Brandada de Bacalao

brandada

Brandada de Bacalao is a delicious emulsion of salt cod, potatoes (not always), olive oil, garlic and milk (or cream). The dish comes from the Països Catalans (Catalan speaking countires), Catalunya, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Andora and Roussillon in France. Roussillon once belonged to Catalunya, but was ceded to France in 1659, after the Reapers’ War. Brandada de Bacallà (Catalan) is called Brandade de Morue in French and there’s a very similar dish containing egg and wallnuts from Castilla-La Mancha called Atascaburras. There are also Brandada like dishes made in Italy (baccalà mantecato), Portugal (Bacalhau com Natas) and Greece (brantada). The word Brandada, comes from the verb brandar (Catalan and Occitan), meaning to rock, oscillate or move around.

la boqueria

Cod cured in salt will literally keep for years, perhaps even decades without spoiling. The technique of curing by air drying cod dates back to the Vikings, who it is said, gave the procedure to the Basques, along with directions to the Grand Banks off North America, where the sea was literally full of cod (one could practically dip a hand in the ocean and pull out a fish). Unlike Norsemen, the Basques had salt and perfected the art of salting, so perhaps there was some trade off. According to Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (by Mark Kurlansky), Basque fishermen were sailing across the Atlantic for 500 years before Columbus discovered America. It is said that the Basques kept their fishing grounds a secret and others who tried to follow them foundered on the way. Regardless, salt cod became an essential cheap staple (along with cured meat and sausage), in the centuries before refrigeration – all long journeys and voyages depended on food that would keep for the duration.

brandada de bacallà

The Bacalao stalls in la Boqueria sell their own, home made Brandada and you can buy a cheaper and inferior version in Catalan supermarkets. It’s worth trying the Brandada from several stalls and markets, because they are all different!

bacalao

When you buy Bacalao it’s quite stiff, relative to how long ago that it was salted and it will need to be soaked for several days to remove the salt before it can be cooked. I read a fabulous account regarding the President of the Conseil (the governing body of France), who on preparing a banquet in 1947, put his bacalao in the water closet and asked his valet to flush the toilet on the hour (for a week) to wash it, ready for cooking! You should be able to see the salt crystals on the above piece of cod.

Receta de Brandada de Bacalao:

400g bacalao (desalinated)
400g potatoes (starchy)
6 cloves garlic
100ml full fat milk (or cream)
100ml extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
chopped parsley (for decoration)

soaking the salt cod

On the bacalao stalls in Spanish markets, they have beautiful old marble sinks for washing the salt cod, so you can buy it salted or desalinated, ready to cook.

bacalao en agua

I put my bacalao into a container of water and refreshed it twice a day for 3 days in the fridge. You can pull off a tiny piece from a corner to taste and check to see how salty it is. This is cured fish, so there’s no health risk!

desalado

When the fish has been suitably washed it will look miraculously like a piece of fresh cod.

cocinando bacalao

Put the bacalao into a saucepan and cover with water.

escalfado

Bring the fish almost to a boil, turn the heat off and allow it to poach for 10 minutes.

patatas

Meanwhile, boil 400g floury potatoes in salted water, until they are tender. When cooked, refresh with cold water and allow to cool down a little.

leche

Heat 100ml whole milk with a bayleaf. When it gets quite warm, but not boiling, turn it off.

salteado

Gently confitar (confit) 6 cloves of garlic in 100ml extra virgin olive oil. This should be kept on low – you will just see occasional tiny bubbles. When the garlic goes wrinkly and starts to change colour, allow to cool.

bacalao con patatas

Rice or mash the potatoes, then flake the cod and remove all the bones. Coleman Andrews suggests adding the cod skin to the mixture (most others don’t). I wasn’t going to do this, but when I felt the sticky gelatin in the skin, I changed my mind.

brandada de bacalao

Using a stick blender or food processor, turn the fish and potatoes into a paste, while slowly adding the luke warm milk. Follow the milk with the garlic infused olive oil (discard or use the garlic in something else). Spr inkle the brandada with chopped parsley for decoration. Serve with crusty bread and a crisp Verdejo, such as Bicicletas y Peces (Bicycles and Fish), from D.O. Rueda.

horneada

While comparing French and Catalan recipes, I realised that Brandade de Morue is often baked. Not wanting to miss out, I divided my Brandada in half and put a dish of it in the oven at about 180ºC until the top bubbled and went golden brown. This is quite amazing, it brings out the fluffyness of the mixture and could be served as a main course with seasonal vegetables. French recipes suggest a squeeze of lemon on top and in some, grated cheese.

