Spanish Recipes

Alioli (garlic mayonnaise) originally comes from Cataluña but is popular all over Spain. It is made from garlic, eggs, olive oil and lemon juice. It is really quick and easy to make and can be served with meats, fish, vegetables or spread on some bread.

Ingredients
4 medium to large garlic cloves
salt to taste
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin Spanish olive oil

Directions
Peel and mince the garlic. Using the flat side of a large knife, crush the garlic. Place in a small mortar and pestle and add ½ tsp salt and smash into a paste.

An alternative to save time is to use a good garlic press that peels and mashes the garlic in one step. Either way, you can use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic into a paste.

Crack the eggs and separate the yolks into a small mixing bowl. Transfer the garlic paste to the bowl and whisk to blend. With a hand mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil in a THIN, steady stream until a creamy sauce forms. Add the touch of lemon juice slowly at the end, while keeping the mixer on to ensure that the sauce stays smooth.

The traditional version of this sauce did not have egg yolks, but the yolks make it easier to whip.

This recipe makes approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Garlic Soup is a delicious and easy to make soup, great as a winter warmer.

Ingredients
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2-4 bulbs garlic, peeled and either left whole, or sliced
1-2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
1½ litres ham or vegetable stock
8 slices of French bread
A few small sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
4 eggs

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a largish saucepan on a medium heat.
2. When hot, add the whole or chopped garlic.
3. Once the garlic is golden brown, remove from heat. If you are using whole cloves, then blend them with a little of the stock. Set aside.
4. Return pan to the heat and add the paprika, allowing to stew for a minute or two.
5. If you have belnded the garlic, return the mixture to the pan after the paprika has been cooked.
6. Add the remaining stock, bread slices and the herbs.
7. Cover and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove the herbs,
9. Beat the eggs and pour some of the soup into a bowl.
10. Spoon the beaten egg into the bowl and when it has started to solidify, gently pour the contents of the bowl bag into the saucepan,
11. Reheat slightly, but do not boil,
12. Serve in bowls, being careful not to break up the egg too much.

Serves 4

Arroz negro means "black rice" in English. The black colour comes from squid or cuttlefish ink which is added to the rice.  It's not the most attractive looking dish (it looks like someone has poured crude oil onto the rice and squid!) but it tastes amazing.  I'm not going to include a picture for this one as I don't want to put people off!  You could always google it if you want to see what it should look like.

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1kg squid or cuttlefish, cleaned, gutted and finely sliced into rings
2 red or green peppers (or 1 of each), deseeded and finely chopped
50g squid or cuttlefish ink
1 tsp tomato purèe
About 1 litre hot vegetable or chicken stock, or a kettle full of hot water
250g paella rice
125ml white wine
Fresh flatleaf parsley, to garnish

Directions
1. Heat the oil in the widest-bottomed pan you have, if you are not using a paellera (a wide paella pan). Add the garlic and onions and fry until soft and translucent, then add the fish, the peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook this very gently until the fish and peppers are tender – about 20 minutes for squid; 30 for cuttlefish.

2. Meanwhile, snip open the sachets of ink and pop them into a measuring jug with the tomato purÈe. Fill to the 1-litre mark with either hot stock or the hot water from the kettle. Stir to get as much ink from the sachets as possible. (You get more this way than by trying to squeeze it out.)

3. When the fish and peppers are tender, sweet and sticky looking, add the rice to the pan and stir to coat. Add the wine, stir, and cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the inky liquid through a strainer. (If there is more ink left in the sachets, squeeze it out onto the cooking rice with your fingers.) Cook the rice gently by the absorption method, stirring every now and then. If you need more liquid, just add a little more hot water. When the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just al dente (not too soft), remove from the heat, season, and rest in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Tip
Squid or cuttlefish ink is like a concentrated stock that has a subtle hint of the sea. You can buy the ink in sachets in Spanish and Italian delis. You could also ask a fishmonger to reserve the ink sac of the squid or cuttlefish when you buy it.

Serves 4 generously

Ready in 1¼ hours

Recipe from channel4.com

Tinto de Verano literally means "Red Wine of Summer".  It is a really refreshing drink, perfect for summer, as the name suggests.  It is similar to sangria, but only has 2 main ingredients - red wine and lemonade or Casera.

Ingredients
1/2 cup red wine (see serving suggestion below)
1/2 cup lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite or 7-up (or Casera if you are in Spain)
ice
slice of lemon

Directions
In a tall glass, place 3-4 ice cubes. Add the red wine and soda. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Makes 1 Serving

Mojito is a combination of rum, lime, mint and sugar. The Mojito cocktail is originally from Cuba but is very popular in Spain, particularly in chiringuitos along the costas. They were also selling litre glasses of this stuff at the Malaga feria!

