Asparagus with Serrano Ham

Ingredients

• 5 green asparagus.
• 5 slices of tender Serrano Ham. 
• Water.
• 1 teaspoon Salt.
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil.
• Mayonnaise (regular mayonnaise, saffron mayonnaise or cumin mayonnaise).

Directions

• Trim the woody ends from the asparagus by bending each stalk near the bottom and discarding the bit where it naturally breaks.
• Wash the asparagus and peel any thick, woody stems.
• Heat water with salt into a pan until boiling.
• Blanch the asparagus spears in the boiling water for 10 seconds. The remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer to a tray.
• It’ll give the asparagus a bright green color.
• Wrap a slice of ham around each asparagus, leaving the tip of the asparagus visible.

• Heat a pan with the olive oil.

• Add the asparagus and saute it during 2-3 minutes.
• Serve with mayonnaise.

Tips

• It’s recommended to use tender ham (not very cured) as it’ll be easier to wrap the asparagus in.
• They can also be made on a bbq instead of the pan.

Esparragos con Jamón Serrano

Ingredientes

• 5 Espárragos verdes.
• 5 lonchas de Jamón serrano tierno, en lonchas.
• Agua.
• 1 cucharadita de sal.
• 1 cucharada de aceite de oliva.
• Mahonesa (normal, de azafrán o de comino).

Preparación

• Quitar las bases fibrosas de los espárragos. Para ello coger el espárrago entre el índice y el pulgar de ambas manos por la parte inferior, dóblalo y el mismo se partirá por un punto natural.
• Lavar los espárragos y quitar (raspando con un cuchillo afilado) cualquier tallo duro que sobresalga del tronco del espárrago.  
• Calentar en un cazo agua con sal.
• Escalda los espárragos metiéndolos durante 10 segundos en el agua hirviendo. Sácalos con una espumadera y ponlos en una bandeja.
• Habrán tomado un color verde más intenso.
• Envolver los espárragos con el jamón, dejando las puntas visibles. 

• Saltearlos 2-3 minutos en una sartén.

• Sírvelos acompañados de mahonesa.

Consejos

• Se recomienda usar un jamón poco curado, tierno. Para que se maneje mejor y los espárragos queden bien envueltos.
• También puedes hacerlos en una barbacoa en vez de en la sartén.

Stocks

Stocks are used to many recipes such as rices, soups or sauces.

Sometimes we use stock or stock cubes bought from shops. Good as they are for an emergency, homemade stock is healthier, more natural and with less fats and salt.

They last for 3 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen.

Here we explain how to make them. Depending on whether we want fish, chicken or shellfish stock the combination of vegetables and spices will be different.

• Fish Stock
• Chicken Stock
• Shellfish Stock

Tips:

• You can concentrate the stock by boiling it, and then freeze in ice cubes and store in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer. This way it is easier to unfreeze just what you need with each recipe and use it as stock cubes.

• Instead of using a strain you can use a thin cotton fabric. The stock will be more clear.

Shellfish Stock

Makes about 1,5 litres

• 500 gr. shellfish heads and shells (for example from shrimp, lobster, and/or crab).
• 1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped.
• 1 Celery stalk, washed and chopped.
• 2 Carrots peeled and chopped.
• 2 ripped Tomato, chopped.
• 1 Fennel bulb, chopped (optional).
• 2 Garlic cloves, smashed.
• 300 ml. White Wine.
• 100 ml. Brandy.
• 500 ml. cold water.
• 500 ml de fish stock (or water instead)
• 1 dried Bay leave.
• 2 star anise.
• ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns.
• 1 sprig of fresh Thyme.
• Some threads of Saffron.
• 2 tablespoon olive oil.

