LUNCH WITH A VIEW

 

On a bright but hazy day, small boats and a kite-surfer are lost in the mist. (Benalmádena Costa)

Restaurant Parador Playa perches above a small cove with wooden steps leading down to a strip of beach. On this afternoon the sun filters through a haze that almost obscures the horizon. The view is so stunning that, for a few minutes, I forget about lunch. But, then I catch a whiff of sardines grilling and I am hungry.  

We have been invited by friends to the soft opening (actually, a re-opening, after remodelling) of the beach restaurant, Parador Playa, in Benalmadena Costa (Málaga province). Francis Muñoz, chef and owner of the family restaurant, proudly shows off his gleaming new kitchen, and wine cellar. Beautifully laid tables are open to sea breezes, but the space has sliding glass enclosures for less perfect weather.  

Fresh fish and shellfish, straight off the boats at local ports.

Our host, Chris Gil, a regular at Parador Playa, orders a sampling of dishes—all seafood—for guests at the table to share. I had been craving boquerones fritos, a platter of fried fresh anchovies, so typical of Málaga. “Sorry, the new deep fryer requires a high-voltage cable and they’re still waiting for the installation,” said Chris. There were a few other pre-opening kinks. The staff, always gracious, was getting used to new electronic devices for taking orders, which led to our enjoying two versions of tuna tartar. 

Nadia Gil and friends, pre-lunch nibbles.

The menu, which changes seasonally, depends on absolutely fresh seafood—straight off the fishing boats in local ports. Chef Francis has elaborated a menu based on the traditional Málaga kitchen to which he has added a flair for Japanese influences. This is particularly noticeable in the section of the menu labelled crudo, or raw entrees, which includes several versions of tartar and sashimi. 

These are quisquillas served raw, bodies peeled, with their intensely deep blue roe, lightly dressed with extra virgin olive oil. I spent hours searching for the exact name for quisquillas (Plesionika edwardsii). Let's just call them "small shrimp" or "blue-bellies." Their flavor is delicate, redolent of the sea, an exquisite bite.

Clams on the half-shell.

I adore these conchas finas which were ordered especially for me! Served raw, they are firm, somewhat chewy, flavorful. Although these clams are a Málaga trademark, experts say they are disappearing from local waters, not from over-fishing but due to climate change and coastal dredging for beach restoration.

Ensaladilla rusa--potato salad with octopus.

 This is a stunning version of a tapas bar classic,  ensaladilla rusa or Russian salad. The flavorful potatoes are bound with a mayonnaise-like sauce, very rich and light at the same time, and topped with pulpo a la gallega, tender chunks of cooked octopus in Galician pimentón sauce. 

Although Parador Playa is many steps above the sandy beach, these sardines are prepared as traditional espetones, skewered and grilled on coals. I eat them with my fingers but some guests used knife and fork. 

We sampled two versions of tuna ventresca, rich belly meat, the first (above) with tuna in unctuous ajo blanco (white gazpacho) and topped with caviar and the second with diced tomatoes and house-made potato chips (below).  I preferred the version with tomato and those crispy chips. 

Two ways with small cuttlefish: Plancha-grilled (top) and (below) with mayonnaise swirled with cuttlefish ink. Small cuttlefish are called chocos, chopitos, or puntillitas (although small squid also are called puntillitas). 

Sobremesa--a Spanish custom--that delicious post-prandial time for conversation or just enjoying the beauty of a Mediterranean afternoon on the terrace of Parador Playa. The restaurant has an amazing list of desserts with a variety of unusual chocolates. The coffee is excellent. Some might enjoy a Pacheran, a sloe-berry and anis inflected liqueur served over ice.

The Parador Playa menu features eight different rice dishes (arroces--not called paella, although they are served in a paella pan), including the "daily surprise." (I once described it as the best paella rice I've ever eaten.)They must be ordered 24 hours in advance. There are a couple of meat dishes (retinto steak, baby lamb chops), but the point of view, literally and gastronomically, is the sea.  

Parador Playa is now open for regular service, noon to 8 pm, Wednesday through Sunday, until the end of October. (Check with Reservations about later dates.)

Reservations: https://paradorplaya.com/   +34 951 264 931

 

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.  (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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LUNCH: IT'S IN THE CAN!

 

Seafood, legumes, vegetables, condiments--

By the end of a month when I shopped infrequently, I was out of everything fresh. No lettuce or green beans. The last tomato. No fruit—except figs, as I wrote about last week. There is meat in the freezer, pasta in the pantry, but not much else. So, what’s for lunch? I open a few cans, combine them in a bowl, and add olive oil. Lunch is served.

Spain is justifiably famous for its products en conserva, preserved in cans and jars. In addition to the varieties of canned fish and shellfish, there are legumes and a myriad of vegetables, from the exotic—cardoons—to the ordinary—canned tomatoes. 

I am equating cans and jars. Some products—piquillo peppers are a good example—come in both cans and jars. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas in Spanish grocery stores are usually presented in tall, 570-gram (20-ounce) glass jars rather than cans.

