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Panellets
Hello,
On 1st November it’s also a bank holiday in Spain, it’s now common to make some celebrations based on Halloween (or at least what we know about Halloween from TV and movies) like wearing like zombie on party, or kids asking for trick or treat on some homes. But it’s more common (at least in Catalania) to eat sweet potatoes or chestnuts roasted, with lot of places in the street offering them to you. Also is very traditional to buy panellets in bakeries, and this is the recipe I present to you today. They are absolutely delicious, easy to prepare, but they are not quick to cook.
Ingredients:
- 1 sweet potato or potato
- ½ kg icing sugar (or even regular sugar)
- ½ kg ground almonds
- 200 gr pine seeds
- 200 gr almond in small pieces
- Lemon zest
- 100 gr ground coconut
- 2 eggs
- Quince
So lets lets start boiling one sweet potato or regular potato in water for about half hour. Then wait about 25 minutes so you can peel the sweet potato easily and without burning your hands. Crush the sweet potato until you obtain a puree and place in a bowl. Add to the bowl lemon zest, ½ kg of icing sugar, ½ kg of ground almonds, a few drops of vanilla, and a whisked egg. Mix well everything until you obtain an homogeneous dough, then wrap it in transparent film and let rest in the fridge one night.
Next day divide the dough in 2, with one of the parts make small balls and reserve them. Divide again the remaining dough in two, to one of the parts add ground coconut, mix well and make a cylinder with the dough, cut in small pieces and with your hands give each piece conical shape. Add some flour on the surface you’re working and form a cylinder with the remaining dough, flatten the dough and place strips of quince all along the dough, then wrap the quince with the dough and cut in small pieces.
Now to make the almond panellets we will pass them through a whisked egg and then pass them through almond in very small pieces so this almond pieces stick to the ball. To make the pine seed panellets, pass the balls through the pine seed dish and press the pine seed against the ball so they stick to it. Just pass the quince panellets through the whisked egg. And with the coconut panellets pass each conical piece through egg and then spread ground coconut over them.
Finally before baking paint the almond and pine seeds panellets with whisked egg. Bake in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) for 18 minutes and then let rest at least 2 hours before eating them.
Music played in the video (Airport Lounge) was composed by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), also he is the owner of song’s rights which are released under a CC-BY license.
Important potatoes
Hello!
This time I come again with a vegetarian recipe, but a really good one for winter cold days. It’s a typical spanish recipe original from Palencia, and very economic.
Ingredients (for 1 person):
- 2 potatoes
- 1 onion
- Saffron
- 3 garlic cloves
- A bunch of parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- Paprika
- 1 egg
- Flour
- White wine
- About ½ litre of oil to fry
Let’s start peeling the potatoes and then slicing them, having slices about half centimetre thick. Pass each potato slices first through flour and then through a whisked egg.
Add oil in a pan or pot and wait for it to be hot, fry the potatoes in several batches for about 3 minutes. Then reserve them over paper towels in order to remove oil excess.
Chop an onion and put a bit of olive oil in a pot, then add the onion a bit of salt and 2 bay leaves. Stir from time to time and cook about 6-7 minutes. While cooking the onion put in a mortar 3 garlic cloves, a bit of saffron, a bit of salt and a bunch of parsly grinding them until well mixed.
Add a bit of white wine in the pot, the content of the mortar, one teaspoon of paprika and the already fried potatoes. Add enough water to cover the potatoes passing above like 2 fingers and cook for 20 minutes. Instead of stiring it, just shake the pot in order to avoid break the potatoes.
Music played in the video (Airport Lounge) was composed by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), also he is the owner of song’s rights which are released under a CC-BY license.
Cocido montañés
Hello,
Recently on the video explaining quesada pasiega recipe a youtube user (digbychick) suggested me to show how to prepare another typical dish from Cantabria, and based on the description done by him I supposed it was cocido montañés. Fortunately I bring an apron from my holidays last summer in Cantabria on which is printed the recipe. It’s a really nice recipe for cold days, it’s really easy to prepare, perhaps it’s only difficulty will be bring to home all ingredients, so better write down the list before going to market 🙂
Ingredients (4 people):
- 200 gr white beans
- 200 gr fresh bacon
- 1 pig’s trotter
- 1 pig’s ear
- 250 gr pork chop
- 4 blood sausages
- 1 piece of ham bone
- 1 potato
- 1 turnip
- ½ cabbage
- 2 garlic cloves
- Sweet paprika
On a bit pot add one pig’s trotter, one pig’s ear, 200 gr of fresh bacon, a piece of ham bone, 250 gr of pork chop. And 200 gr of white beans, these beans must be in water all the night before, taking in mind they would double their size. Add also some salt and cover all ingredients with cold water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 2 hours, take a look from time to time, and if it’s getting short of water add more water, but heat it first otherwise you will break the cook process.
