easiest manner to do this is with an indented silicon mat. We bought ours in Spain (see link: http://www.utilcentre.com/utensilios/pasteleria/tapete-relieve-silicona-60-c-a-230-c/tapete-relieve-relief-10-modeloflowers.html). We have not found them in the UK, but they send them internationally (the mats are huge, so we cut them in half and kept one in Spain, but you can always pass one half to a friend who likes to bake…) If you cannot/do not want to get the matt, you can also make this very easily by hand.
Just mix well the melted butter, egg white, 30 g sugar and 40 g flour and extend this mixture over the silicon mat ensuring the mixture gets into every indentation. If you do not have the mat, put the mixture into a piping mat with a very small nozzle. Print whatever pattern you like, put baking parchment on top of the paper with the pattern and then just pipe the mixture following closely the pattern. Put the silicon matt or baking parchment with the mixture into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Then, preheat the oven at 170 degrees. Whisk the eggs and 120 g sugar well (and electric whisk is best) until it acquires the consistency of whipped cream. Add the flour and cocoa and mix it all with an spoon ensuring you do not loose any air. Put this mixture on the swiss roll mat or on a swiss roll tin with the decorated baking paper at the bottom. Bake it for just 10 minutes (not a minute longer or it will get very dry!)
Take it the roll off the oven and put it over a clean cloth. Roll it over itself and let it cool down for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the mascarpone and icing sugar. When the roll is cold, extend it, spread the apricot jam on top and then the spread mascarpone over the jam. Roll it all tightly ensuring you do not leave any air inside it. Cut the extremes so that you get a nice swirl on the side and serve.
RASPBERRY LEMONADE
If you are meant to make lemonade when life gives you lemons (a recommendation I thoroughly agree with) I promise I could have swamped you all with lemonade this year. This is a recipe I got in California this summer. A sort of 'citron presse' with crushed raspberries. Simple and yet delicious. Totally recommendable.
You need:
- 6 lemons
- 150 ml water
- 250 ml fizzy water
- 5 raspberries per person
- one table spoon of caster sugar per person
Juice the lemons. Add the water and sugar, mix it all well and strain it so that you do not get any pips. Put the raspberries into a tall glass. Crush them with the back of a spoon. Add the sweetened lemon juice. Top it up with the fizzy water. It could not be any simpler.
Like all lemonades (and like life itself) this tastes better with plenty of sunny weather.
You need:
- 6 lemons
- 150 ml water
- 250 ml fizzy water
- 5 raspberries per person
- one table spoon of caster sugar per person
Juice the lemons. Add the water and sugar, mix it all well and strain it so that you do not get any pips. Put the raspberries into a tall glass. Crush them with the back of a spoon. Add the sweetened lemon juice. Top it up with the fizzy water. It could not be any simpler.
Like all lemonades (and like life itself) this tastes better with plenty of sunny weather.
SUMMER CHICKEN
I thought I would post a 'proper' summer roast chicken as I am in the US for a few days and all we can get here is the chlorinated chicken (surrounded by mountains of fries) that the UK Government seems so keen to allow into the UK as part of their desperate attempt to agree a deal with the US at any cost. Pity that otherwise perfectly sensible people, like the head of the UK administration, seem to have fallen for that nonsense too. The thing is this: if the UK government allows US chlorinated poultry into the UK, no UK poultry will be allowed in the EU. That will mean we will have plenty of chlorinated chicken to eat in the UK, but we may need to cross the channel to eat a proper chicken. Apparently in fantasy planet Brexitland this is called 'taking back control'… taking control of all but your chicken that is!
You need:
- one chicken
- half a glass of water
- two table spoons of olive oil
- salt
- four sweet potatoes
- 200 gr butternut squash
- three onions
- a jar of pesto (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/green-pesto.html)
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Cut the onions in six chunks (vertically). Cut the sweet potatoes and butternut squash in big chunks. Put both the onions and sweet potatoes on a roasting tray. Add a bit of salt and the two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss it all well. Salt the chicken (including inside) and put it on top of the onions and sweet potatoes. Add the water (not on top of the chicken, just on the side of the roasting tray). Roast for 1.30 minutes. Serve it with the pesto and a salad. Simple and wonderful.
You need:
- one chicken
- half a glass of water
- two table spoons of olive oil
- salt
- four sweet potatoes
- 200 gr butternut squash
- three onions
- a jar of pesto (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/green-pesto.html)
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Cut the onions in six chunks (vertically). Cut the sweet potatoes and butternut squash in big chunks. Put both the onions and sweet potatoes on a roasting tray. Add a bit of salt and the two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss it all well. Salt the chicken (including inside) and put it on top of the onions and sweet potatoes. Add the water (not on top of the chicken, just on the side of the roasting tray). Roast for 1.30 minutes. Serve it with the pesto and a salad. Simple and wonderful.
MELON GAZPACHO
Gazpacho is traditionally made with cucumber and tomatoes. Over the last few years it has become fashionable to make gazpacho with fruits such as strawberries and watermelon. I am not too keen, but this melon gazpacho builds on a classic seventies' combination of flavours, melon and serrano ham. When I was a teenager there wasn't a Spanish wedding that did not feature this in the menu. Then came the melon with king prawns (a great recipe which I will give you later this Summer). Avocados did not manage to reach the Spain of the 70s, but prawn cocktails and pineapple with cheese on toothpicks were as popular there as in the UK.
You need;
- a canteloupe melon (or half a Spanish 'piel de sapo' melon)
- 1 cucumber
- a quarter green pepper
- a clove of garlic
- half a glass of good olive oil
- half a glass of water
- two tablespoons of vinegar
- salt
- 100 gr of good serrano ham (it would be better with Iberico ham; and, with the permission of my Italian friends, worse with parma ham) into very small cubes.
Blend the melon, cucumber, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Get this mixture through a 'chino' colander so that you get a smooth soup. Add the water vinegar and salt and stir. Taste it as, if the melon is very sweet, you may need to add a bit more vinegar. Keep it in the fridge until you are going to serve it. Serve it in bowls with the ham sprinkled in the centre of the bowl.
You need;
- a canteloupe melon (or half a Spanish 'piel de sapo' melon)
- 1 cucumber
- a quarter green pepper
- a clove of garlic
- half a glass of good olive oil
- half a glass of water
- two tablespoons of vinegar
- salt
- 100 gr of good serrano ham (it would be better with Iberico ham; and, with the permission of my Italian friends, worse with parma ham) into very small cubes.
Blend the melon, cucumber, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Get this mixture through a 'chino' colander so that you get a smooth soup. Add the water vinegar and salt and stir. Taste it as, if the melon is very sweet, you may need to add a bit more vinegar. Keep it in the fridge until you are going to serve it. Serve it in bowls with the ham sprinkled in the centre of the bowl.
TUNA WITH ONIONS or BONITO ENCEBOLLADO
The last few weeks have been crazily busy and as a result we have not cooked much, but we are now approaching the holidays and back on track.
This is a very Spanish dish. We cook it in Summer when tuna fish is 'in season'. Broadly speaking there are three main ways to eat tuna in Spain: in marmitako (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2013/07/marmitako.html), as they do in the North; 'encebollado', as they do in the South; and with tomato sauce (see recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2014/07/tuna-with-tomato-sauce.html) as they do all over Spain. We like tuna so much that the white tuna from the North Cantabric sea is called 'bonito' (i.e. beautiful) and it is indeed a very beautiful fish.