Note: If bacalao is unavailable, I am sure you can acheive something similar with fresh cod, as long as you season it with a little salt, about an hour before cooking. See here for a quick faux bacalao recipe from fresh and here’s a genuine bacalao recipe, which is quite simple – all you need is cod, salt, a refridgerator (or cold larder) and time!

Conejo al Limón

conejo al limón

Conejo al Limón, is a very simple Spanish dish of braised rabbit with a lemon, garlic and herb sauce. All the ingredients come from the old world and it’s not hard to believe that the Iberians were eating similar at the time of the Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans. Comparable recipes can be found in France, Portugal and even Mexico. Rabbit is also an obvious choice for preservation with lemon or vinegar and saffron, en escabeche. You will find a recipe for Escabeche de Conejos (recipe 148) in the 1520 Catalan cookbook, Libre del Coch.

conejo

Rabbit is very much considered meat in Spain, unlike the UK where most people (these days) see it as a pet. It is said that the Carthaginians, arriving in Spain (around 300 BC), named the region Ispania (from Sphan meaning rabbit), land of rabbits. When the Romans arrived (during the Second Punic Wars, around 218 BC), they named the peninsular Hispania (after the Phoenician ispanihad) isle of rabbits. The European Wild Rabbit, is thought to have originated in Iberia, around 4,000 years ago.

Conejo al Limón:

1 wild rabbit (jointed)
a whole head of garlic (chopped)
1 1/2 lemons juiced
1 lemon sliced
a few sprigs of thyme
a few sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
a pinch of saffron
a glass of dry white wine
a splash of boiling water
1 1/2 dessertspoons plain flour
1/2 pint of home made chicken stock
Sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil
parsley for decoration

trozos

Joint the rabbit and dredge the pieces in seasoned flour (add a little sea salt, black pepper and thyme). If rabbit is unavailable, chicken or squirrel would make a good substitute.

saltear

Brown the rabbit in hot olive oil – do this in two batches or the meat will poach and go sticky. Remove to a plate when done and save the olive oil for later.

desglasar

Deglaze the pan with a glass of dry white wine.

ajos, limón y romero

Place the rabbit in an oven dish, pour on the deglaze, sprinkle with a whole head of chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Add a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme, plus 5 slices of lemon.

conejo tierno

Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at about 160ºC for 45 minutes or until tender.

azafrán

When the rabbit is ready, grind a pinch of saffron and add a splash of boiling water. Pour over the rabbit and return to the oven uncovered for 5 minutes.

azafrán y limón

Pour on the juice of one and a half lemons, give the dish another 5 minutes then allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

patatas con pimentón

While the rabbit cooks in the oven, roast some potatoes, that have been dusted with pimentón de la Vera picante.

salsa de limón

Make a roux with the olive oil left over from browning the rabbit. Slowly stir in the lemon and saffron juices plus half a pint of chicken stock to make a sauce. Season to taste and add a little vegetable cooking water if the sauce gets too thick.

Sprinkle the Conejo al Limón with parsley and serve with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I recommend drinking a glass or two of  Inquedo Val do Salnés, an Albariño from Rías Baixes DO, with this dish.

Other Rabbit posts

Conejo con ‘Nduja

conejo con ‘nduja

I bought a wild rabbit last weekend and was looking for a new Spanish recipe to do it justice. I was inspired by one of Janet Mendel’s recipes, from her book Traditional Spanish Cooking – Conejo a la Mallorquina (Mallorcan style rabbit). The rabbit is cut into pieces and cooked slowly with a soft spicy Balearic Island’s sausage called sobrasada. I didn’t have any sobrasada, but I did have it’s Italian cousin, ‘nduja, which almost certainly dates back to a time when two thirds of Italy was ruled by the Crown of Aragon, and later, a unified Spain. Once I’d come across a recipe for Conejo a la Mallorquina, I discovered many regional variations, including a delicious looking recipe of rabbit and prawns …instead of sobrasada!

conejo

Rabbit is very much considered meat in Spain, unlike the UK where most people (these days) see it as a pet. It is said that the Carthaginians, arriving in Spain (around 300 BC), named the region Ispania (from Sphan meaning rabbit), land of rabbits. When the Romans arrived (during the Second Punic Wars, around 218 BC), they named the peninsular Hispania (after the Phoenician ispanihad) isle of rabbits. The European Wild Rabbit, is thought to have originated in Iberia, around 4,000 years ago.

‘nduja

‘Nduja is a soft, spreadable salumi which looks a lot like sobrasada, however, the taste is completely different. Sobrasada has a very strong salty pimentón flavour to it, whereas ‘nduja has a hot chilli taste that’s more fiery, less smokey and will put hair on your chest!

