AN ABUNDANCE OF LETTUCE

 

Too cold for salad; lettuce soup!

After a few rainy days and some sunshine the kitchen garden is flourishing. The lettuce looks gorgeous and it’s time to start picking. But with temperatures so low, I have no desire to eat salad. 

I’ve added chopped lettuce to my usual vegetable soup, but, searching for something a little different, I was delighted to find this recipe for a Spanish lettuce soup on the blog Me Sabe a Málaga ("it tastes like Málaga") by Ana Abellán. 

Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency without any dairy. Made with vegetable stock or water, the soup is a nourishing vegetarian dish. For my rendition, I used homemade chicken stock and finished the soup with poached egg. 

Cooked lettuce is nicely chewy. Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency.

Poach eggs right in the soup. 

Lettuce Soup

Sopa de Lechuga

Beaten eggs can be stirred in to thicken the soup or, alternatively, one egg per person can be poached in the soup. Serve the soup with bread which can be broken up into the soup, as desired.

Serves 4.

From garden to soup pot.

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 slices bread

¼ cup blanched almonds

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed to split the skins 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 leek, chopped

4 cups chopped or shredded lettuce

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped ham (optional)

2-4 eggs

Sprigs of fresh mint

Fry bread, almonds.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil on medium-high in a pan. Fry the bread, almonds and garlics until they are golden. Skim them out. Discard garlic skins and place the garlics in a blender container with the bread and almonds. Reserve.

Add the onion and leek to the pan with additional oil, if needed. Sauté them gently until softened, 4 minutes. Add the lettuce and sauté until lettuce is wilted. Add the stock or water, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes. 

Ladle some of the broth from the pan into the container with the fried bread, almonds, and garlic. Let it stand 5 minutes to soften the bread, then blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan. Add ham, if using. Cook 5 minutes.

Stir 2 beaten eggs into the soup or break 4 eggs into the soup and poach them until whites are set and yolks still runny.

Ladle soup and eggs into bowls and serve the soup garnished with mint sprigs. 

Second day, I reheated the lettuce soup with chunks of lacón, smoked ham.

More recipes--mostly salads--with lettuce:
Lettuce Salad with Everything 

Lettuce Hearts with Garlic and Asparagus

Gazpacho with Cucumbers and Lettuce 

Spanish Mixed Salad 

Springtime Vegetable Stew with Dumplings 

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

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MY FAVORITE TAPA? SIZZLING SHRIMP WITH GARLIC

 

A classic tapa: Gambas al ajillo--shrimp and garlic sizzled in olive oil.

I wrote a whole book about Spanish tapas, choosing recipes for the most loved dishes from around the country. Of them, I think my favorite is gambas al ajillo, shrimp sizzled in olive oil with lots of chopped garlic. In tapa bars it is usually served in small cazuelitas, eight to twelve small shrimp in bubbling olive oil with slivers of garlic. Bread is the classic accompaniment. 

But, sizzle the shrimp in a skillet and serve with rice or pasta and the shrimp become more than a tapa, a fine main dish for family or guests. 

Two important points: one, the shrimp should be completely peeled, including the tail, and two, extra virgin olive oil is essential. Butter is not a substitute! Variations, however, are acceptable: in this version, I added spinach greens.

REINVENTING A CLASSIC TAPA

January 26, 2019

From the tascas of Madrid to the tapa bars of Málaga, gambas al ajillo—sizzling, garlicky shrimp—is a favorite tapa (known as gambas al pil pil in Málaga). That’s because it’s a real sensory experience: first you catch a tantalizing whiff of garlic. As the lid is lifted from the little clay dish, the oil spits and splutters. Small pink shrimp, golden slices of garlic and red flecks of chile dance in the oil. Dip chunks of bread into the sizzling juices and fork up the tender shrimp. Wow.

Because it’s a classic, I included Sizzling Garlic Shrimp on the tapas menu for a cooking class I had last week in my kitchen. But, after the meatballs and tortilla, boquerones and orange salad, plus a lot of chatter, we never got to the shrimp. So, the following day, I cooked the shrimp that I had prepped for the class for myself. But I pretty much reinvented the classic.

A few changes on classic gambas al ajillo (sizzling shrimp)--pieces of chorizo and a slosh of fino Sherry go into the bubbling oil.

I had already begun the variations on the traditional recipe. For convenience, I bought frozen langostinos*—jumbo shrimp—instead of fresh gambas—small to medium shrimp that are usually used for this dish. And, now that I have an induction cooktop, I can no longer use the little earthenware cazuelitas. So I cooked all of the shrimp in a deep skillet, instead of in individual servings.

Some leftover soft chorizo and an open bottle of fino manzanilla (Sherry from Sanlucar de la Barrameda) inspired more changes.  And, because I think green leafy vegetables improve just about anything, I added a handful of chopped spinach.

First I served the shrimp, sort of like the original tapa, with chunks of bread to sop up the savory juices. For another meal, I served the shrimp, chorizo and spinach with all their spicy juices over cooked rice. 

