KATKAT'S KITCHEN
RECIPES FROM KATKAT'S KITCHEN
Andalucia on a Plate – Decontructing Patatas Bravas
Am I qualified to speak about Andalucia on a plate – you may well ask yourself. I have lived in Andalucia for nigh on thirty years and I am getting the point of what goes on most plates. I love Spanish food, its vibrancy, the strong flavours of chorizo, the taste of sun ripened tomatoes, the freshest ingredients cooked simply. Whilst watching Masterchef I saw a plate of food I had to try and recreate because it was to me Andalucia on a plate.
In this case what constitutes Andalucia on a plate is fried hake to be found in every single bar that serves food from Malaga to Seville, as well as roast Padron peppers and a roast red pepper, the black stripe is a black beurre blanc made from the ink of a squid. The pièce de résistance that will cause more comment than anything else is the final innocuous little element – the Patatas Bravas.
Patatas bravas is not a recipe that you would think would think would or could cause arguments. Well let me tell me you that in Spain wars have been fought over patatas bravas. It is not a simple argument, but a complex layering of flavours that differ all over Spain. Spanish food has been influenced over the centuries, by the Romans, the Phoenicians, and the Moors. Different regions have been affected more than others by the conquerers. For instance where I live in the city of Malaga I live not a hundred yards away from the original Phoenician capital of Malaga. Yet for instance many of the men who conquered the New world were born, they were more influenced by the introduction of tomatoes.
Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad
Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad is a rich but delicate dish perfect for a Spring lunch
In Spain we have the most wonderful octopus and fresh chorizo and together they are a taste made in heaven. I will grant you that fresh octopus is not the most exciting thing in the world, and if is cooked wrong then it is awful – rubbery and hard. However this recipe calls for the octopus to be boiled first and then it is very very quick to assemble. The article below shows what an intelligent animal it is as well. This recipe was adapted from a recipe from the BBC.
Baby toys.. for an Octopus? | Marine Biology
The article I found was pretty interesting to me because it was talking about how an octopus is able to learn how to figure out simple mazes, figure out how to.
http://blogs.cordovasd.org/marinebio/
Ingredients for Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad
For the octopus
1 octopus, about 1.75kg – 2kg/4lb - 4lb 8oz
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
250g/8oz cooking chorizo sausage, cubed
5 spring onions, sliced
1 handful fresh oregano leaves
For the orange, nasturtium and herb salad
2 Spanish oranges, segments only
1 handful mint leaves
1 handful oregano leaves
15 unpitted Kalamata olives
5 spring onions, sliced
nasturtium flowers or orange pansies
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ lemon, juice only
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Method for Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad
For the octopus, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Beat the tentacles lightly with a meat mallet to tenderise then peel the skin away. Cut the head from the body, just below the eyes. Remove the beak from the centre of the tentacles by turning it inside out and pushing the beak through.
Add the salt to the boiling water then dunk the octopus three times in the boiling water. Add the vinegar then return the octopus to the pan and simmer for one hour. ( Cooks tip Dunking the octopus makes sure that the tentacles don’t seize during cooking and become hard and chewy. The key is to cook the octopus very slowly in simmering water; the vinegar helps tenderise the octopus.Dunking also stops the tentacles from curling)
Cut the tentacles into small chunks. Heat a frying pan until hot, add the chorizo and cook for few minutes until crisp. Add the spring onions and octopus pieces, along with the oregano leaves, and cook all together for further two minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
For the salad, combine the orange segments, herbs, olives and spring onions. Scatter with the flowers, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice then add the sesame seeds and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the octopus and chorizo.
Octopus, chorizo sausage and oregano with orange, nasturtium and herb salad, tenderising tips
If you have struggled to make octopus that is not rubbery buy from frozen as the action of freezing tenderises it. Then dont forget to dunk it in the boiling water.
Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham
Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham is a perfect start to the week. Monday’s are a challenge for me I spend two hours in the gym, and have a two mile walk there and back, so when I get back at 19.00 I am ravenous and ready for a Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham. The challenge came about because everyone in the house wanted pizza and they wanted a take away my challenge was to make a pizza faster than it took to order one in.
Obviously the pizza dough has to rise, so to start from scratch it takes longer, but I made the pizza dough earlier in the day. To make a good yeasty strong flexible pizza dough you need a strong flour, to get the gluten going and allow it to rise. I generally use a 0 grade flour which is good for breads and pasta and pizza. I always cook with olive oil, but when oil is heated there is no reason to use an extra virgin olive oil, save that for the salad dressing, a good quality Spanish or Italian virgin olive oil is fine. I go to Cordoba in Andalucia near my home once a year when the olives are being pressed and get a year’s supply.
It is never a good idea to roll out pizza dough I flatten it with my hand by bashing my knuckles against it, this leaves interesting dents which the tomato and cheese drop into a create thicker layers of cheese or tomato in places. Don’t be tempted to put the basil or parmesan on until the last minutes of cooking, because the basil will burn and the cheese will develop a hard crust.
The Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham Pizza Dough
Ingredients
For the dough
1/2 teaspoon of salt
A pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon of dried yeast
140ml warm water
180g strong plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 Tablespoon virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
Method
For the dough
To make the dough, mix warm water and yeast together and add the sugar. Sift the flour and salt onto your work surface, make a well in the centre and add the water mixture, with the olive oil. Use your hands to mix everything to create a sticky dough.
Wipe down your work surface with plenty of flour and knead the dough for at least five minutes, or until the pizza dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the pizza dough in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave in a warm place to rest for at least 30 minutes until the dough nearly doubles in size.
At this point you can carry straight on and make the pizza topping you do not have to go out to the gym for two hours. Although in my book buffallo mozzarella is the best variety, it contains too much water for a pizza dough, it makes the crust soggy, however, if you really want to use it freeze it, then defrost it until it is not quite defrosted and squeeze out the excess water.
The Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham Pizza Topping
450 passata or a home made tomato sauce
2 mozzarella balls, cubed
12 slices of Serrano ham (or use a good quality salami)
100g of pitted black pitted olives halved,
4 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
45g freshly grated parmesan cheese
20 fresh basil leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Push out the dough by punching it and then dent it with yur knuckles. Place the dough on an oiled baking sheet. Spread the passata over the pizza bases and season with the salt and pepper. Top with the cheese, serrano ham and olive and drizzle with the olive oil.
Cook about 18 minutes or until golden brown.Take it out of the oven ad put the parmesan on to top and the basil and pop back into the oven.
Serve the Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham with a bowl of salad with loads of black olives.
Don’t fancy a Spanish pizza with serrano ham try some ricotta dumplings
P.S. I won the Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham challenge I had nearly finished mine when the delivered in ones came!
P.P.S Spanish Pizza With Serrano Ham dough came be made in a bowl, I just use the old fashoined Italian way straight on the work surface, saves on the washing up!
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