Receta de conejo con ‘nduja (serves 3):

1 wild rabbit (jointed)
a 1 inch slice of ‘nduja
2 medium to large onions (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
a handful pine nuts (toasted)
2 bay leaves
a teaspoon thyme
2 large squirts anchovy paste
a glass dry white wine
a few splashes sherry vinegar (to taste)
1/2 pint chicken stock
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 dessertspoons plain flour
lard (for frying)
chopped parsley (dressing)

trozos

Joint the rabbit and dust with seasoned flour.

saltear

Fry the meat in hot lard or olive oil – do this in two batches, or the oil temperature will drop and the meat will poach instead of browning. Reserve to a plate.

cebollas

Sofreír (gently fry) the onions in the same pan until they become soft.

ajo y hierbas

Mix in the anchovy paste, black pepper, herbs. and garlic.

sliced ‘nduja

Cut off a 1cm thick slice of ‘nduja.

cebollas y ‘nduja

Break the salumi into the onions and discard the skin.

sofrito

Stir the onion mixture and the ‘nduja  will dissolve. Pour on a glass of dry white wine with a splash or two of sherry vinegar and let it bubble for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol.

conejo y caldo

Put the rabbit, sauce and 1/2 pint of chcken stock into a terracotta dish (or similar), cover with foil or a lid and cook for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 160ºC, or until the rabbit is tender. Remove the cover for the last 10 minutes.

patatas con pimentón

While the oven’s on, roast some potatoes, sprinkled on Pimentón de la Vera picante.

piñones

Toast some pine nuts in a dry pan.

con perejil y piñones

Check the seasoning, then sprinkle with chopped parsley and the toasted pine nuts. Serve with roast or fried potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I recommend drinking a glass or two of  Los Conejos Malditos Blanco (The Damned Rabbits), a dry white wine made from Airén y Malvar grapes, in Toledo, with this dish.

Other Rabbit posts

Lomo de Orza

lomo de orza

Lomo de Orza is an old fashioned Spanish method of curing and preserving pork loin in lard (manceta de cerdo), very much like duck confit. Preserving pork in it’s own fat is thought to predate duck confit by several centuries. The lomo is cut into thick slices and is cured in an adobo (marinade), before poaching in lard until tender. The pork confit is placed into a large, round terracotta pot, called an Orza and fully submerged in the fat. The pot is covered with a lid. In “modern” times, a Kilner Jar (or similar) is an acceptable substitute. Note the natural gelatin, from the pork (at the bottom of the jar), which has settled out from the olive oil, on cooling and set.

Before the advent of refrigeration this was one of the best methods of food preservation and foods were kept under fat or oil for many months. The curing and cooking kills bacteria and the absense of air stops bacteria growing, however this does not stop botulism, but botulism is rare, otherwise the human race would probably have died out centuries ago. Food science expert and writer, Harold McGee, suggests that there’s a minimal risk of botulism from this traditional preservation in fat. The salt and vinegar in the marinade and a stoorage temperature below 4ºC, along with an addition of nitrate or nitrite, as per bacon or sausages, does a reasonable job and botulism is killed by heating at 80ºC for more than 10 minutes, if you cook it afterwards. The following recipe is safe for Lomo de Orza when refridgerated for a couple of weeks, to preserve this for a number of months, ideally, it should be canned, like jam, using a pressure cooker.

Traditionally, the making of Lomo de Orza takes place at the time of the Matanza (the end of October), when pigs are slaughtered. In the old days people would keep a pig at home and kill it before winter to provide food and preserves for the coming year. Orzas come in varying sizes (some are quite large) and chorizos can be poached and kept alongside the pork. People would have removed a piece of pork or sausage throughout the year, as required, leaving the meats beneath undisturbed.

lomo de cerdo

Remove the skin on the pork loin. In Spain and America it will probably come without.

crackling

Don’t throw the skin away, score it and rub it with coarse sea salt. Cook it in the oven to make crackling.

Receta de Adobo:

1.5kg pork loin
1 head of garlic (ground to a paste)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground)
1 teaspoon black pepper corns (ground)
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 dessertspoon pimentón de la Vera dulce
1 dessertspoon oregano
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
2 bay leaves
1/2 glass dry white wine
2 dessertspoons red wine vinegar
a little cold water to cover

especias

Warm the cumin until you can smell it’s aroma. Grind it with a pinch of salt and the black peppercorns.

ajos

Chop the garlic and then grind it to a paste using a mortar and pestle.

adobo

Mix the adobo ingredients in a jug, but not the water yet.