You need:
- a thick steak of tuna for every three people (cut in not too small squares)
- a generous amount of olive oil (8 to 10 table spoons)
- 4 onions (sliced or just chopped in little squares)
- two cloves of garlic (sliced)
- a bay leaf
- a pinch of sweet paprika (pimenton dulce)
- salt
- three quarters of a glass of water
- two table spoons of wine vinegar (needless to say, Jerez is best)
- 4 table spoons of flour
- a pinch of oregano
- a tablespoons of chopped parsley
Salt the tuna and dust it with the flour (this is just to add a bit of consistency to the sauce, so no problem if the fish is not perfectly coated in flour). Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan (or a frying pan) over medium heat. Fry the tuna on both sides until it is golden (do not stir it too much or otherwise the fish will break; and if you are preparing this with a lot of tuna just do it in batches). Take out the fish and reserve.
In the same oil fry the garlic for two minutes over very low heat, then add the onion, increase the heat to medium for 4 minutes and then lower the heat to its minimum setting for another 15 more minutes. Then add the paprika, oregano, and half a teaspoon of the chopped parsley. You may need to add a bit more salt (just taste it). After a minute add the vinegar and finally the water. Put the tuna back into the sauce and let it all simmer for 10 minutes. Before you serve it sprinkle some parsley on top.
You can serve this with plain white rice or with fried potatoes (frankly much better and also more authentic than with rice)
This is a very Spanish dish. We cook it in Summer when tuna fish is 'in season'. Broadly speaking there are three main ways to eat tuna in Spain: in marmitako (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2013/07/marmitako.html), as they do in the North; 'encebollado', as they do in the South; and with tomato sauce (see recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2014/07/tuna-with-tomato-sauce.html) as they do all over Spain. We like tuna so much that the white tuna from the North Cantabric sea is called 'bonito' (i.e. beautiful) and it is indeed a very beautiful fish.
You need:
- a thick steak of tuna for every three people (cut in not too small squares)
- a generous amount of olive oil (8 to 10 table spoons)
- 4 onions (sliced or just chopped in little squares)
- two cloves of garlic (sliced)
- a bay leaf
- a pinch of sweet paprika (pimenton dulce)
- salt
- three quarters of a glass of water
- two table spoons of wine vinegar (needless to say, Jerez is best)
- 4 table spoons of flour
- a pinch of oregano
- a tablespoons of chopped parsley
Salt the tuna and dust it with the flour (this is just to add a bit of consistency to the sauce, so no problem if the fish is not perfectly coated in flour). Heat the olive oil in a shallow pan (or a frying pan) over medium heat. Fry the tuna on both sides until it is golden (do not stir it too much or otherwise the fish will break; and if you are preparing this with a lot of tuna just do it in batches). Take out the fish and reserve.
In the same oil fry the garlic for two minutes over very low heat, then add the onion, increase the heat to medium for 4 minutes and then lower the heat to its minimum setting for another 15 more minutes. Then add the paprika, oregano, and half a teaspoon of the chopped parsley. You may need to add a bit more salt (just taste it). After a minute add the vinegar and finally the water. Put the tuna back into the sauce and let it all simmer for 10 minutes. Before you serve it sprinkle some parsley on top.
You can serve this with plain white rice or with fried potatoes (frankly much better and also more authentic than with rice)
DUCK WITH CHINESE PANCAKES
This is a very simple family dish that
never fails to please. You just need:
- - a duck
- - a couple of packets of Chinese
pancakes
- - salt
- - 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- - four tablespoons of chinese all
spice
- - a cucumber
- - a bunch of spring onions
- - plum or hoisin sauce (whatever
you prefer)
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Salt the
inside of the duck. Then make a paste with the olive oil, all spice and salt. Rub
this paste all over the duck. Put it in the oven for 1.30 hours and then lower
the heat to 175 degrees for another hour. When the duck is ready let it rest
for 10 minutes covered with foil, take the meat out of the bone and then shred the
meat with two forks.
When you are about to serve the duck, cut
the cucumbers and onions into thin sticks. Heat the pancakes in the microwave
for 30 seconds and let everybody assemble the pancakes (cucumber, spring onions,
duck and sauce) It really could not be any easier.
SPRING PASTA
This is a really nice and quick way to prepare pasta.
You need:
- a packet of long dry pasta (spaghetti is best)
- a mug of peas
- a bunch of asparagus (chopped in bite size bits)
- half mug of pesto sauce ( preferably home made, which is really easy to prepare and lasts for 5-6- days in the fridge - see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/green-pesto.html)
- salt
- parmiggiano cheese (or equivalent)
Boil the pasta in salty water according to packet instructions (it tends to be 12-14 minutes) 6 minutes before you take the pasta out add the peas, and two minutes afterwards add the asparagus. when the pasta is boiled put it all in a colander, add the pesto ( with a couple of tablespoons of the water that you have used to boil the pasta) and grate a generous amount of parmiggiano on top. It could not be more simple, but it is heavenly.
You can do this with beans or broccoli, but the peas and asparagus combination works really well.
You need:
- a packet of long dry pasta (spaghetti is best)
- a mug of peas
- a bunch of asparagus (chopped in bite size bits)
- half mug of pesto sauce ( preferably home made, which is really easy to prepare and lasts for 5-6- days in the fridge - see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/green-pesto.html)
- salt
- parmiggiano cheese (or equivalent)
Boil the pasta in salty water according to packet instructions (it tends to be 12-14 minutes) 6 minutes before you take the pasta out add the peas, and two minutes afterwards add the asparagus. when the pasta is boiled put it all in a colander, add the pesto ( with a couple of tablespoons of the water that you have used to boil the pasta) and grate a generous amount of parmiggiano on top. It could not be more simple, but it is heavenly.
You can do this with beans or broccoli, but the peas and asparagus combination works really well.
CHOCOLATE TART
Though I was having a really happy weekend, I had to resort to a bashing recipe after receiving on Friday a leaflet from the Education Secretary Justine Greening in my home. Full of superficial trivia (bash) like pointless letters she has written on everything from airplane noise to pollution - as if that could be changed with just a couple of letters! (bash, bash) - but no reference of course to her draconian cuts to the secondary schools budget which are already having a devastating effect on London schools (bash, bash, bash). Gone are the days when politicians had to be accountable for the financing decisions they took... (bash, bash, bash, bash)
Luckily this recipe involves plenty of biscuit bashing. It is from Simply Nigella and all I have done is to replace vanilla essence in the original recipe with orange essence. The pastry case is made with crushed bourbon biscuits which is one of those truly genius Nigella ideas (together with frying gnocchi's) and it means you do not need any melted butter.
You need:
- 300 g bourbon or oreo chocolate biscuits
- 50 gr butter (room temperature)
- half a teaspoon salt flakes
- 500 ml double cream
- 100 g dark chocolate (grated or cut thinly)
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons expresso instant coffee
- 2 teaspoons olive oil ( the stronger the better)
- 1 teaspoon orange essence
- 75 g sugar
- a teaspoon of salt flakes.
- 4 teaspoons milk
- 25 g corn flour
Bash the biscuits for as long as you need to get rid of any bad moods, worries or stress (if you are getting tired of bashing just think of the conservative education policy for a minute so that you can keep going) Mix them with half a teaspoons of salt and the butter. Take a flan case and cover it with the crushed biscuits so that you make a tart case. Let it cool down in the fringe for 2 hours.
When the case is ready, mix the cornflour with the milk until it dissolves in it. Then in a pan heat the cream, salt, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, olive oil, orange essence and sugar. Put it over medium heat and stir it (without letting it boil) until the chocolate dissolves into the cream. Take the cream off the heat. Pour the milk and corn flour mixture in it, bring it back to the heat and keep stirring until it thickens (around 10 minutes). Put it in a jug, cover with cling film (so that the cling film touches the chocolate cream) and let it cool down for 30 minutes in the fridge. When it is cold, pour the cream into the pastry case and let it all cool down for 4 hours or preferably overnight.
