Broad bean tortilla

This second tortilla recipe uses stewed whole broad beans which have a distinct flavour that works exceptionally well in a tortilla. Whole beans are often used in Spanish cooking but they need to be cooked for a long time to soften and must be young and tender. Otherwise they will be too stringy. This is a great recipe if you grow your own beans as you can pick them young and the pods which are usually discarded aren’t wasted. If you can’t get hold of young broad beans then runner beans can be substituted. I have added jamón serrano to add extra bite but this can be omitted if you want to keep your tortilla meat free.

This recipe makes a 20cm diameter tortilla and will serve up to 3 people as a main meal.

Ingredients
500g broad beans (in their pods)
3-4 eggs (whisked)
1 onion
2 slices jamón serrano (optional)
Olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt

Method

1. Finely slice the onion and the garlic. Top and tail the broad beans and remove any stringy bits. Then chop the bean roughly into lengths of about 5cm. Rip up the slices of jamón serrano into small pieces.
2. Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large deep frying pan or saucepan and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the broad beans, jamon serrano and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, then season well and lower the heat. Continue to cook with a lid on, stirring occasionally and add a little water if it starts to stick. Cook for about 1 hour or until the broad beans are soft.
3. Allow the the bean mixture to cool and then add them to a large bowl. Gently stir in the whisked eggs.
4. Heat a small glug of olive oil in a small frying pan (20cm diameter) and pour in the ingredients. Cook on a low-medium heat for about 20 mins.
5. When the tortilla is almost cooked through, take a plate and place it over the top of the pan. Toss the pan over the plate allowing the tortilla to slide onto the plate face down. Then slide the tortilla back into the pan with the uncooked side on the bottom. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.
6. Serve will a simple salad.

Spanish potato omelette

Summer has arrived and with it a chance to picnic and enjoy eating outdoors. Tortilla is fantastically versatile and can be cooked the night before if you are planning a picnic, but is equally tasty as a simple meal served warm with cold meats and salad. The tortilla was a staple in the Soler household and continues in mine and my siblings. Growing up by the coast, the family would spend the whole day at the beach and of course Juani would bring a feast. I have very fond memories of being wrapped in a towel after playing in the sea and sand and enjoying a slice.

The secret of a good tortilla is allowing the onions to caramelise so they become sweet and seasoning generously to bring out the flavours.

This recipe makes a 20cm diameter tortilla and will serve up to 3 people as a main meal.

Ingredients

1 large onion
500g waxy potatoes
4-6 eggs (depending on size)
Extra virgin olive oil (to cook the onions)
150ml vegetable/ sunflower oil & 50ml olive oil (to cook the potatoes)
Salt

Method

1. Chop the onion finely. Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onions until soft and sweet. This may take up to 30 mins.
2. Meanwhile peel (optional) and slice the potatoes thinly (2mm thick), put then in a bowl and add salt to allow excess water to release. After 20 mins pat the the potatoes dry with kitchen towel.
3. Season the onions and then remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan heat the vegetable/ olive oil. When the oil is sufficiently hot (test with 1 slice of potato – when it starts to sizzle it’s ready) add the potatoes. Makes sure all the potatoes are covered with oil. Allow them to gently fry until soft but not toasted (10 mins).
5. Remove the potatoes and place on kitchen towel to remove the excess oil.
6. Once the potatoes have cooled, carefully place them in a bowl and add the onions.
7. Whisk the eggs in another bowl and then add to the potatoes and onions. Stir gently.
8. Heat a glug of olive oil in a small frying pan (20cm diameter) and pour in the ingredients. Cook on a low-medium heat for about 20 mins.
9. Now for the tricky bit! In order to cook both sides evenly you need to turn the tortilla over near the end of the cooking time. So when the tortilla is almost cooked through take a plate and place it over the top of the pan. Toss the pan over the plate allowing the tortilla to drop onto the plate. Then slide the tortilla back into the pan with the uncooked side on the bottom. Cook for another 3 minutes.
10. Serve with salad and slices of cold meats such as jamón Serrano and chorizo.

Malaga salad

Spanish oranges (naranjas) are in season between January and March, so I’ve squeezed this recipe into the blog as a celebratory farewell (hasta el año que viene)! It may seem surprising to add oranges to a potato based salad but their sweet, tartness really lifts the dish beautifully and is perfect for al fresco eating. This salad is often made with bacalao (salted cod) however here I’ve used tuna as it has a lighter flavour.