cortado

Cut slices into the loin that are about 2 fingers wide, but don’t cut it all the way through. Cut down until there’s about half a centimetre joining the meat. This enables you to hang the meat to dry after marination (if you have a cold cellar or larder).

en adobo

Put the pork into an airtight container, saucepan or bag. Pour on the marinade and make sure it goes into all the slices. Top up, to cover, with cold water. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

secando

Remove the pork from the marinade and hang up to dry in a cold larder (or put it on a rack in the fridge) for another 24 hours.

manteca y aceite

As I scoured Spanish recipes on the poaching/confit technique, I realised that most used olive oil or a mix of oil and lard, rather than 100% lard these days. I had intended to make the Lomo de Orza in the most traditional way possible, with lard, but realised that lard becomes as hard as a rock when it goes solid and as one man put it, “If I used lard, I’d need a hammer to get the pork out!” I experimented with a 50/50 mixture of olive oil and lard (above), but even that was relativeley hard, so I changed my mind and decided to confitar the pork in olive oil. That way it’s easy to remove individual pieces of meat.

trozos

Cut the pork all the way through now, so that you have 5 or so slices.

Receta de Confit:

750ml extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic (bruised and peeled)
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs thyme

confitado

Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan along with 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves of garlic and a couple of sprigs of thyme. Keep the temperature low, no more than 85ºC, 2 or 3 on the hob setting (about 1/3rd heat). It should bubble quite gently.

confit

Poach the slices of pork for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through. I used a meat thermometer and cooked the lomo until it reached 85ºC. I noticed, that when it’s cooked the thermometer slides out easily.

poached

If in doubt, cut a slice open – it should be white all the way through.

en orza

Put all the poached slices into an airtight container and strain the warm oil on top to cover. Be careful not to pour the hot oil or lard into a glass jar straight away, or the glass might crack! Agitate the “Orza” gently to remove any air bubbles. Allow to cool and refrigerate, or keep it in a larder/cellar with a temperature between 1º to 4º C.

lomo

Lomo de Orza is commonly served as a tapa, sliced thin and sprinkled with pimentón de la Vera, sea salt and pepper, then drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. In the south of Spain the Lomo de Orza is often preserved in manteca colorá. The manteca colorá is scraped from the Orza and spread onto bread, which is topped with the lomo, a little like a preserved pulled pork. I recommend drinking a glass or two of  Manzanilla La Gitana En Rama with the Lomo de Orza and other tapas.

Manteca de Cerdo

manteca de cerdo

Spanish Manteca de Cerdo, when translated, is pig butter, but you are more likely to know this product by it’s English name, lard. The word lard comes from the Latin lardum (fat) – in Catalan the translation is llard and in Italy they make a fabulous salume called Lardo, of cured pig fat with rosemary plus other herbs and spices.

Lard is rendered pig fat. The fatty parts of the animal can be rendered by heat – liquid fat is extracted by boiling, steaming or dry heating. The resulting product is filtered and sets to become a soft white spread or cooking medium. Lard contains 20% less saturated fat than butter and contains more monounsaturated fats, which are believed to lower LDL  cholesterol (the bad kind), while raising HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Lard is a good source of Vitamin D and contains none of the trans fats found in processed foods, including margarine and vegetable shortenings. Lard also contains Oleic Acid, one of the main constituents in Olive Oil – this is particularly high when pigs are fed on acorns or peanuts. Lard can be rendered from all the fatty parts in pork, but the very best quality, Leaf Lard, comes from the loin and around the kidneys. Lard has a fairly high smoke point of  190ºC which makes it good for cooking.

In the pork rearing regions of Spain, it’s common to cook with lard (not olive oil) and there’s even an orange coloured, flavoured lard called manteca colorá (with pimentón, bay and oregano) made specifically to be spread on bread or toast. You will also find a Spanish dish of cured pork loin confit (Lomo de Orza) preserved in lard, somewhat similar to duck confit. Lard is commonly used to make Spanish croissants and you will find it in the dough used for Catalan cocas (which are similar but different to pizza).

In the UK, lard was incredibly popular before the Second World War. It was used for roasting potatoes on Sundays, in pastry for raised pies, dough for a delicious Lardy Cake (there are many other English puddings like Jam Roly – Poly and Spotted Dick which are also made with animimal fat) and it was equally popular with butter, as a spread on bread and toast! So what happened? After World War 2 lard was seen as a cheap food for the poor, whereas butter seemed far more luxurious. Margarines made with vegetable oils were promoted as being healthier than lard or butter and a rise in vegetarianism made animal fats very unpopular. However, during the last decade or so, margarines and many processed ready meals (including vegetarian ones) have been shown to contain hydrogenated fats which are far less healthy than natural fats. Lard and butter have been rehabilitated!