 Here are a few ideas for easy meals from a can.

A jar of artichokes, a few sun-dried tomatoes, diced ham, with a simplified Romesco sauce as dressing.

Bean salad with a difference--butter beans and canned mackerel get a dressing of fresh herbs.

Piquant piquillo peppers give pizazz to canned sardines. "Butter" the toasts with extra virgin olive oil.

Sardine Toasts

Tostadas de Sardinas

Canned sardines come in almost a dozen varieties. Plain ones are simply canned in olive or sunflower oil. The little fish also are canned in picante (chile-inflected) oil, in tomato or salsa brava sauce, or escabeche (vinegary sauce). Sardinillas, or xoubas in Galicia, are very small sardines. Any of these might be smoked. 

Generally, the best tinned sardines come from the cold waters of northern Spain, Galicia, Cantabria, Basque Country. Those from the Mediterranean are less esteemed, but also less expensive, so they are a fine choice if you intend to chunk them up for a pâté or salad rather than serve them whole. Remember, once processed, the bones in sardines are completely edible, a superb source of dietary calcium.

Piquillo peppers are one of my favorite stand-by ingredients. The piquillo is a small, fire-roasted sweet red pepper that is slightly piquant. The ones from Lodosa (Navarra) have a protected denomination label. If not available, use any canned red pimiento. I've also used pickled red onions, a semi-conserve from the fridge.

Toasted bread

Extra virgin olive oil

Can/jar piquillo peppers, drained

Canned sardines

Sprigs of fresh basil

Pickled onions

Brush toast with oil. Place one or two whole, drained piquillo peppers on each toast. Top with sardines. Drizzle with additional oil and garnish with sprigs of basil. Accompany with pickled onions.

Artichokes with Romesco Sauce

Alcachofas con Salsa Romesco

A couple of jars plus salad greens and a hard-boiled egg add up to a satisfying lunch. 

This salad could also be put together with canned cardoons (cardo), an artichoke relative, or white asparagus. The dressing is a "quickie" Romesco. The salad makes a fine lunch entree, but could also be served as a side, sharing the Romesco Sauce with grilled shrimp or chicken.

Ground almonds are a shortcut for the sauce.

Serves 2

1 can/jar (approx. 13 ounces) artichokes

2 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

1 tablespoon chopped onion

Lemon juice (optional)

Salt

1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

Diced Serrano or ibérico ham

Salad greens

Sprigs of fresh mint

Extra virgin olive oil + additional for drizzling

Toasted almonds, to garnish (optional)

Romesco sauce (recipe follows)

Drain the artichokes (the liquid or olive oil can be used for making the romesco sauce). Use a serrated knife to cut the artichokes into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Place in a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and add with the onion and lemon juice, if desired (the artichokes may be very acidulated and not need additional lemon). Add a pinch of salt and the eggs. Combine well.

Spread salad greens on 2 plates. Divide the artichokes between them. Sprinkle diced ham on top. Finish with a sprig of mint and drizzle oil over the salads. If desired, scatter a few toasted almonds on top. Serve with the Romesco Sauce.

Quickie Romesco Sauce

Salsa Romesco Rápido

Use this quickie Romesco as a dressing for vegetables and sauce for seafood.

Traditional Romesco Sauce in Catalonia is made with bittersweet ñora peppers, pounded in a mortar with toasted hazelnuts or almonds. In Spanish shops you will find ready-made jars of Romesco and also jars of ñora or choricero pepper pulp, which can be used in this recipe. Or you can whizz this shortcut version of the sauce with ingredients that you probably have in the pantry. Substitute pimentón (paprika, not smoked) and a roasted red piquillo pepper for the ñora pulp. “Hot” pimentón—pimentón picante—is a little bit spicy. If not available use a lesser amount of cayenne. Ground almond meal stands in for whole almonds. The ground almonds are lightly toasted in the microwave. 

1 teaspoon sweet pimentón (paprika)

½ teaspoon hot pimentón

¼ cup water or liquid from drained artichokes

1/3 cup ground almonds

¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs or plain cookie crumbs

2 cloves garlic

1 piquillo pepper or ½ roasted red pepper from a can or jar

2 tablespoons parsley

Pinch dry mint

1-2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine sweet and hot pimentón in a small bowl and stir in ¼ cup of water or artichoke liquid.

Spread the ground almonds on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on High for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, to toast them very lightly. Cool.

In a blender or processor combine the ground almonds, bread crumbs, garlic, piquillo pepper, parsley, mint, and vinegar. Add the pimentón in water. Blend until smooth. Blend in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let the sauce set at room temperature for 1 hour. If it seems too thick, stir in enough water to make the sauce the consistency of heavy cream.

Serve the sauce at room temperature. Store it, covered and refrigerated.

Butter Bean Salad

Ensalada de Alubias

Butter beans have a lovely, buttery texture, but are very bland. Add dressing to them and allow them to marinate before constructing the salad. Fresh herbs are the secret here—oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, cilantro? Choose one or a mixture. Add the herbs to the beans shortly before serving so they do not lose their freshness.

