Salsas and Chutney

Spanish salsas and chutney - cupboard fillers for the winter and when you can make your own they taste even better. One of the main ingredients is of course the tomato, vine ripened if possibe but anything ripe and red will do - the ugly ones pack the most flavour!

If you are lucky enough to have a local Spanish greengrocer who grows his own or get given tomatoes by your Spanish neighbours then why not try making a chutney, just as easy as a Spanish salsa but with more clout after it has matured, brilliant with a wedge of Manchego or Manchego reserva and especially tasty for some reason in winter...

Recently we really got into Spanish style chutneys, there are so many great ingredients you can put into them including spices and if like us you like a bit of chilli to liven things up then some of the red stuff adds a great kick.

You can find our recipes for Spanish chutney, salsas, pate and dips on this page (we also love anchovies which make a regular appearance).

Enjoy!

Pork & Wild Mushrooms with Rice

This recipe for pork and mushrooms is the kind of dish you can find served up as hot Spanish tapas, a large casserole will generally be made then kept hot throughout the day and served as smaller portions with fresh crusty bread to mop up the white wine sauce. Note that for this recipe rice is optional.



Ingredients:

1kg Pork
400g Wild/mixed mushrooms
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
50cl White wine
Black pepper
Thyme

How to make:

1. Cut the pork into bite size chunks and brown off on the hob in your terracotta casserole.

2. Add the garlic and continue to brown for a further 3 - 4 minutes.

3. Add the white wine, season well with pepper and thyme and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms, mix well and let simmer for a further 25 minutes.

5. Serve on a bed of rice.

Buttered Cazuela Carrots

Adding a knob of butter to carrots really brings their flavour to life, carrots are one of those vegetables that are usually resigned to peeling and boiling which is a shame as with very little effort they are easier to manage, serve and taste great.

For this very simple way of cooking carrots we used a terracotta cazuela although a tagine will do the job even better if only a small amount of carrots are required. These carrots were cooked as part of a Christmas day lunch so we used one of our larger 28cm cazuela dishes.

Ingredients:

6 Carrots
75g (approx) butter

Equipment:

28cm Cazuela
Kitchen foil

How to Cook:

1. Take 6 large carrots, top and tail then cut into thirds.

2. Quarter each third into batons.

3. Place carrots into the cazuela and add butter.

4. Place kitchen over the cazuela and gently heat/steam for 20 minutes.

Simple dish, great flavour!

Spicy Mushroom Soup

Spicy mushroom soup is one of those winter warming recipes and something we make the day before we go to work, in a cold warehouse a hot bowl of soup with a peppery kick is a great warmer and gives you a boost.

For this recipe we have used button mushrooms but any variations will add flavour. Cracked black peppercorns give this hearty soup its kick and all you really need after that is some fresh crusty bread, cream is an option if you like it but we settled on some extra garlic to compliment the pepper and get the flavours bold.

Ingredients:
1 kilo button mushrooms, washed and trimmed but stalks left on
2 large white onions
125g white rice
3 cloves garlic
1 liter hot chicken or vegetable stock
good large pinch fresh cracked black peppercorns
salt
olive oil and butter

How to Make:
1.Peel, the onions and slice as finely as you can and place into a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter. with the heat on full, add the garlic, crushed but not peeled, the salt and pepper.

2.Stir all the ingredients together and then add the mushrooms and the rice, cook for a few minutes and you will see all the ingredients begin to colour nicely.

3. Add the hot stock to the pan, bring to the boil stirring and then put the lid on.  Lower the heat slightly and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.

4. After this time, remove from the heat and using a hand blender, gently blend until you get the consistency you want.  If it is too runny, leave to cook with the lid off for a few minutes.

5. Check your seasoning and serve!  A handful of chopped fresh parsley added at this point is really delicious.

Cooking Setas

Walk past any Spanish greengrocer and you will usually see a box or a crate full of 'setas' or wild mushrooms. Setas in Spain are cooked very simply and make delicious tapas.