panceta

I remember a time in the 1960s when my grandparents always had a bowl of dripping next to the stove. Technically dripping is the fat released when roasting beef or pork, but the bowl by the cooker back then, contained the fatty juices leftover from cooking bacon and or sausages. This dripping was my grandfather’s favourite food, which he loved to spread on bread or toast. I’m afraid to say, that as a small child the idea of eating cooked fat was very unappealing! Fast forward several decade and having some home cured panceta in the fridge (cured with garlic, salt and pimentón), I made a manteca colorá style dripping, which I’m sure mi abuelo would have loved!

beicon

Cut off several slices of beicon from a piece of cured pork belly.

tocino crujiente

Fry the bacon until crispy.

liquid gold

Pour off the fat from the pan.

dripping

Allow to set.

bread and dripping

Spread the resulting dripping onto sourdough bread or toast and sprinkle with a little salt (if necessary). This really is better than butter! If you lack the home made panceta, fry up some regular bacon, sprinkle a little pimentón de la Vera into the warm fat, at the end, along with a squashed clove of garlic and a sprig of oregano. Allow to set.

I recommend drinking a glass of Cerdos Voladores (Flying Pigs), an IPA from Barcelona, with the pan con manteca colorá.

…and don’t just take my word for it, you can listen here to the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme, praising the benefits of Lard.

Patatas Revolconas

patatas revolcanas

Patatas Revolcanos (tumbled or rolled potatoes – perhaps like lava flowing downhill) is a simple pork and potato dish from Central Spain, typically Ávila, Salamanca, Cáceres and Toledo. The potatoes are roughly mashed with pimentón de la Vera and Torreznos de Soria (a stand alone tapas dish of cured, fried pork belly cut into pieces) are served on top. Alternate versions of Patatas Revolcanos can be served with pieces of lardon like fried bacon. This dish probably originated as a farm worker’s lunch, cooked outdoors and in the fields, sometimes with a fried egg on top, a bit like migas.

Torreznos de Soria:

750g panceta (Pork Belly)
a few sprinkled teaspoons pimentón de la Vera dulce
350g coarse sea salt
2 cloves garlic
a splash of water

panceta

To make Torreznos de Soria, first you need to adobar (cure) some panceta. Buy an evenly cut piece of pork belly, about 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Don’t score the skin side!

adobar

Sprinkle a layer of coarse sea salt into a dish that’s bigger than the meat. Lay the panceta in the salt and cover it with the remainder. Press the salt into the pork belly and then refridgerate for about 4 hours. After this time, the salt in the bottom of the dish should be wet. Wipe all the salt off the panceta, but do not wash it!  Rub the meat all over with a sprinkling of pimentón de la Vera dulce. It helps if you wet your hands slightly, or the powdered pimentón will clump together. Chop 2 cloves of garlic and then make a paste (with a pinch of sea salt), using a mortar and pestle. Rub half the garlic onto each side followed by a second layer of pimentón. See here for a step by step video. Ideally the panceta should be hung up to air dry in a cold and well ventilated room at about 4ºC, for a few days. Easy if you live up a Spanish mountain, but alternately, a rack in the fridge will achieve a reasonable result. Pimentón has natural bacterial inhibitors and can work as an antioxidant to reduce rancidity in cured meats, so as well as adding flavour, it provides protection and is often used for curing ham and pork.

adobada

Cinco días después (5 days later) the belly will have shrunk a little and firmed up.

trozos

Cut the panceta into short strips for Patatas Revolcanos, but if making Torreznos de Soria to eat on their own, longer strips would be correct.

en aceite

Place the pieces of pork skin side down in cold olive oil or Manteca de Cerdo (pig butter – lard). Turn the heat on, but keep it very low, roughly around 3 and definitely below the halfway mark.

crocante

Cooking the skin very slowly makes it pop and blister in little bubbles and this leads to crunchy pork. It may take 40 minutes or so and it will spit, so use a screen over the pan, if you have one.

torreznos de soria

When the skin looks perfectly crispy, fry the sides and bottom of the pork. Reserve to a plate and keep the fat/oil.