Ingredients
2 tsp sugar (white or brown, depending on your preference. Brown tends to work well with darker spirits)
½ a fresh lime chopped into quarters
6-8 fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice (put ice in a tea towel and smash it with a rolling pin)
2 measures of rum
Soda to top

Directions
1. Muddle sugar and limes in a glass, using the end of a rolling pin to squeeze out the juice and start to dissolve sugar.

2. Add mint and muddle a little more.

3. Fill the glass with crushed or cracked ice. Add the rum and stir the ingredients to equally distribute flavour.

4. Top with soda and a little more crushed ice to garnish.

Spanish omelette (Tortilla Española) is one of the most popular dishes in Spain and is really easy to make.  An authentic Tortilla Española only has four ingredients, plus seasoning - eggs, potatoes, onions and olive oil.  You will ocassionally see this served without the onion. It is a popular dish served as a tapas in bars and restaurants all over Spain.  You can also eat it in a bocadillo (baguette style sandwich).

Ingredients
2 large potatoes
1 large onion
125 ml oil
4 large eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
-Peel and slice the potatoes quite finely.
-Peel and slice the onion finely.
-Heat the oil in a medium sized, deepish frying pan at a medium temperarure.
-When hot, add the potatoes, onions and seasoning. Cover and reduce the heat, stirring from time to time until the potatoes are cooked and slightly browned (about 20 minutes).
-Meanwhile, beat the egg thoroughly in a bowl.
-Drain off most of the excess oil and add the potato and onion mixture to the eggs.
-Pour the whole lot back into the pan - there should be enough oil left to coat the bottom of the pan.
-Increase the heat to medium again and cook the omelette until the bottom and sides have set.
-Turn out the omelette onto a plate and slide it back into the pan upside down, so that the other side can be cooked. Alternatively, you can simply leave the omlette in the pan and place it under the grill until the top has set.
-Once cooked, turn it out onto a plate and leave to cool. It is best served at room temperature.

Serves 8 as a tapas, or 4 as part of a main meal.

Chimichurri is a sauce or marinade orginally from from Argentina, so not strictly Spanish.  However, I've seen a lot of bars and restaurants in Spain serving Chimichurri.  It is usually served with grilled meat and is delicious!

Ingredients
½ Cup Olive Oil
¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Water
1 small bunch flat leaf-parsley chopped finely
4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
½ of a sweet red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tomato; peeled, deseeded, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika powder
1 Bay leaf chopped finely
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground ground black pepper
2 tablespoons hot chili flakes (or to taste)

Directions
-In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients except for the oil and vinegar and mix well
-Leave to stand and amalgamate for 30 minutes
-Add the vinegar and oil, whisk well and allow to stand for a further 30 minutes
-Pour the mixture into a suitable sterilised jar and refrigerate for 3 days prior to use for best results

Romesco Sauce (Catalan Pepper Sauce) is originally from Tarragona in Cataluña.  It is made from almonds/hazelnuts, paprika, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and garlic amonst other things.  It goes really well with foods such as grilled meats, fish and vegetables.

Ingredients
2 tbsp bittersweet Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
1 chili pepper
3 tomatoes
1 head of garlic
1 dozen almonds, blanched and peeled
2 dozen hazelnuts, skinned
1 sprig of mint, chopped
1 slice of bread, toasted
1 tbsp parsley
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar

Directions
-Remove seeds from chili pepper and grind into a powder.
-Roast the tomatoes and garlic in a hot oven for 15 minutes.
-Skin the tomatoes, cut them in half, and remove the seeds.
-Skin the garlic cloves.
-Put the tomatoes in a food provessor with the garlic, pimentón, almonds, hazelnuts, mint, bread, parsley, and part of the olive oil.
-Process until you have a smooth puree. Beat in the remaining oil, vinegar and pepper.

Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (Champiñones al Ajillo) is a popular Spanish tapas of mushrooms sauteed in garlic, olive oil and sherry.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic Cloves, peeled
450g fresh mushrooms, cleaned and cut into thick slices
1/2 dried chili pepper, seeds removed
1/2 cup of dry sherry
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and add garlic. When garlic begins to brown, add mushrooms all at once. Stir and cook until almost done. Add chilli and dry sherry. Bring to boil for one minute. Lightly salt. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Jamon Serrano (Spanish ham) with Melon recipe - makes a great starter or tapas.

Ingredients
1 fresh, ripe melon
12 thin slices of Jamón Serrano
1 carrot, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1 spring onion, finely chopped
8 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
Cut melon in half, scoop into balls with a teaspoon or melon baller. Mix in bowl with oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt and pepper. Add the carrot and spring onion, mix thoroughly and chill for 2 hours. Shape ham slices into cones and serve with melon.