There is (should you have the space) also a very simple way to grow them... All you need is some fresh hay which needs to be dampened down and compressed then stuffed into black plastic (bin liners do the job), make a few holes in the top of the black plastic and watch em grow! Any existing spores will result in trees of mushrooms and it has to be said that compared to what you can buy in the supermarket, cut from from a home grown batch these setas are simply divine when it comes to flavour.

Cooking 'Setas' Simply:

1. Heat a good extra virgin olive oil in a terracotta cazuela or frying pan.
2. Separate the mushrooms and throw into the cazuela.
3. Season with cracked black pepper.
4. Fry for 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Serve on toast or with fresh crusty bread.

Easy tapas...

Catalan Sausage Casserole

Sausage casserole is one of those real winter warmers, when you need something that warms you up and is rustic and filling then this casserole will do the job! Fresh Catalan sausage is something that can be purchased on most Spanish butchers but for this recipe anything similar will do as long as its a pork sausage such (ie: Cumberland, Lincolnshire etc)

This particular dish was cooked in a clay/terracotta baking tray or 'bandeja', with plenty of depth it allowed for a generous splash of wine as well as vegetables and chickpeas making this meal as about as hearty as it gets. Piping hot from the oven and this casserole is packed full of flavour.

Ingredients:

8 - 10 Sausages
2 Onions, chopped
1 Red bell pepper, sliced
1 Green pepper, sliced
200g chickpeas, soaked
2 Fresh sprigs rosemary
2 Fresh sprigs thyme
2 Glasses white wine
2 Bay leaves
Ground black pepper & salt to season
Olive oil

How to make:

1. Lightly brown the sausages in a frying pan or cazuela.

2. Place the sausages and and all the ingredients into a terracotta baking tray.

3. Season and place the fresh herbs over the top.

4. Cover with kitchen foil and cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and cook for another 40 minutes adding more wine if required.

6. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Terracotta Cookware Instructions

Roasted Tomato Soup with Paprika

Tomato soup is a firm winter favourite for lunch or as a starter (or take it to work like we do). The key to flavour is roasting the tomatoes and red bell peppers which really does make all the difference, the roasting can be done in the oven or even better on the outdoor barbeque for that smokey influence.

Sticking with a red theme this rustic soup was served in hand painted ceramic bowls from the 'Bailen' range offering up a real Spanish experience, something plain white or standard just wouldn't be right!

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 large vine tomatoes, roasted
2 large red peppers, roasted
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
1 pint chicken stock

How to make:

1. Roast the tomatoes and peppers until soft and blackened, remove from the heat and wrap in newspaper for 30 minutes then peel and chop.

2. Heat a splash of olive oil in a terracotta casserole and gently fry the garlic, add the tomatoes, peppers and smoked paprika and cook for 15 minutes over a low heat.

3. Add chicken stock, season with salt and pepper to taste then bring to the boil before turning down immediately and leaving to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. The may be strained at this point but for the rustic version use a hand blender to puree any larger pieces of tomato and pepper then serve with fresh crusty bread and a swirl of cream....

Pickled Cucumber Tapas

Walk into any Spanish grocery store or indeed supermarket and you will find a whole range of pickled vegetables. Although you can buy a full jar of pickled onions on their own or gherkins the Spanish love to add colour and flavour through a 'banderilla' which basically involves both of the former vegetables accompanied by a fiery hit of green chili or 'guindilla', pequillo pepper, carrot or even a cube or two of Manchego cheese when preserved in olive oil.

The whole idea is to add another angle on the tapas experience which it certainly does but not every pickle needs to come in a jar from the supermarket, it can also come from the garden... For something home made and dare we say with a lot more character why not try your own pickled cucumber - quick, easy and a great addition to a cold beef sandwich or homemade burgers.