After 2 hours cooking add ½ cabbage, 1 turnip and 1 potato all them cut in small pieces and cook them for 20 minutes, add also the blood sausages.
While vegetables are cooking add a bit of oil in a pan, and add 2 laminated garlic cloves when the oil is still cold. When garlic becomes golden turn off the heat and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika, then mix them. Put the garlic and paprika in a mortar and grind them. Then add this mix to the pot, you can help with the water to get the most of the mix. Now just wait the 20 minutes from vegetables aggregation and your cocido montañés is ready.
Music played in the video (Airport Lounge) was composed by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com), also he is the owner of song’s rights which are released under a CC-BY license.
Lentils
Hello!
On our spanish site a reader proposed us to cook lentils, which a very common recipe in Spain in the table spoon dish sort of category. I already had this idea in mind but never get materialized until now. This recipe is similar to my mother’s lentils, and I was satisfied with the result so I share it with you:
Ingredients (for 2 people)
- 150 gr lentils
- 100 gr ham
- 100 gr chorizo
- 2 carrots
- 2 medium size potatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tomato
- 1 onion
- Some bay leaves
Hi to prepare this recipe start adding 150gr of lentils in a recipient, then cover with water and let stay the lentils in water for at least ½ hour. No it’s time to cut some ingredients. Cut the chorizo onto small slices, as it has lot of fat use less chorizo and more ham, and even don’t use chorizo at all if you prefer. Cut 1 onion is 4 pieces. Peel 2 potatoes and cut in regular pieces.
On a big pot add 2 carrots (well cleaned so they won’t left dust), the onion, the potatoes, one tomato cut in half, 100 gr of ham cut in really small pieces, chorizo, some bay leaves, 3 peeled garlic cloves, the lentils and some salt.
Add plenty of water, cover wit a lid and cook between 50 minutes and 1 hour. Check if you need more salt, near the end of cook time taste lentils to check if you need to cook them for more time.
This recipe is a good choice for taking tupperware to work, but it will be better if you remove the potatoes.
Porrusalda
Hello!
Porrusalda makes me nostalgic from the days I’ve spent working in Madrid, but I’ve never tasted this recipe, which was a great mistake. This recipe comes from north Spain and it is simple to prepare and great to taste, specially on winter.
Ingredients (2 people)
- 2 leeks (or 1 big leek)
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- Sweet paprika
- Small portion of chili (optional)
Hi this porrusalda is a lovely recipe, it’s easy to prepare but with a great taste and it’s a nice choice for winter nights. Cut the leek in pieces of about 3 cms. Add olive oil in a pot, just enough to barely cover the base. Don’t let the oil get to hot before adding the leek, a small portion of chili if you like spicy, one crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper. Move and cook for about a minute. Add sweet paprika, move and quickly add water. It’s important to add water quickly, otherwise paprika will burn and taste bad. Cook for 18 minutes.
Then add 2 potatoes previously peeled cut in regular pieces. Add more water if needed, also taste to check if you need more salt. Cook for 22 minutes and your porrusalda is ready.
Baked beef steak with potatoes and green mojo sauce
Hi,
This is a complete recipe: meat, potatoes and green mojo sauce (a sauce from the Canary Islands). Be aware if you like undercooked meat, because in this recipe the meat will become well, well and once again well done. It’s really great the taste of potatoes cooked on the oven, and impregnated with the juices and fat drop from the beef steak, really delicious with or without the green mojo sauce.
Ingredients (1 person):
- 1 beef steak
- 2 small potatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- Parsley
- Coriander
- Black peppercorns
Clean the potatoes and then cut them into slices, there is no need to peel them. Place the beef steak in the center of an oven tray. Place the potatoes around the beef steak. On this way potatoes will absorve juices and fat drop from the steak. Add salt to potatoes and cook in the oven at 350º F for one hour.
To prepare the green mojo sauce add to a mortar 3 garlic cloves, parsley, some black peppercorns, coriander and rock salt. Grind with the pestle. Add olive oil and mix it again. Add more or less oil depending if you prefer the sauce more liquid or dense.
