Gazpacho

Ingredients

SERVINGS 6-8

  1. 2 lbs ripe juicy tomatoes
  2. 2 garlic clove
  3. 1⁄2 a red onion
  4. 1 sweet yellow pepper
  5. 1 English cucumber, about 6-7 inches long (taste before you use it to make sure it’s not bitter)
  6. 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
  7. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (if you can find this use 1 part balsamic with 2 parts rice wine vinegar)
  8. 1 1/2 tsp Worcester sauce
  9. 1⁄2 tablespoon salt
  10. 1/3 cup olive oil (Spanish if you can)
  11. 5 slices white bread
  12. Chopped basil for seasoning

Directions

  1. Rinse well the tomatoes, core and peel (score a cross on the smooth end and plunge in boiling water for 20 seconds).
  2. Peel and crush the garlic cloves.
  3. Peel the onion, chop in 3-4 pieces.
  4. Rinse the pepper, get rid of any single seed, chop coarsely.
  5. Peel well the cucumber.
  6. Place the piece of bread in a bowl with water in order to soak it for min 5 mins. Once soaked, put all water away, squeeze the soaked bread with your bare hands as much as you can and set aside.
  7. In a good blender or food processor put the tomatoes (previously cut in 4-5 pieces each), the garlic, onion, pepper, cucumber, squeezed bread. Add remaining ingredients and blend at the highest speed. Go on until no little pieces can be seen. It should be creamy, not watery. Pour it in a bowl and let it chill in your fridge. The chillier the better. Do not freeze! Serve it in bowls as a first course for any meal.
Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  1. large egg yolk*

11 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

21 teaspoon white wine vinegar

31/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

41/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

53/4 cup canola oil, divided

61 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

71 clove fresh garlic, minced

Directions

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.

Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Add the paprika and garlic. Cover and chill. Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Variation:

Real Spanish omelet

Ingredients

  1. 500g new potatoes
  2. 1 onion, preferably red
  3. 1 red pepper
  4. 150ml extra-virgin olive oil
  5. 3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  6. 6 eggs

Directions

  1. Scrape the potatoes or leave the skins on, if you prefer. Cut them into thick slices. Chop the onion and pepper
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the potatoes, peppers and onion and stew gently, partially covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are softened. Strain the potatoes and onions through a colander into a large bowl (set the strained oil aside).
  3. Beat the eggs separately, then stir into the potatoes with the parsley and plenty of salt and pepper. Heat a little of the strained oil in a smaller pan. Tip everything into the pan and cook on a moderate heat, using a spatula to shape the omelet into a cushion.
  4. When almost set, invert on a plate and slide back into the pan and cook a few more minutes. Invert twice more, cooking the omelette briefly each time and pressing the edges to keep the cushion shape. Slide on to a plate and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Paella

Ingredients

  1. 2 medium, ripe tomatoes
  2. 16 large shrimp (about 12 ounces), peeled and deveined with the tails on
  3. 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce) (if you can’t find smoked use smoked chipotle chilies, finely minced, and add them when you’re adding the tomato to the rice)
  4. Freshly ground black pepper
  5. Chicken Thighs with skin, cut them to size. .
  6. 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (not Mexican)
  7. 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
  8. 1 medium onion chopped small
  9. 2 medium garlic cloves crushed
  10. 1 large pinch saffron threads
  11. 2 cups paella rice- if you can’t find paella rice use sushi rice or risotto rice!
  12. 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
  13. 4 cups shrimp head stock
  14. Clams and Prawns(shelled with the tails on)

Directions

  1. Core and skin the tomatoes. (Blend with chipotle chilies if youre using them) until you get a smooth pulp.
  2. Shell the prawns, leaving the tails on the marinade in a 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
  3. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
  4. Put your pan on the stove and allow it to heat. Add the chorizo to the pan. Fry until it’s starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs the chorizo to a large bowl.
  5. There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken, skin side down, and sear until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown. Using tongs transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
  6. Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cook until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Add the garlic, remaining 3/4 teaspoon paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  7. Add the reserved tomato and chipotle pulp and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and a little salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
  8. Add the broth and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (VERY IMPORTANT: Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
  9. Close the lid and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice begins to make a crackling sound, about 12 minutes.
  10. Arrange the reserved shrimp and the shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Put the lid back on and cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
  11. Remove the pan and let stand for 5 minutes. Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Quesada pasiega- Baked Spanish cheesecake.

Ingredients

  1. 250 g cream cheese
  2. 500 ml of whole milk
  3. 2 medium eggs
  4. 270 g sugar
  5. zest of one lemon
  6. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  7. 100 g butter at room temperature and a little more for greasing the tin
  8. 150 g cake flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Greece and line a 10 inch spring form tin with butter and baking paper.
  2. Whip the room temperature cream cheese by hand or with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add milk, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon and mix until well combined. If it looks curdled just keep mixing- it should look silky smooth in the end.
  4. Stir in melted butter at room temperature.
  5. Add flour and mix until just combined- making sure that there aren’t any lumps of flour.
  6. Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake 1 hour at 180 ° C test with a tooth pick before taking out. Let cool and store in the fridge.