Patatas Revolconas (serves 3):

300g panceta adobada
500g potatoes (cut normally for boiled or mashed)
3 cloves garlic (sliced)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera dulce
1/2 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper

patatas

Add the bayleaves, salt and water to the potatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and put a lid on the pot to keep the potatoes warm.

ajos

Using the pork oil and fat, gently fry the ajos laminados (sliced garlic) until they take a little colour, then reserve.

pimentón

Sprinkle a teaspoon of pimentón de la Vera dulce and half a teaspoon of pimentón de la Vera picante into the frying pan.

cocinando pimentón

Stir the pimentón into the oil and cook gently for a minute or two.

patatas con pimentón

Pour the flavoured oil over the boiled potatoes.

puré de patatas

Mash roughly with a fork – these should not be perfectly soft and fluffy like mashed potato – this is a rustic dish. Add a little more olive oil if necessary.

patatas con torreznos

Serve the potatoes with sliced torreznos and garlic on top. Season with cracked black pepper and sprinkle on a little chopped parsley for decoration (though this is not traditional). I recommend drinking a glass or two of  Enemigo Mio, a Garnacha, from the Jumilla DO region in Murcia, with the Patatas Revolcanos.

beicon

…and if you have any panceta adobada leftover, slice it thinly and fry it in olive oil – it makes delicious bacon!

Arroz al Horno con Albóndigas

arroz con albóndigas

Arroz al Horno con Albóndigas (oven cooked rice with meatballs) is a typical rice dish from the province of Castellón in Valencia (in the Valencian/Catalan language it’s called  Arròs amb pilotes). This type of dish is a variation on Valencian arròs al forn – a baked meat with rice, cooked on Mondays, using the leftovers from the Sunday cocido (stew). Note the chickpeas in this recipe – they are a typical ingredient of Spanish cocidos (from cocer, the verb to cook or boil), the most famous, perhaps, is the Cocido madrileño (Madrid stew). These rice dishes, cooked in the oven, date back to at least the 16th Century (Arroz en Cazuela al Horno), making them a precursor to paella, which was not documented until the 18th Century. There are other baked rice dishes, such as Arroz con Costra (rice with a crust) which predate the Spanish Catholic Monarchs and probably arrived with the Moors, who introduced rice to Iberia.

Some Arroz al Horno con Albóndigas recipes contain similar ingredients to Arroz al Horno, notably the sliced tomato and a whole head of garlic. No doubt, Arroz al Horno con Albóndigas would have been prepared similarly to Arròs al Forn, often referred to as arròs passejat (arroz paseado in Spanish), meaning walking rice. This is because (in the old days) housewives prepared the rice at home, but lacking ovens, took it to the communal oven or baker to be cooked.

Las Albóndigas (serves 4):

250g of beef chuck, brisket or shoulder (minced)
250g of pork belly (minced)
1/2 a large onion
6 cloves garlic
a handful of fresh coriander (chopped), or parsley if you prefer
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera picante
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera dulce
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (ground)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1 dessertspoon pine nuts
2 slices chopped stale sourdough bread
1 large raw egg
1 1/2 dessertspoons flour
sea salt
cracked black pepper (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil for frying

mincing

Grind the meat with a mincer – if necessary, your butcher will do this for you and most supermarkets sell minced beef and pork. I recommend buying fatty meat, as low fat mince is too dry and lacks flavour. The onion, garlic, bread and coriander can go through the mincer too, though you will get a better texture if you blitz them in a food processor. My sourdough was 4 or five days old, but not dry. Spanish bread (una barra de media – a baguette) drys out within a few hours of buying it (relative to heat and humidity) and therefore needs to be revived a little with a splash of milk – this wasn’t necessary here.

piñones

Warm the cumin seeds in a dry pan (to bring out the flavour) before grinding up with a pinch of salt, using a mortar and pestle. Toast the pine nuts in the same pan until they have browned a little. Add these whole to the minced meats.

carne picada

Mix all the meatball ingredients (but not the flour or olive oil) together by hand.

mezcla

The mixture should look like the above image.

prueba

Pinch of a small piece and fry it in olive oil to check the seasoning. Add more salt and pepper as necessary and test again until it tastes perfect.

albóndigas frescas

Break off pieces of the meatball “dough” and roll them into balls in the palm of your hand. Put the flour into a bowl and dust the meatballs with it – you should get about 12. Refridgerate the albóndigas for an hour or so – this helps them set and they hold together better when frying.

La Salsa:

1 large onion (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
3 medium tomatoes (grated
1 sweet red pepper (chopped)
100g chickpeas
300g arroz Bomba
2 large squirts of anchovy paste
a teaspoon of thyme
a dessertspoon fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera dulce
a glass of dry white wine
500ml home made chicken stock
a large pinch of saffron
2 bay leaves
sea salt
cracked black pepper (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil

garbanzos

I believe the chickpeas used in Arroz al Horno con Albóndigas would normally be leftovers, so pre-cooked. I soaked 100g dried garbanzos in boiling water for an hour, then cooked them in a pressure cooker for 25 minutes. Alternately, you can buy them pre-prepared in a jar or can.