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber
60ml/2 fl.oz white wine vinegar
50g/2oz sugar
1tsp salt

Method:

1. Peel the cucumber by holding upright and with your peeler go down the full length of the cucumber, then miss about 1cm and repeat so you end up with a stripy effect.
2. Top and tail and then slice the peeled cucumber as thinly as you can.
3. Place into a bowl then add the salt, leave for a few minutes then add the sugar and vinegar.
4. Mix well and then transfer to a glass or plastic container with a lid. Place in the fridge over night or for a few hours before serving.

Cuttlefish and Cherry Tomato Salad

This Mediterranean cuttlefish salad with cherry tomatoes really does remind you of the summer, sitting in tapas bar, taverna or by the pool a light seafood salad makes a great lunch. This recipe can also be done using squid although cuttlefish is just that bit meatier, a somewhat underrated delicacy from the sea which tastes great and adds a flavour of summer.

You will need: (Serves 3)

2 Whole cuttlefish

2 Garlic cloves, chopped

12 Cherry tomatoes

Mixed salad leaves

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Method:

1. Arrange the mixed salad onto tapas platters or small plates, chop the cherry tomatoes in half and lay on top.

2. Clean the cuttlefish removing the beak if necessary then chop into inch square pieces.

3. Score each piece on one side in a criss cross pattern.

4. In a bowl, mix a good splash of olive oil with the garlic, salt and pepper.

5. Add the cuttlefish and make sure all the meat is covered in the mixture.

6. If frying, heat some olive oil in the pan until it begins to smoke then add the cuttlefish. Fry turning continuously for 2 minutes or until the edges of the cuttlefish begin to turn brown.

7. Arrange the cuttlefish over the top of each salad, season with salt and serve hot.

Cazuela Mushrooms

Earlier in the year we set about the project of building a clay oven on the patio, not an easy job using Spanish materials (traditional curved oven slabs) but in the name of keeping everything traditionally 'Andaluz' the oven was eventually finished and works great for cooking the usual suspects like pizza and bread (garlic and rosemary bread being a firm favourite).

Now the Spanish summer is in full swing we tend to use the oven for cooking hot tapas or a midday light lunch and this is where the terracotta cazuela performs really well. As as cooking vessel designed to cope with and retain the heat the 'cazuela' is suited a multitude of  tasks, one of which is cooking food in olive oil.
The famous 'gambas al pil pil' (chili garlic prawns) may spring to mind but for this very simple tapas recipe we are using fresh mushrooms bought from our Spanish greengrocer.

Ingredients:

12 large Mushrooms (whole)
6 Garlic cloves (crushed)
200ml Olive oil

Cooking:

Leave the mushrooms whole, place in a 23cm terracotta cazuela.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Add the crushed garlic and mix well.
Place in oven and cook on 220 degrees for 20 minutes.

Our clay oven was approximately 250 degrees with the fire going inside so the mushrooms took slightly less time, you also get that lovely smokey flavour with clay oven cooking. As a tapa these mushrooms are great, just make sure to have some fresh crusty bread to hand to mop up that delicious olive oil infusion afterwards.

Tagine Octopus wth Courgette

Spanish seafood tapas are extremely popular in the summer months and with octopus being fairly cheap it is a firm and delicious favourite which is easily cooked. A whole octopus may seem like a challenge but usually the octopus or ‘pulpo’ is ready cooked making it very easy to work with. For this simple tapas recipe you will need half a medium octopus and a tagine  - the magic cooking pot which retains flavours and is suitable for a multitude of cooking tasks. Terracotta tagines are also suitable for the barbeque or grill which is how this recipe has been cooked. Great flavours, easy cooking!

You will need: (5 – 6 tapas servings)

Half a cooked octopus

1 Courgette

10 Garlic cloves

500ml Olive oil

Equipment: 24cm Tagine

Method:

1.    Prepare the octopus by removing the beak and chopping into bite sized pieces (leave the thin ends of the tentacles quite long for presentation. You can also simmer the octopus for 30 minutes to make it more tender even of pre cooked.

