Braised Liver in Asturian Cider

This braised liver recipe serves at least six people and is packed full of Spanish flavour. Cured pancetta is used to add that bacon flavour and when braised in Asturian cider and herbs produces a lovely rustic dish ready for any table.

You will need:

1kg Whole pigs liver

250g Cured Spanish pancetta, sliced 

6 Baby carrots

1 Onion

Bouquet garni

Salt

Cracked black pepper

50cl Asturian cider

Chicken stock

Method:

1.    Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2.    Clean the liver by removing the skin and inner tubes.

3.    Place half of the pancetta in the bottom of a cazuela or casserole.

4.    Slice the carrots and onion; add to the liver then place the tied herbs on top.

5.    Pour the cider over the liver then top up with chicken stock so the ingredients are just nearly covered.

6.    Place the remaining pancetta over the top of the liver and cook in the oven for 40 minutes until liver is cooked through.

7.    Remove from the oven and transfer the liver onto hot plate to keep warm (or place back in oven for 5 minutes.

8.    Strain the sauce into a pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce by half.

9.    Divide the liver into the required portions and pour over the sauce, serve piping hot with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Liver and Pancetta in Red Wine

Recipe for cured pancetta accompanied with lambs liver in red wine.

This popular Andalucian racione (large tapa) is served up hot in small portions in many of the local tapas bars and restaurants. The red wine (a cheap Rioja although any red wine will do) in this recipe adds depth with the added twist of sage and pepper.

Ingredients:

2 Lambs liver
250g Cured pancetta
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Onion, diced
4 Tomatoes, quartered
250mls Red wine
6 Leaves fresh sage, diced
Cracked black pepper
Salt
Olive oil

Method:

1. Slice each liver into two thin fillets, wash and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Slice 10 – 12 slivers from the cured pancetta.

3. Heat the olive oil in a cazuela/frying pan and fry the liver until well seared on both sides.

4. Remove the liver from the cazuela and add the pancetta, garlic, and onion. Fry until onion is soft.

5. Add the red wine, sage, pepper and bring to the boil before turning down the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add the tomatoes and place the liver on top, cook for a further 4 – 5 minutes.

7. Place liver on a bed of onion and pancetta, pour juices over the top and season well.

8. Serve with boiled potatoes or enjoy with fresh crusty bread.

More Tapas Recipes >>>


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Chicken Wrapped in Pancetta

This Spanish recipe for "Chicken and Pancetta" is very similar to that old favourite Chicken and Bacon. Two flavours that work very well side by side.

For this recipe we used boneless chicken legs, rolled up and then wrapped. This method allows you to stuff the chicken with a little diced serrano ham, garlic or herbs just to add a twist if your feeling adventurous!




Ingredients:

4 Whole chicken legs, de-boned
300g Cured pancetta
Olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Thyme

How to make:

1. Your cured pancetta will come as a whole piece. Using a sharp knife cut 8 thin strips from top to bottom, each strip should be around 12 inches long.

2. Roll up the chicken and wrap two strips of pancetta around each piece.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the pepper.

4. Sprinkle with a little fresh or dried thyme.

5. Cook in the oven at 180°C for 50 minutes.

More Spanish chicken recipes >>>

Spanish Halloween

Halloween in Spain is becoming more popular year by year, the UK and American influence has rubbed off and provides the opportunity for kids of all ages to enjoy Halloween and have a bit of fun on October 31st. After being outdoors trick or treating on a cold Andalucian night what better than some traditional Halloween pumpkin soup....Enjoy.

Ingredients: (Feeds the family!)

2 kilos Pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Onions, diced
4 Potatoes, cubed
1 ltr Chicken stock
500 mls Cream
400g Cured pancetta
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil



How to make:

In a soup pan (or Spanish “Olla”) cook the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, add stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the cured pancetta into strips and then dice, lightly fry in olive oil until crispy and golden brown.

Blend the soup in the pan using a hand blender.

Add the cream and cracked black peppercorns and mix well.

Serve up the soup and sprinkle very generously with the fried pancetta.

Enjoy with fresh crusty bread.

Happy Halloween!!!

Cooking with Kids

Cooking with the kids... The reason our 7 year old little boy likes to cook and get involved in the kitchen is probably because his parents are never out of there! Maybe a little passion for cooking and Spanish recipes has rubbed off.

OK, be prepared for a real gourmet experience! a treat to the senses!