cebolla

Sofreír (poach) the onion until it’s soft and sticky – add more olive oil as necessary and stir often.

tomate

Mix in the chopped garlic and grate on the tomatoes (cut in half and grate the wet side).

sofrito

Allow the sofrito to cook for 5 minutes or so, to thicken.

hierbas y especias

Mix in the chopped red pepper, herbs and spices.

sofregit

Pour on a glass of dry white wine and allow the alcohol to burn off for 5 minutes.

cigrons

Add the chickpeas.

albóndigas

Brown the meatballs all over in hot olive oil. Reserve to a plate.

arroz

Put the cooked sauce into an oven dish or terracotta cazuela. Coat the unsoaked Valencian rice with the liquid.

caldo

Stir in the chicken stock.

azafrán

Grind up a generous pinch of saffrn with a mortar and pestle, pour on a little hot water and add that to the rice. Taste to make sure the seasoning is correct.

mandonguilles

Arrange the meatballs in the sauce. Cook them in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC for 30 – 40 minutes, untill all the liquid has been absorbed.

allioli

Meanwhile, prepare some homemade allioli.

arròs amb mandonguilles

Cover with newspaper for 10 minutes before serving – this absorbs moisture, whereas covering with a lid or foil, would allow moisture to drip back into the rice and make it wet. The sweet red pepper, onion and saffron, with a hint of pimentón in the rice, tastes amazing, while the cumin and other spices in the meatballs pack a considerable punch.

Serve the arròs amb mandonguilles (Catalan) with some crusty bread, a green salad and allioli. I recommend drinking a glass of Madremía from D.O. Toro with the arroz con albóndigas.

Bon Nadal 2023

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Caga tió,
Caga torró,
Avellanes i mató,
Si no cagues bé
Et daré un cop de bastó.
Caga tió!

Caga tió,
Tió de Nadal,
No caguis arengades,
Que són massa salades
Caga torrons
Que són més bons!

Traditional Catalan Caga Tió song.

Bacalao con Samfaina

bacalao con samfaina

Bacalao con Samfaina (bacallà amb samfaina in Catalan) is a traditional salt cod dish from Catalunya, served on religious holidays, such as Christmas Eve or Good Friday. Samfaina, (also spelled Sanfaina and Xamfaina) is a dish of cooked vegetables, similar to the Basque Piperade and French Ratatouille. The word Samfaina comes from the Latin symphōnĭia and means symphony. Samfaina can often be found on a Barcelona Menú del Día served with bacalao (salt cod), merluza (hake), conejo (rabbit), pollo (chicken) and even botifarra blanca i negra (sausages).

Slightly further south in Valencia, Samfaina is called el Mullador and can be found served with bacalao, atún (tuna) or on top of coca, a pizza like flat bread. The name el Mullador comes from the Catalan/Valencian verb mullar, to dip and there’s a relative expression, per mullar pa, to dip bread. If a sauce is described as “per mullar pa” it means that it’s good enough to dip your bread in it!

Receta de Bacalao con Sanfaina (serves 4):

800g bacalao or fresh cod loin
1 large onion (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (chopped)
5 tomatoes (grated)
1 aubergine (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
a glass of dry white wine
a teaspoon thyme
plain flour
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil
chopped parsley to serve

If using bacalao (salt cod) soak with several changes of water for 24 – 36 hours. If using bacalao fresca (fresh cod) sprinkle with a little salt about an hour before cooking.

berenjena

Chop the aubergine into bite sized piece and sprinkle it with a little salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes. This helps remove any bitterness (though this has been largely bred out of aubergines these days) and removes excess water. Rinse and pat dry before cooking (or the oil will spit while frying).

berenjena frita

Brown the aubergine in hot olive oil and remove to a plate. Aubergine literals drinks olive oil, so you may need to add more. It is ready when it turns soft and stops drinking.

cebolla

Add more oil and sofreír (gently poach) the onion on a low heat stirring often, until it becomes soft and sticky.

pimientos y calabacine

Add the garlic, peppers and courgette. Allow to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

con berenjena

Return the aubergine to the pan.

tomates y tomillo

Grate on the tomatoes with a teaspoon of thyme – allow the mixture to thicken.

vino

Check the seasoning and pour on the wine. Allow the alcohol to evaporate for 5 minutes.

xamfaina

Cook the samfaina for 30 minutes or so on low, until the vegetables are al dente and tender. You can, if you wish, cook the cod on top of the sauce during the last 15 minutes, (covered with foil or a lid.) However, you will get a better texture if the fish is fried first!

bacalao

Lightly dust the cod in flour (add a little salt and pepper beforehand) and fry in hot olive oil to brown slightly on either side. No more than 2 minutes per side and do not cook all the way through, instead place the fish on top of the samfaina for 5 minutes or so to finish it off.

bacallà amb samfaina

Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve, with crusty bread and a green salad …and fried or boiled potatoes if you wish. If serving this on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), I recommend drinking a glass or two of Cava from Sant Sadurní (the centre of Cava production in Spain) with the Bacallà amb Samfaina.