This tart is divine. Definitely good enough to even make you forget for a while about the policies of this government. Final bash!
Luckily this recipe involves plenty of biscuit bashing. It is from Simply Nigella and all I have done is to replace vanilla essence in the original recipe with orange essence. The pastry case is made with crushed bourbon biscuits which is one of those truly genius Nigella ideas (together with frying gnocchi's) and it means you do not need any melted butter.
You need:
- 300 g bourbon or oreo chocolate biscuits
- 50 gr butter (room temperature)
- half a teaspoon salt flakes
- 500 ml double cream
- 100 g dark chocolate (grated or cut thinly)
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons expresso instant coffee
- 2 teaspoons olive oil ( the stronger the better)
- 1 teaspoon orange essence
- 75 g sugar
- a teaspoon of salt flakes.
- 4 teaspoons milk
- 25 g corn flour
Bash the biscuits for as long as you need to get rid of any bad moods, worries or stress (if you are getting tired of bashing just think of the conservative education policy for a minute so that you can keep going) Mix them with half a teaspoons of salt and the butter. Take a flan case and cover it with the crushed biscuits so that you make a tart case. Let it cool down in the fringe for 2 hours.
When the case is ready, mix the cornflour with the milk until it dissolves in it. Then in a pan heat the cream, salt, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, olive oil, orange essence and sugar. Put it over medium heat and stir it (without letting it boil) until the chocolate dissolves into the cream. Take the cream off the heat. Pour the milk and corn flour mixture in it, bring it back to the heat and keep stirring until it thickens (around 10 minutes). Put it in a jug, cover with cling film (so that the cling film touches the chocolate cream) and let it cool down for 30 minutes in the fridge. When it is cold, pour the cream into the pastry case and let it all cool down for 4 hours or preferably overnight.
This tart is divine. Definitely good enough to even make you forget for a while about the policies of this government. Final bash!
OMELET 'A LA MENTA"
I went to Milan earlier this week to launch Inspiring Girls Italy with our partner there, the business association ValoreD. What an amazing day! You can see pictures in my instagram (miriamgonzalezdurantez) but I could have stayed for hours listening to the volunteers telling their life journeys to the girls. So utterly inspiring. I came back mesmerised by the professionalism, energy and strength of Italian women - the kind of strength that comes from the inside, a 'serene strength'. Thanks so-so much to ENI, Intesa Sanpaolo and Courriere de la Sera, who sponsored our event there and also to the Minister of Education for backing us. We are already in four countries and we set all this up from scratch, fancy that!
The night before the event I was taken to a restaurant, where they served omelet 'a la menta', which I had never tried beforehand It was the kind of moment when you wonder: why, oh why, didn't I think about this beforehand?! so simple but so very gorgeous. The freshness of the mint with the warmth of the egg and the parmesan - a revelation. I am prone to liking any recipes with eggs, but this... I just love it.
All you need is:
- 2 eggs
- a couple of spoons of olive oil (use a small frying pan)
- a pinch of salt ( not too much as the cheese is salty)
- a tablespoon and a half of grated parmesan cheese
- two teaspoons of finely chopped mint leaves
Heat the oil in the frying plan. Beat the eggs (not too much) with the salt and the mint. Pour the egg mixture onto the pan. After 30 seconds stir it a couple of times so that you get 'folds' in the omelet. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. wait one more minute and fold the omelet in half as you normally do with any omelet. It should all take barely 2 minutes so that the omelet is moist inside. Eat it immediately. Just heavenly.
The night before the event I was taken to a restaurant, where they served omelet 'a la menta', which I had never tried beforehand It was the kind of moment when you wonder: why, oh why, didn't I think about this beforehand?! so simple but so very gorgeous. The freshness of the mint with the warmth of the egg and the parmesan - a revelation. I am prone to liking any recipes with eggs, but this... I just love it.
All you need is:
- 2 eggs
- a couple of spoons of olive oil (use a small frying pan)
- a pinch of salt ( not too much as the cheese is salty)
- a tablespoon and a half of grated parmesan cheese
- two teaspoons of finely chopped mint leaves
Heat the oil in the frying plan. Beat the eggs (not too much) with the salt and the mint. Pour the egg mixture onto the pan. After 30 seconds stir it a couple of times so that you get 'folds' in the omelet. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. wait one more minute and fold the omelet in half as you normally do with any omelet. It should all take barely 2 minutes so that the omelet is moist inside. Eat it immediately. Just heavenly.
STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE
A journalist friend (yes, they do exist, in fact many of them…but for some reason none in the Daily Mail!😉) has asked me to bake a Brexit crumble. This particular recipe comes from the wonderful Nigella Lawson and calls for almonds and vanilla, but over the years we have cut down on the sugar, replaced the vanilla with lemon zest and the almond with hazelnuts (only because a year ago I went through a time when I compulsively added hazelnuts to almost everything - they are particularly good with mackerel and orange I must say) The crumble, just like Brexit, seems fine on the outside, though if you look attentively you can see that there is a mess bubbling up inside. And it will definitely fall apart when you serve it no matter how hard you try. Though to be perfectly honest, I am not sure the messiest of the crumbles does any justice to the mess we are all in.
You need:
- 300 g strawberries
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g hazelnuts (ground 30 g thinly and the remaining 70 g coarsely)
- 110 g plain flour
- zest of a lemon
- 75 gr cold butter
- a tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees
Cut the strawberries in half. Put them on a baking dish (you can also bake this in individual dishes) Sprinkle them with 30 g of sugar, the 30 g of thinly ground hazelnuts and the lemon zest.
Separately mix the flour and baking powder with the cold butter (diced). Rub the butter with your fingers for 5 minutes. The add the remaining sugar and Hazelnuts. Tip this on top of the strawberries. Bake for 30 minutes (22 minutes if you bake this in individual dishes)
You need:
- 300 g strawberries
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g hazelnuts (ground 30 g thinly and the remaining 70 g coarsely)
- 110 g plain flour
- zest of a lemon
- 75 gr cold butter
- a tsp baking powder
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees
Cut the strawberries in half. Put them on a baking dish (you can also bake this in individual dishes) Sprinkle them with 30 g of sugar, the 30 g of thinly ground hazelnuts and the lemon zest.
Separately mix the flour and baking powder with the cold butter (diced). Rub the butter with your fingers for 5 minutes. The add the remaining sugar and Hazelnuts. Tip this on top of the strawberries. Bake for 30 minutes (22 minutes if you bake this in individual dishes)
VINAIGRETTE
I normally dress the salad by just pouring some salt, olive oil and red wine vinegar on top of it (in this order). If you get enough practice you will not even need to measure the ingredients. The rule in Spain is that the salad should be oily, salty and not too vinaigry - but I love vinegar (and I also love breaking rules) so my salads (which I eat pretty much every day) are always on the vinaigry side. The alternative to this rudimentary way of dressing salads is to prepare a proper vinaigrette and keep in in the fridge for a few days. You need:
- 200 ml of light olive oil
- 40 ml water
- a tablespoon of mustard (dijon is best)
- a teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of red wine
Whisk the olive oil and mustard. When the mixture is emulsionated (i.e. it becomes a thick sauce) add the water, then the salt and vinegar. Whisk it a bit more and keep in a jar in the fridge.