Jumbo shrimp in olive oil with chorizo and bits of hot chile.

You'll need chunks of bread to soak up the savory juices.

A tapa becomes a meal--the sautéed shrimp with garlic and chorizo plus spinach, served over rice. Fino (dry) manzanilla or Sherry is the perfect wine pairing for the shrimp.

Sizzling Garlic Shrimp with Sausage and Spinach
Gambas al Ajillo con Chorizo y Espinacas

As a tapa, I had portioned four jumbo shrimp per person. So I had 20 peeled shrimp weighing 13 ounces. That made three good-sized servings (main dish with rice) or four smaller servings as a starter. Incidentally, the shrimp for this dish are peeled--including the tails. I used soft cooking chorizo** but sliced, hard-cured chorizo could be used too. And, I bet leafy chard or kale would be as good as spinach in this dish.

½ cup olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced crosswise
4 slices dried chile or red pepper flakes
2 ounces chorizo sausage, chopped
20 peeled jumbo shrimp (about 14 ounces)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
¼ cup fino (dry) Sherry
Salt
Chopped parsley
Cooked rice as an accompaniment (optional)

Shrimp sauté in minutes.

Heat the oil on medium-high in a deep frying pan. Add the garlic, chile and chorizo. When the garlic begins to turn pale gold (1-2 minutes), add the shrimp and spinach. Sauté, turning the shrimp, until it turns pink, 2-3 minutes. Add the Sherry and cook until the alcohol is cooked off, 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Serve the shrimp immediately, spooned over hot rice, if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Links to more recipes for shrimp "al ajillo," with a "little" garlic:

Sizzling Shrimp (classic al ajillo).

Pasta with Sizzling Garlic Shrimp

2008 (out of print)

Everything you wanted to know about tapas in Spain:

The Tapas Way of Life

Tapas in Sevilla 

Tapas for a Holiday Party 

Tapa-Hopping Round Town

Tapa Hopping Round Town-2

Tapas in Madrid

Tapas in a Time of Lockdown

Seafood Tapas

 

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

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WOULD YOU EAT THISTLES?

Tagarninas, wild thistle

Have you ever eaten tagarninas? They are a wild thistle, related to artichokes, gathered by country folk in late winter.  When I posted a recipe for tagarninas in the early days of this blog, a friend said, “no one is interested in wild thistles!” Maybe not. While I have cooked them only two or three times in the intervening years, I use this basic recipe for revuelto—scrambled eggs with vegetables—at least once a week. Eggs can be combined with asparagus, spinach, broccoli, etc.

WILD THINGS

January 11, 2010

Today at the village market I found big bunches of tagarninas, the tender stems of a wild thistle that makes its appearance in frosty January. Related to the artichoke, this thistle (Scolymus hispanicus) is foraged in upland areas of Andalusia and Extremadura.

I first tasted it in Extremadura, where it was cooked in a delicate vegetable flan. But, country folk who gather it usually fold the chopped stems into scrambled eggs. So that’s what I had for lunch today.

My first encounter with tagarninas in the wild was in the hills around the mountain town of Ronda, where I had gone to interview a goatherd. The goatherd showed me the plants growing. The first leaves appear after winter rains, forming a flat rosette about two feet across. Later in the summer the plant sends up tall stalks on which bloom yellow flowers. My guide pulled the whole plant up by the roots and, with bare hands, stripped off the prickly leaves, leaving the slender stems. These are chopped and blanched before cooking with eggs in a revuelto, a soft scramble. 

Prickly leaves are stripped off the stems.

Eggs Scrambled with Wild Thistles

Revuelto de Tagarninas

Cut away the root ends and chop the stems. (Twelve ounces of tagarninas will make about 2 ½ cups chopped greens, serving two.) Blanch them in boiling, salted water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add 2 cloves sliced garlic, ¼ cup chopped serrano ham, a pinch of red pepper flakes and the greens. Sauté on medium heat for 4 minutes. 

If making revuelto with 2 to 4 eggs, break them right into the sauteed vegetables. For larger quantities, beat the eggs lightly in a bowl and mix them with the vegetables in the pan.

Break 4 eggs into the skillet. Let them set for 1 minute. Use a wooden spatula to push the egg whites around and combine with the vegetable and ham. Then, gently, turn the yolks over, letting them break up and mix with the greens. Turn the eggs and greens out onto heated plates before the yolks are completely set. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with toast “buttered” with olive oil.

You could substitute skinny green asparagus for the tagarninas in this recipe. You won’t need to blanch asparagus more than a minute. But should your foraging turn up wild thistles, by all means try them. 

More ways to cook revuelto, eggs scrambled with vegetables:

Eggs Scrambled with Asparagus and Shrimp

Eggs Scrambled with Mushrooms and Green Garlic Shoots

Eggs Scrambled with Peppers

Eggs Scrambled with Ham (Duelos y Quebrantos)

Eggs Scrambled with Pisto

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon (USA)

Order on amazon.es  (Spain)

Order on amazon.co.uk (UK)

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(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)

***

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