As a child Juani would go to José’s local corner shop with a small tub and buy 2 pesetas worth of tuna which he would spoon out the from the shop’s own large tin on the counter. This would be shared by the entire family of seven, so mixing it into a salad allowed it to go further.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2kg new potatoes
4-6 spring onions
4 eggs
300g tuna/ bacalou
2 oranges
Good handful of green olives stuffed with red peppers (pimentos)
10 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs white wine vinegar
Salt

Method

1. Place the potatoes in a large sauce pan and boil them in their skins (15 – 20 mins). Drain and leave aside to cool.
2. Now hard boil the eggs (10 mins). Once cooked place in cold water to cool.
3. Meanwhile finely chop the spring onions and slice the olives.
4. Peel the the cooled potatoes using the back of a knife and cut into quarters (or bite size pieces)
5. Shell the eggs and cut into quarters.
6. Peel and slice the orange.
7. Place the chopped ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add the tuna, olive oil, vinegar and salt. (Leave aside one of the sliced eggs, half the tuna, a few slices of Orange and olives for garnish)
8. Now mix thoroughly taking care not to break up the eggs.
9. Turn the ingredients into a serving dish and garnish with the saved ingredients.

Chickpeas with cod This dish is traditionally eaten during Semana Santa (Holy Week) – the week leading up to Easter Sunday. The warmth of the chickpeas combined with the chunky succulent texture of the cod works incredibly well together and the simple sauce brings the dish alive. Chard (acelga) is usually used, but can be substituted with spinach which I have done here.

Serves 4 Ingredients 1kg cooked chickpeas/ 500g dried chickpeas 500g cod 200g spinach/ chard 3 cloves of garlic 1 red pepper roughly chopped 1/4 of a stale white baguette 4 bay leaves 1tsp sweet paprika 500ml vegetable stock Extra virgin olive oil Method

1. Preparing the chickpeas – If using dried chickpeas soak them in plenty of cold water overnight to rehydrate. Drain the excess water and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly. Place them in a large saucepan of salted water along with 2 bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cook for 45-60 mins or until soft. (If you have a pressure this will only take 20 mins). Once cooked drain, remove the bay leaves and leave aside. If using canned chickpeas drain, rinse and leave aside.
2. Take the skin off the garlic cloves and leave whole, chop the red pepper roughly and rip the bread apart into 2cm cubed pieces (these ingredients are destined for the blender so you don’t have to be too precise)!
3. In a frying pan add a generous glug or two of olive oil and gently fry the garlic for about 3 mins or until slightly golden.
4. Remove the garlic and leave aside.
5. In the same frying pan add the bread and fry until golden.
6. Put the the fried bread, garlic and raw pepper into a blender / pestle and mortar and blend into a paste.
7. In another pan add your stock, paprika and 2 bay leaves. Heat the pan so that the stock begins to simmer and add the pieces of cod. Poach the cod for about 10 mins or until the flesh starts to fall apart. Remove the fish from the pan.
8. Once the cod is cool enough, remove the skin and break the flesh into small pieces.
9. Now add the chickpeas, paste and spinach to the poaching water. Stir well.
10. Once the spinach starts to wilt gently stir in the pieces of cod.
11. Serve with a good hunk of bread.

Grandma Maria’s rice

This is a humble version of a paella, and is absolutely delicious. My grandmother made it for the family using what few ingredients she could afford and would chargrill the red pepper on an anafre or anafe de carbon. This is a portable stove like bbq which would have been placed outside the home and was typically used to grill fish. The traditional anafres were earthen however Maria’s was made and sold by local gypsies using a large recycled tin can. A hole was cut out of the bottom to fan the flames and another at the top on which a grill would have been placed.

This dish with its vibrance of colours brings a real warmth to the table particularly on a cold winter’s day and is ideal for veggies as the tuna is optional. Delicious on its own, a simple salad dressed with olive oil and white wine vinegar compliments the dish perfectly.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 green bell pepper (use another colour if you prefer)
1 red bell pepper (grilled whole so don’t chop it up!)
250g easy cook rice
A handful of garden peas (frozen or fresh)
1 tin of tuna (optional)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 bay leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Firstly place a whole red pepper under the grill. You’ll need to keep a watchful eye on it and gradually turn the pepper when the skin is charred. Do this until the whole pepper is grilled. Leave aside to cool.
2. Finely chop the onion, green pepper and garlic.
3. Add a good glug of oil to a large saucepan or sauté pan. Heat the oil and add the onions and cook for 2 minutes on a low to medium heat.
4. Add the chopped green pepper and garlic and cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Stir occasionally.
5. Rinse the rice under a cold tap to remove any excess starch and add to the pan. Give the ingredients a good stir, coating the rice with the oil and vegetables.
6. Add the stock, turmeric and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. Add a little more water to the pan if the rice starts to stick.
7. After 10 minutes add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Stir in half the tuna.
9. Core and peel the grilled red pepper and slice length ways.
10. To serve add the rice to the dishes and add a few strands of the sliced pepper and a sprinkling of the remaining tuna.