Mackerel Fillets in Olive Oil

This Spanish mackerel recipe was introduced to us by a Spanish chef and neighbour who in true Andalucian style brought some around for us to taste test. The recipe is very simple and very easy to make and is extremely healthy. Similar to what you can buy in a tin but with a lot more flavour and perfectly natural. This dish is great for tapas during the summer months and looks typically Spanish presented in a terracotta dish. Keep the fresh bread handy!

You will need:

4 Mackerel fillets

4 Cloves garlic, peeled

¼ Red pepper, chopped

12 Black peppercorns

2 Bay leaves

200ml Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1.    Slice the mackerel fillets into quarters and lightly fry in a splash of olive oil – 2 minutes each side.

2.    Meanwhile, halve the garlic cloves and tear the bay leaves in half, add to the 200ml of olive oil in your cazuela.

3.    Once the fillets are cooked lay on kitchen towel and leave to cool.

4.    Once the fillets have cooled add to the olive oil and ingredients, turn to ensure a good covering of oil.

5.    Leave for 2 hours to let the oil infuse and flavours build.

6.    Serve with fresh crusty bread for tapas, also goes well as part of a seafood salad.

Bacalao Tapas

A simple yet extremely flavoursome tapas dish using Bacalao, or salt cod.  Salting and drying fish was the only means of exporting fish in the days before refrigeration but even in today's modern times, salt cod is still as popular as ever. In fact many people still prefer it to the fresh version as it is said that salting and drying preserves more nutrients and makes the fish even tastier. 

Ingredients: 

400g dried salt cod
flour for dusting
olive oil for frying
small bunch fresh chopped parsley
lemon wedges to serve

Method:

1. Prepare this dish 48 hours in advance by soaking the salt cod in cold water for 48 hours changing the water 3-4 times.
2. When the cod has been soaked, drain and dry on kitchen paper.
3. Carefully remove the skin and bones and then cut the cod into small bite sized pieces or thin strips.
4. Dust the fish pieces in flour, shaking off the excess and heat a small deep pan of olive oil until almost smoking.
5. Fry the fish in batches for a few minutes until crisp and golden.
6. Drain on kitchen paper, serve garnished with the chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon and the lemon wedges on the side.

Great with allioli, chunky tomato salsa or homemade coleslaw

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.

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.

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.

Garlic Octopus

Octopus recipes are a firm favourite in Spanish tapas cooking, octopus is inexpensive, tastes great and is extremely versatile. Octopus dishes are popular in Galicia as well as in Andalucia, both of which boast rich coast lines and are proud of their seafood dishes, recipes and fresh hand caught capture. Octopus needs to be fresh so for this recipe we recommend visiting your local quay and buying the very best available.

You will need:

1kg Fresh octopus

4 Garlic cloves, crushed

1 Large onion, diced

½ Lemon, squeezed

150ml White wine

Olive oil

Broadleaf parsley, chopped

Method:

1.    Cook the whole octopus in hot water and lemon juice for 50 minutes (do not boil)

2.    Remove from the pot and let cool then chop up the octopus into 2” segments.

3.    Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a cazuela and heat.

4.    Add the octopus to the cazuela with the garlic, wine and onion and cook until the wine begins to evaporate.

5.    Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with fresh bread so mop up the infused olive oil.