Turn the beef steak every 10 or 15 minutes. The first time you turn it, add rock salt in the other side of the steak.
Egg basket
Well, this is an original recipe of the house, putting a little imagination and mixing steps of some other recipes because you can always end up being something original andsomething also quite rich.
Ingredients:
- 250 g of potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1 blood sausage
- Cheese to grate (parmeggiano, grana padano, old amsterdam …)
Peel potatoes and cut in a similar pieces, add to a pot with hot water and salt; left on the fire for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Drain potatoes and put into a dish, add a little salt, pepper and grated cheese. With the help of a fork crush the potatoes. Use a mold to form the basket with the potatoes,put potatoes in the base and smash against the bottom, then put more potatoes forming a wall. Carefully unmold the potato basket.
Remove the skin of a blood sausage and cut into slices. Put 3 slices in the basket and the rest on the oven tray,cook in the oven at 350º F (180º C) for 20 minutes.
Take out of the oven and add an egg to the basket, put over salt, black pepper and grated cheese, put the oven in gratin position and cook for 3 minutes.
Fisherman’s pie
Ingredients (for 3-4 people):
- 750 gr fish (without skin and without spines)
- 1 onion
- 1 glass white wine.
- 1 carrot
- 1 egg
- 350-400 gr potatoes
- Some thyme and rosemary
- Cheese to grate (parmegiano, grana padano, old amsterdam …)
Start chopping one onion. I used cod and salmon but you can use any other fish, without spines and without skin, even use some prawns.
Peel the potatoes, cut in regular pieces and add to a pot with boling water with a bit of salt. Cook them for about 15 minutes until the are soft.
Add olive oil to a pan, when the oil is hot add chopped onion a bit of salt and move it. Add one graten carrot, and cotinue moving frequently.
When carrot and onion are well cooked, add some thyme and rosemary, the fish cut in not too small pieces, and a glass of white wine. Crush the fish with a wooden spoon and maintain cooking and moving until the wine is evaporated.
Add some salt and an egg to the already stained potatoes. Crush and mix them with a fork to form a puree.
Add the fish in an oven recipient. Over the fish distribute uniformly the puree. Grate cheese over the puree (you can use parmigiano, grana padano, old amsterdam or your favourite one).
Make some holes with a fork and put in the oven at 350º F (180º C) for 20 minutes and finally 5 minutes on the gratin position.
Mushroom bombs
Ingredients:
- 2-3 potatoes
- 500 gr mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves
- Parsley
- Cheese to grate
- 1 egg
Start chopping 3 garlic cloves. Chop a bunch of parsley. Clean the mushrooms and cut them in 4 pieces. Peel the potates, cut in regular pieces and add them in hot water with a bit of salt, let cook for 15 minutes until they are soft.
Add olive oil in a pan, and when it’s hot add mushrooms and salt. When the mushrooms start to loose their water add the choped garlic and parsley; move them in the pan to mix uniformly. When the lost water is evaporated add oil and move the mushrooms until they are to your taste.
Put the potatoes in a bowl and add an egg, salt and pepper, and grated cheese. I used Old Amsterdam cheese, but you can also use parmeggiano. Crush the potatoes with a fork , while also mixing all ingredients well.
Now took a spoon of potatoe in your hand, put some mushrooms in the middle, wrap them with the potate forming a ball. Add some grated cheese over each ball and cook in the oven at 350º F for 25-30 minutes.
Tuna pot (marmitako)
This tuna pot (called Marmitako in spanish) is a typical dish from north region in Spain. It’s a nice recipe for cold days to get warm soon 🙂
Ingredients:
- 400 gr tuna
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper
- 1 red pepper
- 1l fish stock
- 1 potato
Start cutting a green and a red pepper in squares; chop an onion (and you can see in this video how to do it). On a stewpan add olive oil and when it’s hot add chopped onion and cut peppers. Add salt. Cook them for 10 minutes moving from time to time. Add one peeled potato cut in similar pieces, bring the knive close to the edge potato and then twist your wrist to break the potato. Cook the potato with vegetables for about 4 minutes.
Then add 1l of fish stock, my advice is to prepare fish stock at home, but if you don’t have enough time or don’t feel like bought fish stock gives you also a good result. Let fish stock cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft.
Cut tuna in cubes and add to the stewpan, cook for 2 minutes and your recipe is ready. Look how its color change after 2 minutes of cooking.
Recipes from Spain 