Mackerel (caballa) fillets are really good with the beans, even better if you can find smoked mackerel. Any canned fish may be substituted.

Canned mackerel fillets

Serves 2-4.

2 cups drained and rinsed butter beans from a 20-ounce jar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + additional for drizzling

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

1 clove crushed garlic

½ teaspoon salt + additional for finishing

¼ cup chopped fresh herbs

1 tablespoon chopped scallions

2 guindillas (pickled green chiles), chopped

Sliced radishes

Guindillas--green chiles

Salad greens

Canned mackerel

Hard-boiled eggs, quartered

Cherry tomatoes

Place the beans in a bowl and add the oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Let them marinate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated.

When ready to serve the salad, add the herbs, scallions, guindillas, and radishes to the beans. Cover a platter with salad greens and spread the beans on them. Lay the mackerel fillets on top of the beans. Garnish the platter with quartered eggs and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle salt over all and drizzle with oil. 

More recipes for lunch from a can:

Tuna-Piquillo Pepper Pâté 

Linguine with Canned Squid 

Canned Octopus with Chickpeas and Chorizo 

Salad with Fennel and White Beans 

Quinoa Salad with (Canned)Partridge in Escabeche

 

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.  (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)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

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

***

Order from Kitchen Arts & Letters

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WHAT TO DO WITH FRESH FIGS

We’ve been picking a basket of figs a day. This gorgeous, sweet fruit, a voluptuary’s delight, is divine plucked straight from the tree, consumed warm from the sun. But it also slots into any menu, raw or cooked, savory or sweet.  

Yes, you can eat the skin. I tried peeling the figs for a mousse recipe, hoping they would keep that lovely pink color of the interior (those pink fibers are actually tiny flowers). But no, the resulting puree was golden. 

Fresh figs are highly perishable. Keep them refrigerated in a tray lined with fig leaves or paper towels. Fiber-rich figs are a healthy addition to the daily diet. Here are some of the ways I've been enjoying them, day in and day out. (See the list at the bottom for links to more fresh fig recipes. If what you want are recipes with dried figs, use Search in the little window in the upper left corner.)

Fig and Melon Salad. 

This elegant salad is quick to assemble. Place sliced figs and paper-thin strips of sweet melon on a bed of salad greens. Scatter crumbled queso fresco (fresh goat cheese) or feta cheese and chopped almonds or cashews on top. Add a few leaves of basil. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and Sherry or PX vinegar. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Snack supreme: crunchy tortita de maiz (corn cracker) with cream cheese and sliced figs plus a basil leaf. Or thyme. Or mint. Or tarragon. Variation on a PBJ: peanut butter-fig. Spread peanut butter on whole-grain toast, top with sliced figs (better than jelly!). Add crisp bacon if desired. 

 

Figs with Ham.  A classic combo, sweet figs with salty cured ham. In this case it's ibérico ham. Combine ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons Málaga muscatel vinegar (or balsamic). Brush slices of toasted bread with the dressing and lay the ham on the toasts. Top with sliced figs. Scatter diced goat cheese over the figs. Drizzle a little dressing over the figs.

Fig Compôte. I'm making a big pot of this compôte. The quartered figs get extra flavor with vanilla bean, cardamon, lemon juice, and orange peel. You'll need a little liquid (water or wine) to keep the figs from scorching. Use the compôte with ice cream, with breakfast cereal, on a cheese board. Freeze the compôte in portions for future use. Turn the compôte into chutney, using vinegar, ginger, chile, and pickling spices instead of sweet spices. (I've got 3 portions of frozen compôte and four jars of chutney!)

Turkey Nuggets with Fig-Peppercorn Sauce. Chunks of turkey are floured and fried in olive oil. To the remaining oil, add whole, quartered or sliced fresh figs and sauté a few minutes. Add a spoonful of drained green peppercorns, and a medium-sweet wine. Cook, stirring, until slightly reduced. Pour the sauce with figs over the turkey. This sauce is also good with chicken tenders or sliced pork loin.

Frozen Fig Tart. Recipe for this luscious tart is in last week's blog. It will also make individual puddings (not frozen) if layered in dessert cups. 

We have picked nearly all the figs within reach from this sprawling fig tree just below my bedroom window. The remaining fruit is for the birds. 

More recipes with fresh figs (use Search for dried fig recipes):

Hot Gazpacho with Figs

Salad with Grilled Chicken and Figs With Ajo Blanco Sauce

Grilled Figs and Bacon

Spicy Fig Salsa 

Chunky Fig BBQ Sauce

Fig Ice Cream

Fresh Fig Frozen Yogurt

Fig Mousse

Figgy Fritters 

. 

Figs were much extolled in Moorish Spain when they were a source of sweetness before sugar was widely available. My cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, has several recipes with figs, both fresh and dried. One recipe (pictured) is for a gazpacho with no tomatoes! It contains figs, oranges, and lettuce. See this post for a version of it and some suggestions on how to enjoy recipes from the book adapted to your own style of cooking.

 

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.  (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)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

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

***

Order from Kitchen Arts & Letters

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