SPICES OF THE WORLD: UNITE!

 

Chicken pieces are rubbed with a spice blend before roasting over a bread dressing.
 

“Do you have recipes for some of the spice rubs they sell in Spanish markets?” my chef friend, Lars, wrote to me. He said he often buys a few hundred grams of spices for fish,  pork and chicken. “I like them a lot. I’m out. Have you ever written about this?”

Actually, no. Although I’m a regular at the spice stall in my local market, I seldom buy mixed spice blends nor have I thought of them as “rubs” for meat. I use other blends—curry powder, for example, or garam masala. While they might not be as good as combining a palette of spices, the blends allow me to enjoy world-wide  flavors without buying a slew of spices I might never use again. (I just threw out a jar of fenugreek that has been on my spice shelf for 30 years or more. There are also Moroccan ras el hanout, Middle Eastern za’atar, Maryland crab boil, New Orleans gumbo file, Chinese five-spice, and more! 

Spain, too, has its spice blends that have been developed for popular dishes such as pinchitos (small kebabs) and adobo, a marinade for fish and meat. I set out to sample some of them and try them, as Chef Lars suggests, as rubs.

The days of markets with colorful, fragrant, open sacks of spices and herbs are gone. Food regulations set by the European Union require more sanitary handling. The commercialization of spices and herbs has strict requirements for maximum residue limits (such as for pesticides, toxins, and contamination, both molds and bacterial), and labelling of allergens, origin, and additives. 

But in many markets, you can still buy spices by weight from open stock. My local vendor receives spices in large plastic tubs. She scoops them into small bags (50-100 grams) labelled only with the spice name. The labels with ingredients are on the large containers from the distributor. 

I looked up some of the spice blends on one company’s web site. Most of the spice blends contain salt; a few have additives such as E-621, sodium salt of glutamic acid, known as MSG, a flavor enhancer. 

Spices at the market.

The blends are very well balanced, salt to spice, if used according to the distributor’s recommendations. If, on tasting, a dish needs more salt, it needs more spice too. Where the blend doesn’t work so well is in smaller quantities, such as for a dressing or dipping sauce. Here you might want more spices, but not more salt. 

I bought several of the spice blends to experiment with. I tried them as rubs—on pork tenderloin and on chicken—and also in marinades and sauces. I especially liked them for jazzing up vegetables!  

Roast Chicken with Bread Dressing

Pollo Asado con Relleno

A spice rub gives chicken a lovely crust. The dressing is seasoned with the same blend.

I rubbed chicken quarters with a blend called pollo al ast, meant for rotisserie chickens  (salt, pepper, pimentón, rosemary, nutmeg, marjoram, and “aromas”). I roasted the chicken on a bed of mushroom stuffing/dressing seasoned with the same spice blend. The chicken needed nothing more than a drizzle of olive oil to finish with a crispy skin.  

The bread dressing bakes beneath the roasting chicken. It could also be used as a stuffing for whole chicken or—planning for holidays—easily quadrupled for a small turkey. If you prefer a crispier dressing, bake it separately from the chicken in a covered pan for 20 minutes, remove cover to let the top crisp. 

Serves 4.

4 chicken quarters (about 2 ½ pounds)

6 teaspoons roast chicken spice blend (pollo al ast)

Olive oil

2 cups diced or torn stale bread

1/3 cup diced celery

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped mushrooms

½ cup stock

Rub chicken pieces with about 1 teaspoon of spice each. Drizzle them with olive oil.

Place bread in a mixing bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium in a skillet. Add the celery, onion, and mushrooms and sauté until they are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons of spice and 2 tablespoons of the stock. Cook on medium-low 5 minutes.

Bread cubes for dressing.

Mix the contents of the skillet with the bread. Add stock, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the bread is moistened thoroughly, but not soaked. (If dressing is prepared in advance, don’t add stock until ready to roast the chicken.)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil a roasting pan or sheet pan. 

Spread the stuffing in the pan. Place the chicken quarters on top. Roast 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350ºF. Roast until chicken juices run clear, about 35 minutes more. 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pinchito Spice Rub

Solomillo de Cerdo a la Brasa con Especias de Pinchitos

Pork grilled with a rub of pinchito spice is served with potatoes flavored with cous cous spices.