You can also do a variation of this by replacing the mustard by a tablespoon of shop-bought mayonnaise and increasing the amount of water to 60 ml.
Whatever you do please do not add any sugar or honey to it - that is the easiest way to ruin any salad.
It keeps in the fridge for a week.
ARTICHOKES WITH SERRANO HAM
Artichokes are one of my favourite vegetables, together with aubergines and swiss chard. I bought these beauties last week at the truly exorbitant price of £1.99…per artichoke! For that price you can buy a whole kilo of artichokes in Spain (taking into account the depreciation of the pound after Brexit et all) Out of curiosity I searched the prices in different supermarkets during one of my daily commutes - difficult to find artichokes in the UK for less than 1.40-1.50 per unit at the very best. Insane. How much of that goes to the farmers pockets? as the granddaughter and niece of farmers I can tell you that very little indeed. Perhaps when governments spend money on marketing to convince us all to increase the number of fruit and vegetables we eat per day, they could think of how to work with supermarkets so that raw vegetables and fruits go down to a more normal prize. How can they possibly justify that the price of one single artichoke is the same as the prize of not one, but twelve packets of salt and vinegar crisps? or eight Mars bars?
For this dish you need:
- one artichoke for two people (or if you are in the South of Europe, as many as you wish)
- two cloves of garlic sliced
- 50 gr serrano ham (or parma, etc…cut it in little cubes)
- 80 ml water
- a tablespoon of white vinegar
- half a lemon
- salt
- three tablespoons of olive oil
Clean the artichokes: get rid of all the outer leaves and peel the base as well. Cut them in slices and put them in a bowl of water with the juice of half a lemon. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Dry the artichokes and add them to the oil. Let them fry over medium heat for 3-4- minutes until them get golden. Add salt to the artichokes.
Separately fry the garlic on low heat on the spare tablespoon of oil (this takes only 1.5 minute or so), add the ham and let it fry for another minute, then the vinegar and finally the water. Pour all this over the artichokes and let it simmer for 5-8 minutes until they get soft (the exact amount of time depends on how tender the artichokes are of course - I prefer them a little al dente, but children normally like them soft)
For this dish you need:
- one artichoke for two people (or if you are in the South of Europe, as many as you wish)
- two cloves of garlic sliced
- 50 gr serrano ham (or parma, etc…cut it in little cubes)
- 80 ml water
- a tablespoon of white vinegar
- half a lemon
- salt
- three tablespoons of olive oil
Clean the artichokes: get rid of all the outer leaves and peel the base as well. Cut them in slices and put them in a bowl of water with the juice of half a lemon. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Dry the artichokes and add them to the oil. Let them fry over medium heat for 3-4- minutes until them get golden. Add salt to the artichokes.
Separately fry the garlic on low heat on the spare tablespoon of oil (this takes only 1.5 minute or so), add the ham and let it fry for another minute, then the vinegar and finally the water. Pour all this over the artichokes and let it simmer for 5-8 minutes until they get soft (the exact amount of time depends on how tender the artichokes are of course - I prefer them a little al dente, but children normally like them soft)
CHEESE AND PUMPKIN SEED BISCUITS
… and these are some cheese biscuits that you can eat with the broccoli mayo (see our recipe) or any other dip, though my children and their friends eat them (devour them to be precise) on their own.
You need:
- 135 gr plain flour
- 120 gr grated cheddar
- 80 ml sunflower oil
- 30 ml milk
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of paprika
- a handful of sunflower seeds
Mix all the ingredients but the sunflower seeds. Make a roll with the dough and put it in the fridge (covered by cling film or foil) for one hour. Then preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Cut slices of the roll, put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Press a few sunflower seeds on top of each biscuit and bake for 8 minutes (or until golden). It is very difficult to stop eating these.
...
You need:
- 135 gr plain flour
- 120 gr grated cheddar
- 80 ml sunflower oil
- 30 ml milk
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of paprika
- a handful of sunflower seeds
Mix all the ingredients but the sunflower seeds. Make a roll with the dough and put it in the fridge (covered by cling film or foil) for one hour. Then preheat the oven at 200 degrees. Cut slices of the roll, put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Press a few sunflower seeds on top of each biscuit and bake for 8 minutes (or until golden). It is very difficult to stop eating these.
BROCCOLI MAYO
You can make mayonnaise with any food rich in lecithin: from eggs to milk, brussels sprouts of broccoli. My children like this as a dip, or on the side of grilled chicken and salad, as a sauce. It also goes well with boiled eggs and white fish. You need:
-500 gr broccoli
- 200 ml sunflower oil (or a very mild olive oil)
- salt
- two or three tablespoons of lemon
Boil the broccoli for 15 minutes until it is really soft. Put the boiled broccoli in a tall beaker and add the oil on top. Blend it all with a hand held blender - start with the blender at the bottom of the beaker without moving it for a 40 seconds or so and then bring the blender very slowly up while keeping a steady hand. Then add the lemon and salt and blend for a couple of seconds again. You can also do this with a normal blender by blending the broccoli first and then adding the oil little by little.
CRAB LINGUINI
Simple-simple, but my children love it. You need:
- 250 - 350 gr crab meat
- a packet of linguini
- two tablespoons of olive oil
- three cloves of garlic, chopped thinly
- a glass of white wine
- half a lemon (juice and zest)
- a handful of parsley (flat)
- salt
Boil the linguini in plenty of salty water according to the packet instructions. Separately heat the olive oil in a pan, fry the garlic (over low heat) for 3 minutes, add the lemon zest and half of the parsley (chopped thinly) and after 20 seconds add the wine and salt and let it reduce for 10 minutes. When the linguini are boiled, add the crab to the wine sauce, let it simmer for a minute , pour the linguini on top, mix well and serve. You can add a bit more lemon juice and olive oil on top if you wish. Sprinkle the remaining parsley on top. That is all.
- 250 - 350 gr crab meat
- a packet of linguini
- two tablespoons of olive oil
- three cloves of garlic, chopped thinly
- a glass of white wine
- half a lemon (juice and zest)
- a handful of parsley (flat)
- salt
Boil the linguini in plenty of salty water according to the packet instructions. Separately heat the olive oil in a pan, fry the garlic (over low heat) for 3 minutes, add the lemon zest and half of the parsley (chopped thinly) and after 20 seconds add the wine and salt and let it reduce for 10 minutes. When the linguini are boiled, add the crab to the wine sauce, let it simmer for a minute , pour the linguini on top, mix well and serve. You can add a bit more lemon juice and olive oil on top if you wish. Sprinkle the remaining parsley on top. That is all.
CHICKPEAS WITH EGGS
In the past, during Lent time many Spanish families used to each chickpeas on Fridays. Now we still eat it sometimes more out of tradition than religion. The best known recipes are with spinach and or salt cod (you can find the recipe here http://www.mumandsons.com/2015/04/easter-chickpea-and-spinach-soup.html) but my grandma used to make chickpeas with egg (basically because she had often had a surplus of eggs in her farm).
You need:
- one and a half onions (chopped very thinly)
- a tomato ( grated)
- a clove of garlic ( minced)
-olive oil - three tablespoons
-200 gr chickpeas
- 2 more cloves of garlic
- handful of parsley
- 15 almonds (blanched)
- a teaspoon of sweet paprika
- a bay leaf
- salt
- water (this should be cold water - if you boil the water first the chickpeas will 'get scared', as they say in Spain, and as a result they will contract and be hard, no matter how long you boil them)
- 3 eggs
The night before you are going to make this put the chickpeas in cold water and let them soak overnight. I have prepare this recipe with chickpeas from one of my aunts, Loli. They are a real delicacy - so tender than you do not even need to soak them. But difficult to get chickpeas of this quality in the supermarket.