Directions

• Break large shell pieces.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of the oil, heads and shells over a baking tray.
• Place the tray into the cold oven and heat it untill 200ºC for 15-20 minutes.
• Deglaze: After shells are cooked in the oven add wine to the backing tray to loosen and dissolve the brown bits and pan drippings at the bottom of the pan that form during cooking and basting. This pulls all the flavor possible out of the cooking process.
• Keep the mixture to use it later.
• Meanwhile heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery and fennel.
• Stir-fry until the sugar from the vegetables caramelizes and the colour turn golden brown. About 8 minutes.
• Pour in the Brandy and boil vigorously for 2-3 minutes stirring until almost dry. 
• Add the shell mixture we kept aside before, the tomato, saffron, bay, anise, pepper, stock and water.
• Bring just to the boil.
• With a metal spoon, skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
• De-scum occasionally.
• Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Strain the stock though a fine mesh strainer and use or store as required.

Tip

• The fennel bulb brings up the fish and shellfish flavor. If you can get it, don’t hesitate to use it.

Chicken Stock

Makes about 1,5 Litres

• 1 Kg of raw Chicken. You can use the whole chicken, chicken carcasses or bony joins (wings or drumsticks are best) but not visceras.
• 1,5 big Onions, peeled and chopped.
• 2 Celery stalks, washed and chopped.
• 1 Leek, cleaned and roughly chopped.
• 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped.
• 2 Garlic cloves, smahed.
• 2,5 L. cold Water.
• 1 dried Bay leave.
• 1 sprig of fresh Thyme.

Directions

• If we have a whole chicken we keep the breasts aside for another recipe.
• Wash the chicken to remove any blood from it as it would give a bitter taste, and cut the chicken in quarters.
• Put chicken into a large pan. Add cold water until it completely covers the chicken and bring to the boil.
• With a metal spoon, skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
• Place in it all the others ingredients and bring just to the boil, again.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 4 hours (or 1:30 hours in a pressure cooker).
• De-scum occasionally.
• Strain the stock though a fine mesh strainer and use or store as required.
• Separate the chicken meat from the bones to use it in other recipes (“Croquetas”, Soups, Pasta, Salads, Sandwiches,…)

Fish Stock

Makes about 1,5 Litres

• 1 Kg washed Fish bones, such as hake, monkfish, cod and conger.
• 1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped.
• 1 Celery stalk, washed and chopped.
• 1 Leek, cleaned and roughly chopped.
• 2 Garlic cloves, smashed.
• ½  Fennel bulb, chopped (optional).
• 300 ml. White Wine.
• 2 L. cold Water.
• 1 dried Bay leave.
• ½ teaspoon Black peppercorns.

Directions

• Put the fish bones and wine in a large pan.
• Cook until the wine has evaporated.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot including the water.
• Bring just to the boil.
• With a metal spoon, skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• De-scum occasionally.
• Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
• Strain the stock though a fine mesh strainer and use or store as required.

Tips

• Do not use mackerel, skate, mullet, or salmon in this recipe, their taste is too strong and heavy.
• The fennel bulb brings up the  flavors from fish and shellfish. If you can get it don’t hesitate to use it.

Caldos, Fumet, Fondos

Los caldos, fumet o fondos sirven como base para multitud de elaboraciones como por ejemplo un buen arroz, sopas, cremas o salsas.

Muchas veces recurrimos a los envasados o bien a las pastillas de caldo que encontramos en las tiendas. Y aunque para una emergencia pueden servir, un caldo casero siempre será más sano y natural y con menos grasas y sal.

Tienen una vida de 3 días refrigerados o de 2 meses si están congelados.

Aquí explicaremos como hacerlos, ya que según sean de pescado, pollo o marisco combinan mejor unas u otras verduras y especias.

• Fumet de pescado
• Caldo de pollo
• Fumet de marisco

Consejos:

• Antes de congelar, y una vez terminado el caldo, lo podemos poner en un cazo a fuego para que reduzca y se concentre.
  Así luego podemos congelarlo en cubiteras. Una vez congelado se saca de las cubiteras y se almacena e una bolsa en el congelador. Así lo podemos usar como si fuesen pastillas de caldo concentrado cada vez que lo necesitemos.

• En vez de un colador fino para colar los caldos se puede usar una “estameña”. Es una tela de algodón fina para filtrar y que queden más limpios. Tienes que mojarla y escurrirla justo antes de usarla.