2.    Peel and dice the garlic cloves.

3.    Add a splash of olive oil to the tagine and fry off the garlic before adding the rest of the olive oil

4.    Slice the courgette and add to the oil with the octopus.

5.    Cook over the grill for 10 – 12 minutes giving a quick stir half way through.

6.    Serve in tapas bowls or cazuelas with cocktail sticks for perfect seafood tapas.

Courgette with Mushrooms and Sweet Chili

Spanish vegetarian tapas may be less popular than meat based tapas dishes but there are an extensive variety of vegetarian tapas to experiment with. This vegetarian dish is one such recipe which worked very well and uses simple flavours through healthy ingredients and good extra virgin olive oil. 

This recipe can also be made with green beans, or with the addition of lentils or chickpeas. A tapas recipe that can be served on toast, with bread or simply on its own in tapas bowls or as a side dish.

Cooking time: 10 minutes

You will need: (4 tapas)

1 Medium courgette, sliced

300g Mixed mushroom, sliced

2 Small sweet chili’s, chopped

1 Clove garlic, chopped

Olive oil

Method:

1.    Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan or terracotta cazuela and fry the chopped garlic and courgette.

2.    Add the mushrooms and sweet chili to the pan and fry for a further 3 – 4 minutes until the ingredients begin to brown.

3.    Serve in tapas bowls, on toasts or bread and drizzle with olive oil.

Catalan Spinach

This is a traditional Catalan way to serve spinach which we tried with our visiting neighbours from Barcelona - they seem to put pine nuts in everything!  It a lovely side dish which can also be served on toast as a tapa.

Ingredients:

1 kilo (2.2lbs) fresh spinach

70g (2.5 oz) raisins

4 tablespoons pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

150ml (5 fl.oz) olive oil

Salt

Method:

1.    Put the raisins to soak in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.

2.    Meanwhile, lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and set aside.

3.    Thoroughly wash the spinach, drain, remove the stems and tear up roughly

4.    Peel the onion and chop finely, peel and crush the garlic.

5.    Heat the oil in a large frying pan or terracotta cazuela and slowly cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

6.    Remove the raisins from the water and drain.

7.    Add the spinach and mix well with the oil so it gets a good coating.

8.    Add the pine nuts and the raisins to the pan, mix well and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until the spinach has wilted and turns dark green

9.    Season with salt and serve

You can also add 150g(5.25 oz) chickpeas to the pan when you add the spinach or top the whole dish with a few green olives cut into quarters

Serves 4-6

Slow Cooked Leeks (Puerros cocidos)

This recipe for slow cooked baby leeks or 'puerros cocidos'  is all about the sweet, soft, melt in the mouth leeks that make perfect hot Spanish tapas.

We first had a version of this in our local village bar a couple of years ago as a tapa where we were served small rounds of super soft leek that almost disappeared on your tongue.  They are even more delicious served whole as a side dish or starter. A warming tapa is always welcomed on those colder day and with leeks being cheap and easy to buy and packed with flavour they make a great alternative tapa also suitable for vegetarians. Enjoy!

~ 10 minutes preparation ~ 1 ½ hours cooking ~

Ingredients:

8 small leeks (the smaller the better)

6 cloves garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

150ml extra virgin olive oil

150g unsalted butter

250ml white Rioja

Hot water

Sea salt

Freshly ground black peppercorns

Method: (serves 4-6)

1.    Chop off the green tops of the leeks, then remove as much of the outer layers as necessary so you are left with the neat white inner leeks. Wash and pat dry.

2.    Peel the garlic and slice.  Heat the olive oil in a large earthenware cazuela or oven proof dish and gently fry the garlic for 3-4 minutes until golden.

3.    Add the leeks to the cazuela in one layer and add the bayleaf.

4.    Add the butter, wine, a pinch of salt and enough hot water to just cover the leeks.

5.    Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and cook gently for 50-60 minutes until the leeks are very soft, all the way to the centre.

6.    Remove the leeks set aside and keep warm.

7.    Turn up the heat under the cazuela and cook the liquid for 15 minutes.

8.    Transfer the leeks to a deep serving plate, pour over the reduced sauce and season again with salt and pepper.