Pintxos Evening

[Lady Nom]

Serrano ham and tomato spread

 

Another supper club down and once again we’re very grateful to our lovely guests who allow for these events to keep happening. As explained in my previous post the theme for last week’s supper club was Pintxos. We started with small bite sized plates and moved up to larger Basque influenced sharing plates for the table. One of the things that I enjoy most about these events is being able to serve dishes that I don’t think people would ordinarily order off a menu, and there were a few of them this weekend, fortunately this has gone down well with our guests and I’m having fun coming up with some quirky dishes for our next best of British menu. Here are a few recipes and pictures from Saturday:

Gigante beans with Boquerones

 450g cooked dried gigante beans

4 small piquillo peppers, stemmed seeded and cut into strips

2 tbs finely chopped chives

3 tbs flat leaf parsley

2 tbs fresh basil.

3 tbs red wine vinegar

3 tbs extra virgin oil

Salt and pepper

8-12 cured boquerones

4-6 hard cooked eggs.

 1.       Combine the peppers, herbs, oil, salt and red wine vinegar to create a dressing. Toss the cooked beans in the dressing and leave to marinade for at least four hours.

2.       Plate up individual portions of the bean salad and dress with the boquerones and quartered boiled eggs.

 

Oysters with paprika mayonnaise

Oysters and Paprika Mayonnaise

 

8 Oysters

2 eggs, beaten.

Bowl of flour

Bowl of bread crumbs.

Handful of capers.

Mayonnaise:

2 egg yolks

¼ tsp Dijon mustard.

1 tbs white wine vinegar

200ml sunflower oil.

25 ml Olive oil.

1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika.

 

Preparing the oysters:

 The trick to opening oysters quickly and with as little mess as possible follow these four easy steps:

1.       Have one tea towel on your work surface to prevent the oyster from slipping and another to cradle your oyster in.

2.       Using either an oyster knife, or a kitchen knife without out the point, or one that you don’t mind the point breaking off, find the hinge of the oyster at the pointed end of the shell.

3.       Wiggle your knife until you feel the catch release and slowly move your knife around the edge of the shell keeping the top of the knife in the arc of the shell.

4.       Cut through the joining muscle on the roof of the shell and gently pry the oyster open.

 

To prepare the oysters for deep frying:

 

1.       Carefully remove the oyster meat from the shells and lay out on clean kitchen towel ensuring that there is no grit on the meat.

2.       Roll the meat in flour, coat in egg and then roll in breadcrumbs. Store in a kitchen towel lined Tupperware until ready to fry.

 

For the Mayonnaise:

 

1.       Lightly beat the egg yolks, mustard, salt and vinegar together.

2.       Drop by drop add the combined oils, beating constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Do not rush this, eggs can only absorb oil at a certain rate and if you add the oil too quickly the mixture will split.

3.       Once the mixture begins to thicken you can start to add the oil a little quicker, still beating constantly, again do not rush this.

4.       Once you have a mayonnaise of a thick consistency stir through the smoked paprika, put in a storage container and refrigerate.

 

Constructing the dish:

 

1.       Spoon a tea spoon of the mayonnaise into a cleaned oyster shell.

2.       Deep fry the oysters until golden brown.

3.       Quickly fry some capers and use these to dress the shells.

4.       Place the oysters on top of the mayonnaise and capers. Serve immediately.

Squid cooked in ink

 As I said I was particularly nervous about serving this dish. It tastes fantastic but is certainly not the most appealing in appearance. Thankfully our guests were adventurous, gave it a go and enjoyed it. If you can get past the colour I dare you to try it!

1 Kg of cleaned chipirones or sliced large squid.

2 medium onions diced, diced

1 Kg of ripe tomatoes, diced

2 green peppers, diced

3 garlic cloves

4 sachets of squid ink. (If you are buying and cleaning your own squid use the reserved ink sacs from the cleaning process, otherwise use pre-sachet squid ink – an awful lot simpler and a lot less mess).

300ml dry white wine

200ml fish stock

olive oil

Salt and black ground pepper.

 

1. Pour some olive oil in a big sauce pan (enough to cover the surface). Add the chopped onion and when transparent add one minced garlic clove.
2. When fragrant add the squid seasoned with some salt and pepper.
3. As the squid, cook through then add 2 sachets of squid ink and stir until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Add the wine and turn on a low heat while you prepare a sofrito.
5. In a large frying pan prepare a sofrito by frying off in olive oil the other chopped onion, 3 diced garlic cloves and the peppers.
6. When softened add the tomatoes. Season to taste and cook at a medium/low, stirring occasionally, heat until all the liquid has evaporated.
7. Use a hand blender to puree the vegetables and then push through a fine sieve to get a smooth sauce.
8. Combine the sauce with the squid and add the additional 2 packs of squid ink and fish stock.
9. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. The whole dish should take about 30 minutes to cook.
10. Dress with parsley and serve

 

Almond ice cream with almond brittle, lemon honey mousse, churros and chocolate

Deliciousness

 

Almond ice cream, this is a KBF recipe

 500g flaked almonds, crushed

675ml whole milk

9 egg yolks

105g sugar

1.       Lightly toast the almonds under a grill or in a large frying pan. WATCH them at all times as the toast and subsequently burn very quickly.