Recipe from latienda.com

Recipe for Sangria.  Sangira is very popular with people on holiday in Spain.  It is usually served in big jugs full of chunks of fruit and ice. There are literally hundreds of different recipes for Sangria.  What most have in common is red wine and pieces of fruit.  Here is a simple, no nonsense recipe for Sangria.

Ingredients
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 medium all purpose apples, pared, cored and sliced
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
3/4 cup brandy
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1 can lemon-lime fizzy drink to taste
1 cup orange juice to taste

Directions
1. Slice the orange, lemon, and lime into thin rounds and place them in a pitcher with the apples, cherries, and pineapple. Pour in the brandy and refrigerate for 2 hours of more. Chill the bottle of red wine, lemon-lime soda, and orange juice at the same time.
2. Gently crush the fruits with a spoon, then stir in the red wine, lemon-lime fizzy drink, and orange juice. Add additional brandy or orange juice to taste.

Makes 6 servings

Gazpacho orginates from Andalucia and is a cold Spanish tomato-based soup, perfect for those hot sunny days.  It can be drank from a cup or eaten with a spoon from a bowl.  Personally, I prefer to have it as a drink.  There are dozens of different recipes for Gazpacho.  This one seems to be one of the better ones.

Ingredients
1 kg ripe plum tomatoes
Half a large cucumber or one small one, peeled
Two green peppers, of the long, pointy variety (if you can get hold of them)
Three cloves of garlic (or to taste – remember this is a garlicky dish!)
1/4 l olive oil
Some slightly stale bread (from your local baker, not factory-produced supermarket stuff – don't the freshness factor!)
Half a small onion (optional)
Juice of half a lemon (optional)
Salt, pepper
Water (to taste)
Ice cubes (to serve)

Directions
1. Blanch the tomatoes, then remove the skin and seeds (use your thumb)
2. Chop the tomatoes, peeled cucumber, green pepper, garlic and onion (if using)
3. Put all the vegetables (and the bread, if using) with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper into a blender.
4. Blend. When you think it is done, blend some more. It is best to start on a slow setting and speed up as it starts to get broken down.
5. Add the water. Blend some more again.
6. The gazpacho should be very runny but it should have a strong pinky-orange colour. Add more water, oil or vinegar until you think the balance is right, being careful not to make it too vinegary or too watery. This is all personal taste - not until you've tried the real thing will you know how it should be.
7. When it is ready, put in the fridge. The gazpacho needs to be very cold. If you are in a hurry, add ice cubes (but remember that this will dilute the gazpacho even further).
8. When dishing out, add more ice cubes. Serve with fresh bread for dunking.

Recipe from about.com

Chickpeas with Spinach (Garbanzos con Espinacas) comes from Sevilla but is popular throughout Spain.  It is served in restaurants as well as tapas bars.

Ingredients   
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, 1 chopped and 1 left whole
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
8 peppercorns
4 cups cooked chickpeas, cooking liquid reserved
1 cup cooked and chopped spinach
salt

Instructions    
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chopped garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomato and cook until slightly reduced, 5 minutes. Stir in the pimenton, cumin, cayenne, and cloves.

In a mortar, crush the saffron and peppercorns with the remaining clove of garlic. Dissolve the spices in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the pan with the chickpeas and 2 cups of their liquid, the spinach, and salt to taste. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, adding additional water if necessary. The mixture should be juicy, not soupy. Serve hot.

Serves 6 as a starter or 12 as a tapa

Fried sardines with alioli recipe - a tasty, easy to make recipe.  Alioli is a garlic mayo and goes really well with sardines.

Ingredients
4 tbsp plain flour
5 - 6 fresh sardines, cleaned and scaled with gills removed
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges and flat leaf parsley, to serve

For the alioli:
5 plump cloves garlic, peeled
A good pinch of sea salt
Mild olive oil - about 6 - 8 tbsp
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. First make the alioli. Put the garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar and pound until the garlic becomes a sticky paste. Very gradually add the oil - just a few drops at a time - and continue pounding until the garlic paste becomes emulsified with the oil and thickens like a mayonnaise. Season with a touch of lemon juice and some ground black pepper. Set aside.