Put the olive oil in a pan, bring it to medium heat, add the onions, tomato and garlic, lower the heat, add the paprika and bay leaf and let it all fry for 10 minutes until it gets mellow. Then add the chickpeas, cover with cold water (there should be three centimetres of water over the chickpeas more or less) and let it all simmer for 1.30 to 1.40 hours.
Meanwhile boil the eggs. Take them off the shells and cut them in little bits (the easiest way to do this is with teh back of a fork).
Toast the almonds by putting them on a pan over medium heat for a minute or so.
Out the almonds, parsley and clove of garlic in a mortar and crush it all with the pestle (you can put a bit of salt so that it is easier to mash it all)
When the chickpeas are ready add the minced eggs and also the almond, parsley and garlic mixture to the chickpeas pan. Correct the salt if needed (chickpeas often require more salt than you think). Stir it all well, let it rest (off the fire) for five to ten minutes and serve.
You need:
- one and a half onions (chopped very thinly)
- a tomato ( grated)
- a clove of garlic ( minced)
-olive oil - three tablespoons
-200 gr chickpeas
- 2 more cloves of garlic
- handful of parsley
- 15 almonds (blanched)
- a teaspoon of sweet paprika
- a bay leaf
- salt
- water (this should be cold water - if you boil the water first the chickpeas will 'get scared', as they say in Spain, and as a result they will contract and be hard, no matter how long you boil them)
- 3 eggs
The night before you are going to make this put the chickpeas in cold water and let them soak overnight. I have prepare this recipe with chickpeas from one of my aunts, Loli. They are a real delicacy - so tender than you do not even need to soak them. But difficult to get chickpeas of this quality in the supermarket.
Put the olive oil in a pan, bring it to medium heat, add the onions, tomato and garlic, lower the heat, add the paprika and bay leaf and let it all fry for 10 minutes until it gets mellow. Then add the chickpeas, cover with cold water (there should be three centimetres of water over the chickpeas more or less) and let it all simmer for 1.30 to 1.40 hours.
Meanwhile boil the eggs. Take them off the shells and cut them in little bits (the easiest way to do this is with teh back of a fork).
Toast the almonds by putting them on a pan over medium heat for a minute or so.
Out the almonds, parsley and clove of garlic in a mortar and crush it all with the pestle (you can put a bit of salt so that it is easier to mash it all)
When the chickpeas are ready add the minced eggs and also the almond, parsley and garlic mixture to the chickpeas pan. Correct the salt if needed (chickpeas often require more salt than you think). Stir it all well, let it rest (off the fire) for five to ten minutes and serve.
INSPIRING GIRLS AND REDRAW THE BALANCE
I am rushing this week - plus ca change!- and will not have time to post any new recipes until the weekend, as usual. But wanted to show you today this great video that Mullenlowe has done with Inspiring Girls for International Women's Day as part of the RedrawtheBalance campaign. Animation is about the first TV that kids watch and it shapes their views. Time for animation companies to think a bit more carefully about redrawing the balance - and also to get more female animators there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAn84wNIqn0&feature=youtu.be
I also leave you some pictures of the launch of the Inspiring Girls in Brussels with a wonderful group of girls and volunteers, and also the President of the Parliament Antonio Tajani and the EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly, all hosted by MEP Beatriz Becerra, one of the most committed champions of Inspiring Girls. In addition to Inspiring Women in the UK run by the Education and Employers Task Force, Inspiring Girls is now in 3 more countries - and Italy coming next at the end of April!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAn84wNIqn0&feature=youtu.be
I also leave you some pictures of the launch of the Inspiring Girls in Brussels with a wonderful group of girls and volunteers, and also the President of the Parliament Antonio Tajani and the EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly, all hosted by MEP Beatriz Becerra, one of the most committed champions of Inspiring Girls. In addition to Inspiring Women in the UK run by the Education and Employers Task Force, Inspiring Girls is now in 3 more countries - and Italy coming next at the end of April!
SAN FRANCICO
This is cocktail that we sometimes drank in Spain before we were allowed to drink alcohol. It feels a bit vintage, but it is still very nice. My younger children and their friends love it because though it is just a mixture of juices it looks as party time to them. You need ( for two or three people):
- the juice of an orange
- the juice of half a lemon
- a glass of pineapple juice (if you are in Spain, France or Italy use half a glass of pineapple and half a glass of peach juice, but for some weird reason peach juice is sometimes difficult to find in the UK)
- a quarter of a glass of grenadine
- a teaspoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of sugar for decorating the glasses
- ice (optional)
- a slice of orange and a paper umbrella for decoration
Mix the decorating sugar with a couple of teaspoons of grenadine on a flat plate. Dip the rim of the glasses on it and rotate a little so that the rims get coated with the red sugar (you can replace the grenadine with any food colorant if you prefer other colours for the decoration)
Separately mix all the juices and the sugar. Pour the juice mixture on the glasses. Add the ice if using it. Then add the grenadine and mix a little but not thoroughly so that the colours do not mix completely and you get a bit of a 'degrade' effect. Decorate with the orange (just cut an indentation and put it on the side of the grass) and the umbrella.
-
- the juice of an orange
- the juice of half a lemon
- a glass of pineapple juice (if you are in Spain, France or Italy use half a glass of pineapple and half a glass of peach juice, but for some weird reason peach juice is sometimes difficult to find in the UK)
- a quarter of a glass of grenadine
- a teaspoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of sugar for decorating the glasses
- ice (optional)
- a slice of orange and a paper umbrella for decoration
Mix the decorating sugar with a couple of teaspoons of grenadine on a flat plate. Dip the rim of the glasses on it and rotate a little so that the rims get coated with the red sugar (you can replace the grenadine with any food colorant if you prefer other colours for the decoration)
Separately mix all the juices and the sugar. Pour the juice mixture on the glasses. Add the ice if using it. Then add the grenadine and mix a little but not thoroughly so that the colours do not mix completely and you get a bit of a 'degrade' effect. Decorate with the orange (just cut an indentation and put it on the side of the grass) and the umbrella.
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AGUA DE VALENCIA (VALENCIA'S WATER)
This is for you, not for your children. It is called Agua de Valencia and it is a very typical cocktail from the beautiful city of Valencia, made with the gorgeous oranges that they produce there ( if you have the chance try the oranges 'Lola' - outstanding!) and cava (i.e. a sort of champagne from Cataluna).
I was in Valencia a week ago to participate in an event to promote female conductors organised by Berkelee at the initiative of 'the one and only' Placido Domingo and the great British conductor Alice Farham. It was wonderful to see such an iconic man launching an initiative to promote and unlock female talent. In the middle of the current backlash on women rights, here is a source optimism: the amount of men who are now speaking up for women and girls. You can see pictures of the event at our instagram miriamgonzalezdurantez
Agua de Valencia is what you drink on a Saturday night when you go out in Valencia. You have to be pretty careful as it is an alcoholic bomb. Last time I drank this at a party, a foreign friend was flabbergasted that she felt drunk when, according to herself, all she had drunk was orange juice!
You need:
- one part of fresh orange juice ( you can do this with normal orange juice if it is for a big party of course)
- one part of cava
- a quarter of a part of vodka
- a quarter of a part of gin
- a spoonful of sugar per bottle of cava
Just stir it all, add a couple of ice cubes and serve.
