Butterflied Gilthead Bream

Barbequed gilthead bream is a very simple Spanish recipe and delicious during the summer months as a light lunch served with bread, olive oil and salad. This recipe can also be adapted to cooking the fish under the grill or on an “asadora” (grilling plate) over the hob or open fire. Gilthead is quite a meaty fish with large bones so ideal for grilling in this way. Easy and quick to cook the fish is firstly butterflied to reduce cooking time and enhance the smokey barbeque flavour.

You will need: (Serves 4)

4 Gilthead Bream

Olive oil

Method:

1.    To prepare the bream firstly cut off all the fins except the tail. Gut the fish then with a sharp filleting knife carefully run the tip of the blade along the spine of the fish taking care not to go through the topside of the fish. Once the main body of the fish is opened cut directly through head, gilthead bream is a robust fish you you may wish to use a heavier kitchen knife for this.

2.    Place the butterflied bream skin down on a hinged barbeque grill – make sure the grill is covered thoroughly in olive to prevent the fish sticking.

3.    Cook the bream over the hot coals for 5 minutes each side turning regularly.

4.    Serve with boiled potatoes, allioli and fresh salad.

Barbeque Mustard Chicken

This simple recipe for barbequed mustard chicken is quick and easy to make and works perfectly on the barbeque. We cooked this recipe after being given a rather large jar of hot Dijon mustard from a French neighbour in Orce village. The chicken pieces are marinated in the mustard for a few hours before being thrown straight onto the grill, the end result is an almost nutty flavour from the mustard together with the smoky flavours of barbequed chicken pieces.

Preparation time: 3 hours.  Cooking time: 20 minutes.

You will need: (serves 4 - 5)

1 Full chicken, parted

5 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

Method:

1.    Place the chicken pieces into a terracotta cazuela, cut the breasts in half if they are large. Skin can be left on.

2.    Spoon over the mustard then mix well ensuring all the chicken is covered.

3.    Cover and marinade in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

4.    Grill the chicken over the barbeque for 10 minutes each side or until cooked.

5.    Serve with mixed salad or boiled potatoes.

Pan Fried Lamb Steaks with Rosemary

Very quick and easy recipe for lamb steaks with rosemary. Have your butcher cut a rear leg of lamb into inch thick steaks, the meat can then be marinated, pan fried or barbequed. This recipe is for a quick lamb lunch and only takes a few minutes once the marinade has worked its flavours into the steaks.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 Thick lamb steaks

2 Sprigs fresh rosemary

2 Garlic cloves

Sea salt

Cracked black pepper

Olive oil

How to cook:

1. Crush the garlic cloves and remove the leaves from the rosemary, add to a pestle with the salt, pepper and a good slug of olive oil. Bash and mix well.

2. Place the lamb steaks into a cazuela and pour over the marinade making sure the lamb is covered on both sides. Marinade for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours)

3. Place the lamb steaks into a hot frying pan and fry for 6 minutes each side or until lamb is cooked to your preference.

4. Serve with fresh salad and boiled potatoes.

Cuttlefish and Red Pepper Pinchos

Barbequed Cuttlefish Tapas

Cuttlefish or 'sepia' as its known in Spain is available from our local fishmonger every Tuesday and Friday, you buy the rings but we think the full cuttlefish is far better as you get the whole head - tentacles the lot which, when cooked look great in any dish.

Last weekend saw us come home with four big cuttlefish so it was time to light the barbeque and get cooking some tapas. The big late lunch was a Fideua, a paella with pasta instead of rice of which cuttlefish was going to be an ingredient but given the size of the monsters we had bought there was quite a bit left over so out came the kebab skewers and a red pepper.

Cuttlefish doesn't take very long to cook, perhaps a little more than squid but over hot brasa it takes no time at all, keeping things simple the cuttlefish was paired with red pepper and was seasoned before getting a grilling. The whole process from prep to plate - less than 10 minutes.

To add additional flavour to the kebabs a few splashes of 50 year old sherry vinegar were added and we have to say it did work very well indeed and an easy way to create some typically Spanish tapas before a main meal. a sherry vinegar balsamic glaze was also used to perk up the squid, both add a pleasant sharpness and compliment the good old molluscs very well indeed.

Spiced Spanish Mackerel

This recipe for mackerel uses Spanish canary island sauce, there are two types of “mojo” sauce, one for meat and one for fish. The mackerel is cut on both sides before the mixture being rubbed in and the fish left to marinate for an hour. The addition of chili and lemon juice adds a great summer flavour to fish which can be oven roasted or cooked on the barbeque.