2. To prepare the sardines, season the flour with salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium flame and add the oil. Toss the sardines one at a time into the seasoned flour until lightly coated and shake off any excess.
Tommi’s tip:

3. Add to the hot oil and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, turning halfway though the cooking time, until pale golden brown and crisp. Transfer the sardines to a serving plate using tongs or a spatula. Serve with the garlic alioli, lemon wedges for squeezing and hunks of fresh, crusty bread.
Serves 2 as a tapas

This recipe is from the Channel 4 show A Cook's Tour of Spain

Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas) in Tomato Sauce is a very popular dish, usually served as a tapas in bars up and down Spain.  It is usually served with fresh bread on the side to dip into the tomato sauce. When I make this I sometimes add some chilli powder to give it a bit of a kick, but this is the standard Spanish Meatballs recipe, without the chilli.

Ingredients
500g beef mince or pork mince
1 onion  
3-4 cloves garlic
parsley
1 egg (beaten)
4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 slices stale bread
milk
white wine
flour
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions
In a blender or mortar, crush 2 cloves of garlic with the parsley and mix with a dash of white wine.

Place this mixture in a large bowl with the mince, mix well and then leave to stand for 20 minutes.

Place the bread in a shallow dish and cover with the milk. Leave to soak for a few minutes

Add the bread, egg, salt and pepper to the mince and knead until all the ingredients are mixed together.

Make small balls and roll each one in flour.

Cook in plenty of hot oil until they turn golden brown, drain and place in a casserole dish.

For the sauce:

Finely chop the onion and the remaining garlic

Place a little oil from the meatballs into a casserole dish or large earthenware dish 3. Add the onion and garlic and gently fry until they begin to brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and about half a glass of white wine.

Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes

Pour the sauce over the meatballs and then place in a moderate oven for 20 - 25 minutes.

Serve with fresh bread to dip in the sauce
 

Recipe for Spanish chicken with potatoes, garlic and sherry.  Warning - this dish has a LOT of garlic in it!

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs , skin on, or 1 whole chicken cut into 8 portions
600g small potatoes , sliced
3 whole heads garlic , cloves separated but not peeled
8 sprigs thyme
125ml Amontillado sherry
1/2 pint of chicken stock
olive oil

Directions
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan that can take the chicken in a single layer. Season the chicken well then brown on all sides in batches. You just want to get a good colour, not cook the chicken through. Remove from pan.

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Scatter the potatoes over the bottom of the pan while it's still on the hob.

Add the garlic, thyme and seasoning and stir to coat everything in juices.

Put the chicken on top, skin up, add the sherry and stock and bring up to the boil.

When it's boiling, put the pan in the oven, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Most of the sherry and stock will be absorbed and the chicken will be crisp and golden.

Serves 4

Patatas Bravas - A classic tapas of potato cubes in a hot and spicy tomato sauce.  Usually served with other dishes.

Ingredients
900g potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil (for the potatoes)
3 tbsp olive oil (for the sauce)
1 small onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , chopped
227g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp sweet paprika (pimenton)
a good pinch chilli powder
a pinch of sugar
chopped fresh parsley , to garnish

Directions
Prepare ahead by heating the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, paprika, chilli powder, sugar and salt and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 10 minutes until pulpy. Set aside for up to 24 hours.

To serve, preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan oven 180C. Cut the potatoes into small cubes and pat dry with kitchen paper. Spread over a roasting tin and toss in the oil, then season. Roast for 40-50 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and golden.

Tip the potatoes into dishes and spoon over the reheated sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve

Makes 10-12 tapas size portions

Spanish morcilla - black pudding - is the first sausage to be made from the freshly killed pig and is very popular throughout Spain. It is flavored with spices and herbs, usually including garlic and oregano, and has a wonderfully rich, spicy taste.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
8 oz morcilla (black pudding ), cut into 12 thick slices
12 slices of French bread
2 tablespoons fino sherry
Sugar, to taste
Salt and ground black pepper
Chopped fresh oregano, to garnish

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and paprika for 7-8 minutes until the onion is softened and has turned golden brown.

Add the slices of black pudding, then increase the heat and cook them for 3 minutes, without stirring. Turn them over carefully with a spatula and cook for a further 3 minutes until crisp.

Arrange the rounds of bread on a large serving plate and to each with a slice of black pudding. Stir the sherry into the onions and add a little sugar to taste.

Heat, swirling the mixture around the pan until bubbling, then season with salt and black pepper.

Spoon a little of the onion mixture on top of each slice of black pudding. Scatter the oregano over, and serve.

Serves 4

Tortillitas de Camarones (Shrimp Cakes) recipe.  Makes 4 cakes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup of  flour
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons of water
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
250g of shelled small shrimp
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
olive oil for frying

Directions
-Mix the flour and the eggs in a bowl. Add water and stir into a smooth
batter.
-Add the spring onions, parsley and shrimp. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

-Let stand to rest for half an hour or more.

-Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Spoon in about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time, flatten with the back of the spoon into a thin pancake.
-Fry on each side until golden. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 cakes