I was in Valencia a week ago to participate in an event to promote female conductors organised by Berkelee at the initiative of 'the one and only' Placido Domingo and the great British conductor Alice Farham. It was wonderful to see such an iconic man launching an initiative to promote and unlock female talent. In the middle of the current backlash on women rights, here is a source optimism: the amount of men who are now speaking up for women and girls. You can see pictures of the event at our instagram miriamgonzalezdurantez
Agua de Valencia is what you drink on a Saturday night when you go out in Valencia. You have to be pretty careful as it is an alcoholic bomb. Last time I drank this at a party, a foreign friend was flabbergasted that she felt drunk when, according to herself, all she had drunk was orange juice!
You need:
- one part of fresh orange juice ( you can do this with normal orange juice if it is for a big party of course)
- one part of cava
- a quarter of a part of vodka
- a quarter of a part of gin
- a spoonful of sugar per bottle of cava
Just stir it all, add a couple of ice cubes and serve.
PARTRIDGES ESCABECHADAS
This is a really great way to cook partridges. I was recently served this at a dinner and decided to try gain this recipe with the help of my mother.
You need:
- 3 partridges
- 2 carrots - cut in big chunks
- 2 onions - cut in half moons
- 4 bay leaves
- 5 garlic cloves
- 80 ml olive oil
- 150 ml white wine
- 50 ml water
- 2 springs of thyme
- 10 black peppercorns
Put half of the olive oil in a frying pan. Salt the partridges and fry them in the olive oil for a few minutes on all sides (they should not get golden).
Take the partridges out. Add the rest of the oil and fry the onions for 5-6- minutes over medium heat until soft. Then add the garlic, carrot, thyme and peppercorns. Add the water and wine. Put back the partridges in the pan. Cover with a lid and let them bubble oven low heat for 35 minutes. Put the partridges, vegetables and sauce in a glass jar and let it rest for one or two days before eating them.
Before you serve the partridges just heat them a little (not too much) . In the summer you can also eat them cold with a salad.
You need:
- 3 partridges
- 2 carrots - cut in big chunks
- 2 onions - cut in half moons
- 4 bay leaves
- 5 garlic cloves
- 80 ml olive oil
- 150 ml white wine
- 50 ml water
- 2 springs of thyme
- 10 black peppercorns
Put half of the olive oil in a frying pan. Salt the partridges and fry them in the olive oil for a few minutes on all sides (they should not get golden).
Take the partridges out. Add the rest of the oil and fry the onions for 5-6- minutes over medium heat until soft. Then add the garlic, carrot, thyme and peppercorns. Add the water and wine. Put back the partridges in the pan. Cover with a lid and let them bubble oven low heat for 35 minutes. Put the partridges, vegetables and sauce in a glass jar and let it rest for one or two days before eating them.
Before you serve the partridges just heat them a little (not too much) . In the summer you can also eat them cold with a salad.
PHILO APPLE PIE
This is one of the easiest recipes of this blog and also one of the most delicious ones. All you need is:
- philo pastry: 10 sheets
- 6 apples (the trick of this pie is to use cooking apples, so that they become really soft and creamy and you end up with a kind of apple compote encased in crispy buttery philo)
- 125 gr butter
- 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.
Peel the apples and cut them into cubes. Heat 80g of butter in a pan, add the apples and the sugar and cook it all over medium heat for 8 minutes.
Melt the rest of the butter. Paint all the philo sheets with it and layer them over a round tin (the philo will be bigger than the tin which is fine, just keep overlapping the buttered philo sheets one over the other) Pour the apples over the philo. Cover the top of the apples with the excess philo tucking it all well so that you get a pie case. Paint it with some melted butter (see the picture) and just bake it for 20 minutes or until golden.
- philo pastry: 10 sheets
- 6 apples (the trick of this pie is to use cooking apples, so that they become really soft and creamy and you end up with a kind of apple compote encased in crispy buttery philo)
- 125 gr butter
- 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees.
Peel the apples and cut them into cubes. Heat 80g of butter in a pan, add the apples and the sugar and cook it all over medium heat for 8 minutes.
Melt the rest of the butter. Paint all the philo sheets with it and layer them over a round tin (the philo will be bigger than the tin which is fine, just keep overlapping the buttered philo sheets one over the other) Pour the apples over the philo. Cover the top of the apples with the excess philo tucking it all well so that you get a pie case. Paint it with some melted butter (see the picture) and just bake it for 20 minutes or until golden.
CHISTORRA
Chistorra is a great Spanish product. Similar to chorizo but thinner (because it was normally made with the tripes of lambs) It comes from the North of Spain and it is difficult to find it in the UK, but Brindisa is now selling it (as well as 'presa iberica' which is truly delicious iberico pork meat). All you need to do is to heat a pan (with no oil), cut the chistorra in 2 cms chuncks and fry it for 2-3 minutes until it is crispy on all sides. Just eat it with bread (crusty is best). Serve it as a snack or as an appetiser with drinks or on the side of fried eggs. It is always a success.
PATATAS BRAVAS
This is a very typical Spanish tapa. The name means 'brave potatoes' and it consists of fried potatoes with a hot sauce. Children normally like this because it is hot but not outrageously so. It is meant to be eaten at around 13.00 or so with a cold little beer ('un cortito' ) just to stretch yourself until lunch at around 14.00… or 14.30… or even 15.00… Crazy, I know: when Spanish people finish lunch some British people start their tea.
Whether you add tomato sauce or not to the 'bravas' is a matter for national debate in Spain - half Spain does and half does not. Just as half adds onion to the 'tortilla' and half does not; half prefer Cola-Cao and half Nesquik, half of us were brought up with Nocilla, and the other half with Tulicrem…people in a country disagreeing about trivial things is part of life - and it is also very healthy indeed!
You need:
- half a potato per person
- lots of olive oil
- salt
- an onion ( dice thinly)
- a teaspoon of sweet paprika
- a teaspoon of hot paprika
- 2 tablespoons of plain flour
- 500 ml of chicken, beef or vegetable stock
- I normally add 5 tablespoons of tomato sauce,just because in my view tomato sauce with any simple carbohydrate is one of the very best pleasures in life. But try the sauce with and without the tomato and make up your own mind…
Cut the potatoes in chunks. Put them on a dish in the microwave for 3 minutes. Then add a bit of salt.
Separately fry the onion over low heat on a couple to tablespoons of olive oil. Wait for 8 minutes until the onion is soft. Increase the heat, Add the paprika (both sweet and hot), then add the flour, stir well for a minute or so and add the stock. Let it all simmer for 8 to 10 minutes (over medium heat). Add the salt and the tomato sauce (if using it) and blend it all (with a hand blender is best)
Heat well a very generous amount of olive oil in a deep pan. Fry the microwaved potatoes for two to three minutes so that they get crispy. Pour over the sauce - or serve it separately as a dip. And enjoy.
TARTA DE SANTIAGO - SANTIAGOS' TART
This is one of the most popular tarts in Spain and it is decorated with the cross of the Order of Santiago. It comes from the spectacularly beautiful region of Galicia and it is a truly simple tart made with very few ingredients.
The tart takes its name from the patron of Galicia, the Apostle Santiago, who came to Spain from Jerusalem to spread the Gospel in the Iberian peninsula. The route that Santiago took is now the famous 'Camino de Santiago', a popular pilgrimage path that crosses the north of Spain from Roncesvalles, in the border with France, to Santiago de Compostela, around 35 Kms beside the Atlantic Ocean. The Camino is open to people of every age and physical condition - it is also open to those who are not catholic - and it is meant to be one of those occasions where you can 'find yourself'. If you are catholic it also has an added incentive as doing the Camino means that when you arrive at the stunning Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela all your sins - all!- will be forgiven. Doing the Camino is indeed one of the outstanding points of my personal 'to do' list before I die - though I will probably need more than one Camino to be forgiven for all the swearing I am doing lately when I see some Prime Ministers and Presidents on television!