You will need: (serves 4)

4 Large whole mackerel, cleaned
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons Mojo Canario 
1 Teaspoon chili powder
Olive oil
Lemon wedges
Parsley

Method:

1.    Make four diagonal cuts into each side of the mackerel.

2.    Mix together the mojo sauce with the lemon juice and chili powder adding a splash of olive oil.

3.    Rub the mixture over the fish making sure plenty goes into the cuts on the fish.

4.    Cover the fish with kitchen foil and leave to marinade for 1 hour.

5.    Bake in the oven for 20 minutes on 180 degrees. If barbequing place the fish onto a griddle or double hinged grill and cook for 6 – 8 minutes each side.

6.    Serve with salad and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

Barbeque Buttered Mushrooms

BBQ Mushrooms

This recipe for barbequed mushrooms was actually a complete experiment one afternoon when we decided to barbeque. Some Spanish neighbours turned up out of the blue so we decided to create some quick and easy starters and side dishes to accompany escalivada and stuffed peppers.

You will need: (4 Tapas)

500g White mushrooms, quartered (mixed mushrooms also work)

75g Butter

Cracked black peppercorns

Salt

Method:

1. Clean the mushrooms under the tap and cut the base from the stalk, you don’t need to remove the stalk completely. Cut the mushrooms into quarters.

2. Tear off a sheet of kitchen foil about eighteen inches in length.

3. Pile the mushrooms in a line the length of the foil leaving a few inched spare at each end so the foil can be folded.

4. Place a small knob of butter every few inches on top of the mushrooms.

5. Fold the ends of the foil and wrap the mushrooms into a parcel making sure there no gaps in the foil.

6. Barbeque for 5 minutes, turn and barbeque for a further 5 minutes.

7. Remove from the grill and carefully remove the foil parcel. Serve mushrooms as a side dish or tapas drizzling over the remaining melted butter.

Tip: Can also be cooked with finely chopped garlic cloves for barbeque garlic mushrooms.

Rosemary Stick Kebabs

Rosemary is one of those herbs that adds a unique flavour to many dishes, strong on flavour and influence it is not uncommon to find rosemary being bashed around with the pestle and mortar to help kick start marinades, or dress the odd Spanish pork chop or two.

Rosemary does however lend itself well to the humble kebab, not in the way you might expect either as for this recipe we are using just the sticks.... If you have a big rosemary bush somewhere in your garden and would like to knock up some unusual kebabs then these easy tapas may well impress the guests...

Rosemary kebabs - Delicious!

get the clippers to that rosemary plant and what you will need is the older stems but not too thick, for this kebab recipe a thin stalk is required but a mature one - think bamboo kebab skewers. Once you have your rosemary 'sticks' remove most of the leaves but leave the ends on as per photo above.

Next thread over your vegetables and meat - small pieces, remember these are tapas! then throw on the BBQ, the kebabs should be ready in under 5 minutes and the rosemary will have infused some real flavour into the meat. The sticks will not burn as they are full of moisture, acting as kebab skewers with a herby flavour hit.

Ingredients for these kebabs were chicken, serrano ham and red pepper.

Enjoy.


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Spanish Paella & Outdoor Spanish Cooking

Why Orce Serrano Hams is going rustic and taking inside, outside... Spain has over 300 days of sunshine annualy and good weather is the cooks best friend when cooking outdoors whether it be the traditional barbeque, the paella or a simply a table spread of tasty Spanish tapas.

Now we understand that our customers in the UK don't get as much sunshine as Spain, however when the sun does decide to get his hat on and the Spanish food enthusiasts among you decide to cook outdoors then thats when some rustic cooking comes in... The good old paella was traditionaly cooked over an open fire and still can be, forget that bag of charcoal from the supermarket, DIY store or local garage and go find yourself a few kindling sticks...

Cooking over a naked flame is how its done in rural Andalucia, the smoke adds a real rustic "campo" flavour as well as a fire being a focal point for outdoor eating. Gas burners are good, metal tripods do the job but the problem is its all a bit too modern. For a real paella it needs to be cooked over a fire. We are not talking about November the 5th here either, that tin barbeque sitting in the back of the garage or at the end of the garden will do quite nicely, a metal tripod that sits over the flame actually "in" the fire will support your paella pan leaving you to simply add a few kindling sticks to generate some heat when required.