Arroz con Faisán y Chorizo

arroz con faisán y chorizo

Arroz con Faisán y Chorizo (rice with pheasant and chorizo) is a simple dish loosely based on the popular  Arroz con Pollo y Chorizo (rice with chicken and chorizo). You will find Arroz con Pollo y Chorizo recipes throughout Spain and Latin America so if you don’t have a pheasant to hand, chicken is a good tried and tested substitute.  As I’ve mentioned before, chorizo does not belong in a paella, but it is perfectly acceptable in a rice dish. You may find this quite confusing, but, the rules for making paella are quite rigid, whereas a simple rice dish can contain many different ingredients and it’s acceptable to cook it in the oven (if you wish).

faisán

Pheasants originally came from Georgia (called Colchis in Ancient Greek and Roman  times) and are thought to have spread naturally as far as Greece by the 6th Century BC. The Romans liked pheasant so much that they introduced them throughout their empire, even as far north as Britain! Therefore, it seems fitting to combine the bird with a recipe with roots that probably go back a millenium or two, which I’m sure, on occasion, has included game birds. Of course, before 1492 chorizo, peppers and tomatoes didn’t exist in the Old World so this type of dish might have contained chicken, rice, cured sausage, saffron and other spices.

Arroz con Faisán y Chorizo (serves 4):

1 large pheasant (jointed)
half a hot chorizo ring (sarta) about 120g (sliced)
500g Valencian rice (Bomba or Senia)
1 large Spanish onion (sliced)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 large romano pepper (a pointed sweet red pepper) (chopped)
a large handful of bobby beans (trimed and cut in half)
5 medium tomatoes (grated)
a few sprigs of rosemary
2 pints home made chicken stock
a glass of dry white wine
a teaspoon of pimentón de la Vera dulce
a large pinch of saffron
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil (lots!)

Chopped parsley (to serve)

saltear

Joint, season and brown the pheasant in hot olive oil, then reserve to a plate. Do this in two batches or the temperature will abate and the meat will poach instead of browning. Cook this in a paella pan, cazuela or large frying pan.

chorizo

Using the same pan and oil, fry the chorizo (sliced and cut in half). Again, reserve to a plate.

cebolla

Sofreír (gently poach) the onion until soft and sticky – add more olive oil as necessary – don’t stint, it’s an ingredient and not a frying medium.

ajo y tomates

When the onion is done, move it ot to the side of the pan and grate on the tomatoes (cut them in half, shred the wet side and throw away the skin). Stir in the chopped garlic and alow to simmer and thicken.

pimiento rojo

Mix the tomato into the onion to make a sofrito. Make a space in the middle to fry the chopped romano pepper.

judías verdes

Once the pepper has softened, stir that into the sofrito and fry the bobby beans in the centre.

pimentón de la vera

Sprinkle on a heaped teaspoon of pimentón de la Vera dulce.

chorizo frito

Return the fried chorizo and combine.

arroz

Add the Valencian rice (do not wash it first!) and coat it with the liquid in the paella pan. Keep stirring and cook for a minute or two.

caldo y vino

Pour on a large glass of dry white wine and 2 pints of hot chicken or pheasant stock. Turn the heat up.

azafrán

Grind up a large pinch of saffron with a mortar and pestle, pour on a little hot water and add that to the arroz. Taste to make sure the seasoning is correct. Do not stir again!

caldo con faisán

Push the pheasant pieces down into the liquid, along with a few sprigs of rosemary. Turn the heat up so that the liquid cooks vigorously for 8 – 10 minutes and when the stock has noticeably reduced (and you can see little hermit crab like holes appearing in the surface), turn it down so it bubbles gently. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed.
*Alternately, cook in a preheated oven at 180ºC for 20 – 30 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.

allioli

Meanwhile, make some allioli to acompany the arroz.

arroz con faisán

When cooked, cover the Arroz con Faisán y Chorizo with newspaper or a clean tea towel for 10 minutes, but not longer. Don’t use foil, the steam will drip down into the rice!

arròs amb faisan i xoriço

Serve the Arròs amb Faisan i Xoriço (Catalan) with a green salad and crusty bread. I recommend drinking a glass or two of Faison d’Or Blanc, a dry white wine from Domaine du Pere Guillot in France.

Other pheasant posts