You need:
- 250 gr sugar
- 250 gr ground almonds
- 5 eggs
- zest of half a lemon
- a (small) pinch of cinnamon
- icing sugar
- a greased and lined tart mold
Preheat the oven at 174 degrees. Put the ground almonds on a tray and let them roast for 5 to 10 minutes until they get a bit golden. Then separately mix the eggs and sugar (with a fork) add the almonds and then the zest and cinnamon. Put it all into the greased and lined mould and bake for 50 minutes (still at 175 degrees)
When you take it out of the oven let it cool down. Then put the shape of the Cross of Santiago on top of the cake (I have an old metal shape, but you can just draw it on paper or simply print it from the many pictures on the internet) and dust the tart very generously with icing sugar. I do not know anybody who does not like this.
The tart takes its name from the patron of Galicia, the Apostle Santiago, who came to Spain from Jerusalem to spread the Gospel in the Iberian peninsula. The route that Santiago took is now the famous 'Camino de Santiago', a popular pilgrimage path that crosses the north of Spain from Roncesvalles, in the border with France, to Santiago de Compostela, around 35 Kms beside the Atlantic Ocean. The Camino is open to people of every age and physical condition - it is also open to those who are not catholic - and it is meant to be one of those occasions where you can 'find yourself'. If you are catholic it also has an added incentive as doing the Camino means that when you arrive at the stunning Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela all your sins - all!- will be forgiven. Doing the Camino is indeed one of the outstanding points of my personal 'to do' list before I die - though I will probably need more than one Camino to be forgiven for all the swearing I am doing lately when I see some Prime Ministers and Presidents on television!
You need:
- 250 gr sugar
- 250 gr ground almonds
- 5 eggs
- zest of half a lemon
- a (small) pinch of cinnamon
- icing sugar
- a greased and lined tart mold
Preheat the oven at 174 degrees. Put the ground almonds on a tray and let them roast for 5 to 10 minutes until they get a bit golden. Then separately mix the eggs and sugar (with a fork) add the almonds and then the zest and cinnamon. Put it all into the greased and lined mould and bake for 50 minutes (still at 175 degrees)
When you take it out of the oven let it cool down. Then put the shape of the Cross of Santiago on top of the cake (I have an old metal shape, but you can just draw it on paper or simply print it from the many pictures on the internet) and dust the tart very generously with icing sugar. I do not know anybody who does not like this.
MALTESE OCTOPUS
This is a typical Maltese dish. I came to look into food from Malta after a prominent member of the UK Conservative party insulted the Maltese by saying that their Prime Minister 'should go back to his tiny little island'. How sad is it that members of the UK governing party now feel free to insult other Europeans gratuitously like this - and without the government offering any apologies for it?
On the positive side this has led to me talk to the children about Malta, its geographical position, history, size and culture. It has not been difficult because my bother was on holiday there a few months ago and he could not stop praising the island. We have looked into Maltese recipes, which are great. I have found many good blogs, including a superb one called www.amaltesemouthful.com. So utterly yummy. I tell you, the island may be small...but boy they know how to eat well!!
Best is obviously to follow the authentic recipe in any of the numerous blogs. The best we saw is here: http://www.amaltesemouthful.com/octopus-stew-stuffat-tal-qarnit/ But we made a few changes as we went along. You need:
- an octopus, cut into mouth-bite chunks. If the octopus is fresh you need to tenderise it by hitting it everywhere many times for 3-4 minutes. This is a bit off putting, because normally octopus are sold with their eyes on, so you risk looking like a sadistic person while the eyes of the octopus beg you to stop. The easier alternative is to freeze the octopus when you buy it (when it freezes the muscles contract and then let go, so it becomes tender and there is no need to torture the poor octopus anymore)
- 3 onions, chopped thinly
- 4 garlic cloves (grated)
- 1glass of tomato sauce (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/tomato-sauce.html- alternatively used a good passata, or 2 tins of chopped tomatoes )
- 2 handfuls of olives
- 2 teaspoons of small capers
- lemon zest and juice of a lemon
- a glass of white wine
- a tablespoon of parsley, a tablespoon of basil, and the leaves of three springs of thyme.
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt
- a glass of frozen peas.
- more parsley and basil to garnish
- a tin of chickpeas (drained)
Fry the onions in the olive oil under low heat until they are tender. Then add the garlic and after a minute or so the tomato sauce. Then add the octopus, increase the heat to medium and wait for 15 minutes and add the olives, capers, lemon zest, wine and lemon juice. Add the salt, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it summer for 40 minutes. Add the peas, let it cook for a further 10 minutes, and finally add the chickpeas, wait for a further 5 minutes, sprinkle the basil and parsley and serve.
On the positive side this has led to me talk to the children about Malta, its geographical position, history, size and culture. It has not been difficult because my bother was on holiday there a few months ago and he could not stop praising the island. We have looked into Maltese recipes, which are great. I have found many good blogs, including a superb one called www.amaltesemouthful.com. So utterly yummy. I tell you, the island may be small...but boy they know how to eat well!!
Best is obviously to follow the authentic recipe in any of the numerous blogs. The best we saw is here: http://www.amaltesemouthful.com/octopus-stew-stuffat-tal-qarnit/ But we made a few changes as we went along. You need:
- an octopus, cut into mouth-bite chunks. If the octopus is fresh you need to tenderise it by hitting it everywhere many times for 3-4 minutes. This is a bit off putting, because normally octopus are sold with their eyes on, so you risk looking like a sadistic person while the eyes of the octopus beg you to stop. The easier alternative is to freeze the octopus when you buy it (when it freezes the muscles contract and then let go, so it becomes tender and there is no need to torture the poor octopus anymore)
- 3 onions, chopped thinly
- 4 garlic cloves (grated)
- 1glass of tomato sauce (see our recipe http://www.mumandsons.com/2011/03/tomato-sauce.html- alternatively used a good passata, or 2 tins of chopped tomatoes )
- 2 handfuls of olives
- 2 teaspoons of small capers
- lemon zest and juice of a lemon
- a glass of white wine
- a tablespoon of parsley, a tablespoon of basil, and the leaves of three springs of thyme.
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt
- a glass of frozen peas.
- more parsley and basil to garnish
- a tin of chickpeas (drained)
Fry the onions in the olive oil under low heat until they are tender. Then add the garlic and after a minute or so the tomato sauce. Then add the octopus, increase the heat to medium and wait for 15 minutes and add the olives, capers, lemon zest, wine and lemon juice. Add the salt, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it summer for 40 minutes. Add the peas, let it cook for a further 10 minutes, and finally add the chickpeas, wait for a further 5 minutes, sprinkle the basil and parsley and serve.
COURGETTES WITH BASIL
This is a super-quick and really healthy lunch or starter for a dinner. I cook very often as it is a good way to make children eat courgettes. And the children like to help with the pestle and mortar.