2.       Place the toasted almonds in a large pan with the milk on the stove.

3.       Bring to the boil then remove from the heat, cover with Clingfilm and leave to completely cool.

4.       Strain the cold almond milk through muslin, removing all of the flakes.

5.       Weigh the almond milk into the TM bowl, if it is less than 675 top up with whole milk.

6.       Add the other ingredients to the TM bowl and cook for 10m/80oC/Speed 4.

7.       Mix for 5 seconds speed 5 before transferring to a glass bowl to cool.

8.       Once completely cool churn in an ice cream maker until frozen.

9.       Spoon into a plastic container and reserve in the freezer.

 Lemon Honey Mousse

4 egg yolks

2 eggs

75 ml lemon juice

60 ml runny honey

60 ml cold butter, cubed

375 ml whipping cream

1.       In heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks, eggs, lemon juice and honey.

2.       Place over saucepan of simmering water over low heat; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture can mound on spoon, about 10 minutes.

3.       Strain into large bowl. Add butter and stir until the butter melts.

4.       Cover with Clingfilm and refrigerate until cold (about 2 hours. This can also be prepped in advance and kept in the fridge for up to two days).

5.       In a bowl, whip the cream and fold one-third into lemon mixture.

6.       When fully incorporated Fold in remaining cream.

7.       To serve these I scooped out the inside of the lemons that I had juiced, drizzled a little honey into the bottom and scooped the mousse in on top. The lemon halves were then frozen so that they could be cut into wedges and then left to thaw in the fridge.

 

Almond Brittle

100g flaked almonds

100g golden caster sugar

50g butter

1/2 Tsp salt

1. Lightly grease a baking tray.
2. Lightly toast the almonds either under the grill or in a large frying pan, watching all the time to make sure that they don’t burn.
3. Put the sugar, butter and salt in a heavy based frying pan with 4 tbs of water.
4. Heat through slowly, stirring occasionally until a thick dark caramel has formed.
5. Pout over the almonds, tilting if necessary to ensure even coverage.
6. Leave to cool.
7. Break into shards for serving.

 

Churros

250ml water

125g butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

250g plain flour

3 eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

60g sugar

 

1. Place the water, butter and salt in a large pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. (To do this in a KBF place the ingredients in the bowl and cook at varoma/speed spoon until boiling).
2. Using a wooden spoon incorporate the flour stirring vigorously until the dough forms a ball. (KBF: insert the butterfly, add the flour and set for 1 min/100oC/speed 4)
3. Remove the dough from the heat; gradually beat in the eggs, stirring constantly until a sticky dough is formed. (KBF: Wait for the bowl to cool a little then set the speed to 4. Gradually add the beaten egg through the lid. Leave set at speed 4 for 2 minutes).
4. Scoop into a piping bag and reserve until needed for frying.

To fry the churros:

1. Bring oil either in a deep pan or deep fat fryer to temperature.
2. Carefully pipe portions of the churro into the oil and fry until golden brown.
3. Remove from the oil and leave to drain on kitchen towel.
4. When cool enough to handle coat in sugar and serve immediately with chocolate dipping sauce.

Chocolate dipping sauce

1 tablespoon corn flour

500ml milk

120g dark chocolate, chopped. (I like quite bitter dark chocolate so used green and blacks 80% dark but a lighter chocolate can be used).

40g sugar

1. In a jug or bowl combine the corn flour with 250ml of milk and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan combine the chopped chocolate with the remaining 250ml of milk. (KBF: insert the butterfly into the bowl; add 250ml milk and the chocolate. Set to 8minutes/70oc/speed 1.)
3. Melt the chocolate over a medium/low heat stirring constantly.
4. Whisk the sugar and dissolved corn flour into the melted chocolate. (KBF: Add the sugar, milk and corn flour through the lid of the bowl).
5. Reduce to a low heat and cook for around a further 5 minutes until the chocolate is thickened.
6. Reserve in a warm place.

 

Quails

 

Salt Cod Courtesy of the Fish Society

 

Defrosting Lemon Mousse Wedges

 

Dipping Chocolate