There is no need for a layer of hot coals, using kindling sticks is actually a very good way of regulating the heat, add more or take them away, what the paella needs is flame under the pan, hot coals are simply too hot. Other dishes that can be cooked in the same way are Spanish "migas" and also anything that can be cooked in a terracotta cazuela - the versitile clay dish that is perfectly at home over a fire (gambas al pil pil is delicious over flame)

Our aim here is to get back to good old fashioned rustic Spanish cooking and as such we have created a very different paella and bbq page on the online deli. Catering for the adventurous cook you can now discover a range of outdoor cooking utensils including paella pans, tripods, terracotta cookware, migas pans and few other, typically Spanish table top accessories designed to complete your outdoor summer dining experience in real Spanish style. Designed for paella lovers and barbeque enthusiasts everywhere we hope that the new and ever growing "rustic range" may tempt the authentic Spanish cook among you. Afterall, when its outdoor eating weather why not do it the Andalucian way?

Visit the new page

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Paella Party

Cooking a Spanish paella outdoors in February may seem like an odd thing to do but in the "Altiplano" February usually sees some pleasantly warm days. It is always frosty in the mornings high up in the mountains but when the sun retires the temperature drops quite dramatically! There is however a good four hour window in which you can cook and enjoy what could be a summers day - any excuse for a fiesta!

Pablo is a neighbour of ours who has a cave house just a few hundred yards away, he is also a chef by trade and has an uncanny enthusiasm for Spanish food. Originaly from Asturias there is a degree of French and Catalan influence in his dishes however when it comes to paella the flavour is always spot on.

The party started early Saturday afternoon with the usual pre paella tapas, this time it was crab and a delicious sobrasada both served on biscuits. The barbeque was lit using sticks from the nearby wood and we had brought some fresh stock having had a chicken the evening before (good stock is the foundation of any good paella). The choice was mixed meat, a selection of chicken pieces, rabbit and pork. In true style most of the meat was still on the bone, all of which adds to flavour of the paella.

An hour later the paella was ready and placed center of the table to rest for a few minutes. The verdict..? Delicious!

Recipe below:

Ingredients: (Mixed meat paella to serve 8)

1 small chicken, chopped into small pieces
1 rabbit chopped into small pieces
450g pork ribs, cut into small pieces
5 ripe tomates
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 kilo bomba rice
2 litres chicken stock
pinch saffron
salt and pepper
olive oil
lemon wedges to serve

How to Cook:

1. Prepare the vegetables and chop into small pieces, crush the garlic

2. Heat the olive oil in the paella pan and add the meat, cook over a gentle flame to brown all over about 25 minutes

3. Meanwhile sautee the vegetables in a seerate pan and then cook on a low heat to soften and reduce, about 20 minutes

4. Add the softened vegetables to the meat and cook for about 5 minutes.

5. Pour the stock in a pan over a high heat to warm up.

6. Add the rice one cupfull at atime, for bobma rice you need 2.5 times the stock as the rice.

7. Add the saffron (crushed and blended with a little stock first)

8. Slowly add the stock and then season (rice needs quite a bit of salt)

9. Stir once and then increase the heat for a few minutes until the stock bubbles, leave to cook over a low flame for around 20 minutes - This paella was cooked outdoors using wood as fuel and Pablo did a great job regulating the heat, adding small sticks to increase the heat when necessary.

10. When the rice is cooked add the lemon wedges and then remove the paella from the heat, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so to allow the rice to absorb the rest of the stock.

11. Serve and enjoy - as we did!

¡Buen provecho!


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Spanish Rosemary Barbeque

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

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

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

Easy Andalucian Kebabs:

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

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

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

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

5. Barbeque and enjoy.


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Simply Sardines

Sardines are one of those oily fish that are tremendously healthy, all that Omega 3, good for your heart etc etc so why do we not eat more of them? Fresh sardines taste great, in Spain they are usually baked, barbequed or cooked whole but there are other ways to enjoy these fabulous little fish:

Get your fish monger to clean and butterfly the sardines.

Fold them over and slide a slice of lemon in between the fillets.

Place on top of kitchen foil on a hinged barbeque grill, season and add a few sprigs of thyme, cover with another sheet of kitchen foil.

Close the grill and barbeque for 5 minutes each side. Great with salad and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

More seafood recipes


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Traditional Spanish Cooking

Traditional Spanish paella, there is nothing quite like watching the experts at work making a paella over the outdoor barbeque. The flavours of a paella over hot smokey coals cannot be compared to those cooked indoors, both are good but the outdoor version always has the edge - a rustic flavour...



We are fortunate enough to be invited to a fiesta or two every August where a big paella pan always has something interesting bubbling within. This time the recipe was simply "Conejo y arroz" (Rabbit & Rice) not strictly a paella but very similar, in fact you could find liver and inch long pieces of pork rib among the bomba rice - cooked to perfection. Apparently it was a "receta de me Madre" a recipe that had been in the family for a couple of generations and obviously still enjoyed to this day.