You need:
- three courgettes and a spiralizer (or you can buy the courgettes already cut into 'spaghetti' in some supermarkets. I have seen them at Sainsbury's but sure others have them too)
- a handful of pine nuts
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- two handfuls of basil leaves
- a clove and a half of garlic (or more if you are into garlic and are not going out that night)
- parmesan cheese (as much or as little as you wish - my children like lots of it)
- salt
Take a shallow pan. Heat the oil. Add the courgettes and let them fry for 5-7 minutes depending on how 'al dente' you like them). Te key to this wish is not to add any salt to the courgettes at this stage as otherwise they will release water and get boiled. While the courgettes are cooking, crush the garlic and salt with a pestle and mortar. Then add the pine nuts to the garlic and leap crushing them. Finally add the basil leaves to the mortar and mash them with the garlic and pine nuts. Do not mind too much if some pieces are bigger than others - it actually adds texture to the dish, so it is a good thing. Add all this mixture to the courgettes (while you are still heating them). Mix well and add some grated parmesan cheese on top of it all (at this point you can also add some dried tomatoes, or bits of mozzarella or both) Wait for a minute while the parmesan mellows. Take it off the heat and serve it promptly.
If you do not have time you can replace the garlic, pine-nuts and basil with a jar of pesto. Still good, but not the same…
You need:
- three courgettes and a spiralizer (or you can buy the courgettes already cut into 'spaghetti' in some supermarkets. I have seen them at Sainsbury's but sure others have them too)
- a handful of pine nuts
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- two handfuls of basil leaves
- a clove and a half of garlic (or more if you are into garlic and are not going out that night)
- parmesan cheese (as much or as little as you wish - my children like lots of it)
- salt
Take a shallow pan. Heat the oil. Add the courgettes and let them fry for 5-7 minutes depending on how 'al dente' you like them). Te key to this wish is not to add any salt to the courgettes at this stage as otherwise they will release water and get boiled. While the courgettes are cooking, crush the garlic and salt with a pestle and mortar. Then add the pine nuts to the garlic and leap crushing them. Finally add the basil leaves to the mortar and mash them with the garlic and pine nuts. Do not mind too much if some pieces are bigger than others - it actually adds texture to the dish, so it is a good thing. Add all this mixture to the courgettes (while you are still heating them). Mix well and add some grated parmesan cheese on top of it all (at this point you can also add some dried tomatoes, or bits of mozzarella or both) Wait for a minute while the parmesan mellows. Take it off the heat and serve it promptly.
If you do not have time you can replace the garlic, pine-nuts and basil with a jar of pesto. Still good, but not the same…
ROSCON
This is a recipe for Roscon, which is a cake that we eat in Spain with hot (very thick) chocolate on the evening of 5 January. Year after year the whole country goes out to the streets to watch the Three Kings (Reyes) parading through each town and village. Then we get together with families and friends to eat the Roscon, which always comes with a 'surprise' (a bean or a coin) inside it. Whoever finds the surprise has to pay for the Roscon. Then before going to bed we leave our shoes by the window, together with some left-over Roscon for the Kings and a bucket of water for their camels. If you have behaved well you get presents in your shoes by the following morning. And if you have behaved badly you get only coal (the Three Kings are much stricter than Father Christmas!)
On Epiphany (Reyes day on 6 January) you are meant to make some wishes for the rest of the year. Mine is that we all (all reasonable people that means - of which there are many, millions of us...we are actually the majority of people, so sure you are one of them!) speak out way more. In my dream world we would all (and especially all young people) decide to be involved in politics in whatever shape or form. We would be actually proud of being citizens of the world. We would try to convince all boys and girls to treasure excellence, and to aspire to being not ordinary, but elite, in whatever they want to do. We would speak up so loudly that nobody would care about what the trolls and populists say because we would be answering back, with reasoned arguments, to them. And we would defend with passion and conviction the need for more, yes more, enlightenment, rationalism, multilateralism and international engagement... I promise I was really good last year, so hope that the Reyes bring me at least a little bit of all this!
This is what you need for the recipe of the Roscon (it feeds 15 with a cup of hot chocolate for each):
- 850 gr plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 500 ml milk
- pinch of salt
- 60 ml of orange blossom essence (yes, a whole bottle)
- 150 gr butter (room temperature)
- 150 gr sugar
- grated zest of a lemon
- grated zest of an orange
- 14 gr of dried yeast
For decoration (most of this is optional):
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- a handful of flaked almonds
- a handful of perled sugar (if you do not have this, then a handful and a half of normal sugar)
- candied peel
- candied cherries
Mix the yeast, two tablespoons of flour and 80 ml of milk. Let it rest for half an hour until it becomes foamy.Then mix the rest of the flour, salt, milk, orange blouson essence, butter and eggs and mix it all well. Add the yeasty mixture and mix it well, kneading it a bit until the mixture does not stick any longer (this may take you 10 minutes or so). Then put it all in a big bowl, cover with cling film and let it rest for 2.30-3.00 hours. It should double in size.
Shape the mixture as a ring (leave a big hole as it will close down as the mixture raises) and let it rest again for another 2.30-3 hours.
After that, paint the Roscon with the egg and milk. Decorate with the perled sugar (if you do not have perled sugar then mix the normal sugar with half a teaspoon of water and decorate the Roscon with it), candied peel and cherries. Preheat the oven at 175 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. Then paint some spots with a bit the egg mixture and add a few flaked almonds on it. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
This is best if it is a bit warm. But since the chocolate is hot it does not matter if you have prepared it some hours in advance (I always struggle for time, so I prepare it in the evening and let it rise overnight...and it is still good!) Just dunk the cake into the chocolate and enjoy.
On Epiphany (Reyes day on 6 January) you are meant to make some wishes for the rest of the year. Mine is that we all (all reasonable people that means - of which there are many, millions of us...we are actually the majority of people, so sure you are one of them!) speak out way more. In my dream world we would all (and especially all young people) decide to be involved in politics in whatever shape or form. We would be actually proud of being citizens of the world. We would try to convince all boys and girls to treasure excellence, and to aspire to being not ordinary, but elite, in whatever they want to do. We would speak up so loudly that nobody would care about what the trolls and populists say because we would be answering back, with reasoned arguments, to them. And we would defend with passion and conviction the need for more, yes more, enlightenment, rationalism, multilateralism and international engagement... I promise I was really good last year, so hope that the Reyes bring me at least a little bit of all this!
This is what you need for the recipe of the Roscon (it feeds 15 with a cup of hot chocolate for each):
- 850 gr plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 500 ml milk
- pinch of salt
- 60 ml of orange blossom essence (yes, a whole bottle)
- 150 gr butter (room temperature)
- 150 gr sugar
- grated zest of a lemon
- grated zest of an orange
- 14 gr of dried yeast
For decoration (most of this is optional):
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- a handful of flaked almonds
- a handful of perled sugar (if you do not have this, then a handful and a half of normal sugar)
- candied peel
- candied cherries
Mix the yeast, two tablespoons of flour and 80 ml of milk. Let it rest for half an hour until it becomes foamy.Then mix the rest of the flour, salt, milk, orange blouson essence, butter and eggs and mix it all well. Add the yeasty mixture and mix it well, kneading it a bit until the mixture does not stick any longer (this may take you 10 minutes or so). Then put it all in a big bowl, cover with cling film and let it rest for 2.30-3.00 hours. It should double in size.
Shape the mixture as a ring (leave a big hole as it will close down as the mixture raises) and let it rest again for another 2.30-3 hours.
After that, paint the Roscon with the egg and milk. Decorate with the perled sugar (if you do not have perled sugar then mix the normal sugar with half a teaspoon of water and decorate the Roscon with it), candied peel and cherries. Preheat the oven at 175 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes. Then paint some spots with a bit the egg mixture and add a few flaked almonds on it. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
This is best if it is a bit warm. But since the chocolate is hot it does not matter if you have prepared it some hours in advance (I always struggle for time, so I prepare it in the evening and let it rise overnight...and it is still good!) Just dunk the cake into the chocolate and enjoy.
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