"Andalucian scrambled eggs with melted butter and cracked black peppercorns served with pan fried crispy pancetta"

Ingredients:

6 eggs
250g Cured pancetta
Knob of butter
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil

Cooking:

1. Beat the eggs in a pan
2. Carefully cut thin strips of pancetta
3. Cook eggs over high heat, stirring, add butter
4. Fry pancetta in olive oil, 2 minutes each side
5. Serve scrambled egg with pancetta arranged around the outside
6. Sprinkle with black pepper


Tomato sauce is of course optional :)

Enjoy.

Homemade Pork Scratchings

Homemade pork scratchings, an easy to make delicious tapa. If you buy a sheet of fresh pancetta to be used in a recipe such as braised pancetta where you don't need the rind then keep it for pork scratchings.



Cut the rind away from the pancetta.

Smear with olive oil and season well with salt.

Place in a pre heated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and slice into inch wide strips around 2 inches long.

Drop into hot olive oil and deep fry until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with allioli (Spanish garlic mayonnaise)

Spanish Butchers

Buying from your local Spanish butcher can, at times be a bewildering experience. Choice cuts of lomo tenderloin, variations of offal, legs and paletillas of lamb, morcon, morcilla, brains (yes, brains) trotters and prime ham...



There is a big issue in the UK at the moment driven by all sorts of entities regarding where food originates from. Rightly so but what went wrong in the first place? Simple works, why complicate things! The UK produces some of the best meat available in the world as does Spain, France, Germany, Italy and thats just a handful from the EU.

Every country prides itself on its produce, one exceptional gourmet line from rural Andalucia is "Cordero Segureno"



To find out more about Andalucian meats from local rural butchers including what to ask for, recipe ideas, cuts of meat, offal and a whole lot more take a look at our latest article "Sausages to Sirloin"

Morcilla and Pancetta Roast

This Spanish recipe for belly pork and black pudding is very similar to our pork and black pudding roast. The main difference though is that this version can be served up as Spanish tapas or raciones.

Ingredients:

Pancetta (in a sheet, scored)
6 Morcilla sausages
1 Large onion
6 Bay leaves
Rosemary
Salt & Pepper



How to cook:

Cut the black pudding sausages in half lengthways and lay on a baking tray.

Finley cut the onion into rings and lay on top of the black pudding.

Lay the scored pancetta on top and smear with olive oil, season well with the salt, pepper and herbs then place the bay leaves on top before roasting for 1 1/2 hours.



Turn up the heat for the final 20 minutes to achieve good crackling

Serve the pork cut into thin strips, for tapas place one strip of pork and half a sausage onto a plate topped with onion.

Enjoy!

Spanish Pancetta Bocadillo

Spanish pancetta can be purchased from your Spanish butcher in two forms - cured and fresh. The fresh pancetta is cut to order very thinly and the mildly cured meat usually comes vacuum packed in pieces. When fried, cured pancetta is very similar to good old bacon although it is more salty. Here we have a simple recipe for a "pancetta and allioli bocadillo" or bacon sarnie with garlic mayonnaise! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

Quarter French stick of bread sliced open
150g Cured pancetta cut into thin slices
1 Vine tomato (sliced)
1 Baby lettuce
Allioli
Extra virgin olive oil



How to make:

Cut the bread into the desired size for the bocadillo.

In a frying pan, pour a little olive oil and heat gently before adding the pancetta strips.

Meanwhile arrange lettuce over the bread and add the tomatoes on top.

When the pancetta is fried and crispy place the strips on top of the tomatoes.

Add a generous spoonful of allioli and close the bocadillo.

Spanish Pancetta

Spanish pancetta is one of those cured meats that tends to get overlooked, the equivilent to belly pork pancetta is also quite often mildly cured in Spain. It can be used in soups and stews and indeed is a key ingredient in the famous Fabada Asturian recipe from the North of Spain.



Cured pancetta has a wonderful flavour and favourite way to cook it in Andalucia is to lightly fry it in olive oil, flavoursome tapas and a nice breakfast alternative.

Stuffed Pancetta Roast

Pancetta or "belly pork" is popular in Spanish cooking, there are two types of pancetta commonly available in Spain - fresh and lightly cured, for this very simple roast we are using a fresh pancetta.

Ingredients:

Pancetta (belly pork) piece around 8x12 inches square
2 Morcilla (black pudding) sausages
1 Apple chopped
Salt and Pepper



1. Place the morcilla sausages and chopped apple on top of the pancetta and roll up the pork so the sausages and apple are stuffed inside.

2. Tie the roll with string (around 4/5 times)

3. Score the pancetta and rub with salt, pepper and olive oil

4. Roast in the oven for around 2 1/2 hours

This version has apple chunks inside but you can also simply serve with a home made apple sauce. Goes great with roast potatoes, green beans etc and the cinnamon in the black pudding compliments the apple. A real winter warmer!