Interestingly the cocinera (chef) had an unusual way of cooking this rather larger dish. Normally to cook anything on a barbeque you need "brasa" (hot bed of coals) for this recipe though the heat was distributed evenly under the 42cm paella pan using nothing but small sticks and pine cones. Careful attention was paid to the fire just as much as the dish and the flames were tended to frequently, lots of fire but never too hot - a secret of cooking Spanish paella outdoors.



When the dish was ready it was quickly removed and covered with newspaper to rest for a few minutes then with a table set for 12 it was time dig in!

Spanish Chili Tapas

Spanish chili tapas... Spanish "Guindillas" make hot tapas, if you like a lot of bite with your food then these tapas will fit the bill!



Ingredients: (serves 4 brave people)

6 Chili peppers
Olive oil
Sea salt



1. Barbeque the peppers until the skin begins to turn brown.

2. Cut off the head of the pepper then slice all the way down the length and open to expose the seeds.

3. Using a paring knife carefully remove the skin of the chili.

4. Remove most of the seeds then cut the pepper into small pieces.

5. Place the chili segements onto a shallow plate or small cazuela and drizzle generously with a good extra virgin olive oil - a heavy oil is good for flavour.

6. Season with sea salt and serve.




Hot stuff and not for the faint hearted! Dive in with fresh crusty bread as the olive oil infuses with the chili pepper. Tapas little and often...

Like your tapas hot? Why not try the Orce "Fire" Chorizo?

Spanish Beef Recipes (Spicy beef kebabs)

Spanish beef kebabs are one of only a few Spanish beef or "tenera" recipes as certainly in Andalucia the more popular meats are lamb and pork. In Granada the production of beef is minimal however if you look hard enough you will discover a family run butcher in a small market or down a side street that does sell good cuts of beef.

Ingredients: (makes 6 large kebabs)

1kg beef (cubed)
4 Garlic cloves
2 Teaspoons hot smoked paprika
250ml Olive Oil
250ml Wine vinegar
1 Onion, chopped
1 Red pepper, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Thyme/mixed herbs



1. Place your beef cubes in a large cazuela and leave aside.

2. Roughly chop the garlic and place in a food processor, add the rest of the ingredients (except onion & red pepper) and blend into a paste - add more olive oil if required.

3. Pour the marinade over the beef, mix well and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

4. On kebab sticks thread over the beef and alternate with the onion and pepper.

5. Cook on a hot BBQ for 10 - 12 minutes turning frequently.

6. Serve with salad and boiled potatoes.

For more Spanish beef recipes visit the Orce Serrano Hams "Meat Recipes" page.

Spanish Lamb Recipe

Barbequed lamb is a real treat and can be marinaded in many ways, this particular marinade is best left for at least three hours to infuse all those flavours. For this recipe we have a leg of lamb cut into steaks with the bone remaining in the centre. Great flavour and an easy summer barbeque recipe.



Ingredients:

1 Leg of Lamb (cut into steaks)
Fresh Mint (roughly chopped)
1 Onion (grated)
1 Garlic clove (crushed)
100g Butter
Dry mustard
Ground black pepper

Cooking:

Prepare the barbeque and get a nice "brasa"

Prepare by rubbing the meat with the dry mustard, grated onion and garlic.

Mix your butter with a little onion and garlic, add pepper and gently heat into a sauce then add the mint leaves and simmer for 2 minutes.

Place the lamb on the barbeque and baste with the sauce while cooking.

The key to the cooking is that the barbeque coals are just right, not too hot and with cooking time only around 10 minutes the basting of the meat can be generous. For more traditional Spanish barbeque ideas visit the Orce Serrano Hams recipe pages.

Happy Barbequeing!

Cooking Chorizos

"Cooking" chorizos are fantastic for the barbeque, especially the mini versions which can be cooked by the string, separated and served either hot or cold on cocktail sticks. Bite-sized sausages and perfect tapas.

Over a hot BBQ these mini chorizos don't take long either so throw them on first as an appetizer and enjoy while the chef deals with the marinaded chicken and pork! Mini chorizos are available in both hot and sweet varieties.



Well it is nearly summer....Enjoy with an ice cold Spanish beer



Summer BBQ recipes up and coming.

Chicken & Morcon Kebabs

When it rains in Andalucia it really rains, rarely do you get a persistent shower just a 15 minute downpour. Great for the campo and the garden, not so great for a barbeque...



Eventually the rain subsided and the barbeque was back on, nice and fresh outdoors so why not..!



Ingredients:

2 boneless/skinned chicken breasts
2 slices of Morcon (half inch thick)
1 large red pepper
1 large green pepper
2 bulbs of garlic



Chicken and Morcon kebabs are similar to chicken and Spanish Chorizo kebabs but less spicy, simply prep the veg and cut into inch sized squares. Cube the chicken breast and morcon and alternate on the kebab scewer leaving your garlic cloves for the ends of each one.

Simple and easy kebabs which could also be lightly marinated (45 mins) before hand - we used mixed herbs in olive oil.

...and if it rains? Wack em under the grill!

Catalan Rabbit

Catalan rabbit or "Conejo con San Feina". This recipe is 4 generations old that we know of and the first time we got involved making it with some Spanish friends. Even the local vultures overhead seemed to be interested...



Feeds a whole "barrio" or a lot of friends and neighbours!

Ingredients: (serves 12)

4 medium onions
4 medium aubergines
4 medium red peppers
6 medium green peppers
400g pumpkin
12 ripe tomatoes
2 bulbs of garlic
2 rabbits (cut into pieces)
Large glass of Brandy
Salt and pepper
8 tablespoons of Olive oil



How to cook:

1.Prepare the vegetables in advance, better the day before as it can take some time. All of the vegetables except the garlic need to be chopped/diced as finely as possible. When the vegetables are chopped, set aside in containers until ready to be cooked.

2.Separate the garlic into individual cloves (or teeth as the Spanish say), remove the excess outer layers but do not peel.

3.Heat the oil in a large paella pan and add the garlic. Cook gently for 5-6 minutes or so then add the rabbit pieces. Cook the rabbit slowly for 10 minutes until lightly golden, add the brandy, cover and continue coking for a further 20 minutes very slowly until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

4.Heat a little more olive oil in the pan, add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent. Add the aubergines and peppers and cook for 10-12 minutes or so then add the pumpkin and the tomatoes. Cook very slowly for about an hour, stirring occasionally until everything has reduced and you have a rich sauce.

5.Return the rabbit and garlic to the pan stirring well to cover the meat with the vegetable sauce. Season to taste, cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes until the rabbit has taken on the flavours of the sauce.

6.Serve with lots of fresh bread.



Fabulous dish and a real opportunity for a get together given the prep time. Best cooked in a paella pan either over the open fire/BBQ or on an outdoor gas burner.

Liver tapas

More photos of prehistoric cats... this is the same guy from the previous post and an actual cast of the bones found in Fuente Nueva. Some influence for Ridley Scott's "ALIEN" movie in 1979?



Lambs liver or "higado" is quite popular in Andalucia. With some fresh good quality liver one of the best ways to cook it to gently fry..

It was an accident when this method came about as our neighbours brought some liver for us to cook in the frying pan. Due to time (and some hungry guests) we decided to throw the chopped up liver into a terracotta cazuela with a little olive oil and let it cook over the BBQ coals (15 minutes)

Apparently the taste was infinitely better over the smokey barbeque



The liver needs to be sliced up into generous parts and sliced thinly later for serving. Sea salt adds a nice flavour as well as a little crunch, excellent with a good red wine for tapas or starters.

Always good to hear "Muy buena!!!" after such a simple tapa.

Pinchitos

Pinchitos are small spicy kebabs. First introduced by the Arabs, pinchitos were traditionally made from lamb although now its more common to have pork pinchitos kebabs - very very popular in tapas bars.



To make pinchitos you need the mix - a special blend of spices which truly transform a pork kebab. Cut your pork into cubes ready for the kebab and cover with the powder mix (you can also a little olive oil and rub the mixture over the meat)



Place onto your kebab sticks and BBQ for 10 minutes or until cooked. You know something is a little different with this mixture as the aroma whilst both prepping up and cooking is mouth watering! Enjoy the "Pinchitos"!



Although many of the recipes on this blog are cooked outdoors, much of the preparation is done in the cave kitchen. Of course when it comes to something like paella and the weather is a bit "unpredictable" the gas hob comes in very handy.. Sometimes even we forget how rustic the kitchen is - can't buy these units in B&Q!



Storage for bits and bobs can be an issue in a cave, the photo below shows some carved out shelving - just to keep those "regularly used" bottles easy to reach. (we never had this much olive oil or vinegar in England!) Anyway, easier to pick out a shelf than put one up, nice and rustic.



Pinchitos mix is available in 62g boxes, spice up some pork kebabs - a 62g box makes up 2 kilos of pork. 1.95gbp. Get the guests guessing..