Pinchito spice is a blend based on spices used for Moroccan brochettes, skewered meat. In Morocco the small kebabs are made with beef, lamb or chicken. In Spain pinchitos, popular in tapas bars and for street fairs, are made with pork! In the old days, when a cook mixed her own spices, pinchitos came either “con pique” or “sin pique.” With picante—chile—or without picante. You can still purchase “yellow” pinchito spice that is not spicy-hot or “red” spice which has a dose of cayenne in addition to mild pimentón (salt, “spices,” sugar, antioxidants E-301 and E-330, and acidulating agent E-262.The undesignated spices probably include  cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, ginger). 

Here the spice forms a crust on a whole pork tenderloin, grilled on a gas barbecue.Take care not to overcook the tenderloin, as it easily becomes dry. 

Serves 2.

1 pork tenderloin, 16-20 ounces

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig parsley

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons pinchito spice**

Place the tenderloin in a bowl.

In a mortar crush the garlic and parsley. Add the oil, lemon juice, and ½ tablespoon of the spice. Mix them with the garlic to make a paste. Spread the paste on all sides of the meat. Sprinkle the remaining spice evenly over the meat. Refrigerate the pork, uncovered, for 1 to 4 hours. 

Preheat barbecue on medium-high. Grill the pork until browned on all sides and the spices are crusty. Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.

**If you want to mix your own pinchito blend, see this post. 

Oven Potatoes with Moroccan Spices

Patatas Panadera con Especias Maroquí

This is a shortcut version of patatas panaderas, cooked in a microwave instead of the oven. Some cooks add a pinch of cumin to the potatoes, which inspired me to use a lustier spice, condimento couscous, a blend for cous cous (turmeric, ginger, cayenne, clove, salt, pimentón, MSG) It was very nice with potatoes, although the potatoes needed additional salt. (Test before cooking the potatoes by muddling a small spoon (or your finger) in the potatoes and tasting for salt.) 

Serves 2-4.

1 pound potatoes

2 tablespoon olive oil

½ onion, sliced

Strips of red and green peppers

1 ½ teaspoons cous cous spice blend

2 tablespoons white wine

Salt to taste

Cut the potatoes in ¼-inch slices and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix with the oil. Add the onion, peppers, spice, and wine. Mix well. Add salt if needed. Microwave on High 5 minutes. Remove the bowl and stir to redistribute the potatoes. Microwave 5 minutes longer. Test the potatoes for doneness. If necessary, microwave them 2-3 minutes more. 

Pan-Grilled Swordfish with Pil Pil Sauce

Pez Espada a la Plancha con Pil Pil

Pil pil, in Málaga parlance, refers to a dish of shrimp sizzled in olive oil with sliced garlic and a tiny cayenne pepper. It’s a popular tapas bar dish which elsewhere in Spain is called gambas al ajillo, garlic-shrimp. (Except for the olive oil, it is totally different from the famous Basque dish of bacalao al pil pil, salt cod in a garlic-oil emulsion sauce.)  I mixed the pil pil spice (chips of toasted garlic, pimentón, salt, cayenne, parsley, bay leaf, black pepper, thyme, cumin) into hot oil for a sensational sauce to serve with pan-grilled swordfish. The sauce also was brilliant on cooked cabbage! Also good on roasted sweet potatoes and brushed on toast to serve with eggs. Like chile-oil served with Indian dal, the pil pil spiced oil would be delicious added to a bowl of beans or lentils. 

Pil pil spice plus olive oil.

Makes 1/3 cup sauce.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons pil pil spice

1/8 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Swordfish steaks

Place the oil in a small saucepan. Heat until the oil is shimmering, but not smoking. Add the spice and cumin and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir to blend. When the oil has cooled slightly, add the lemon juice. 

Keep the sauce in a jar at room temperature. Shake or stir before spooning it over fish, vegetables, or toast.

Grill swordfish on a ridged grill pan brushed with oil. Spoon pil pil sauce over the fish.

Fried Chicken Nuggets

Lágrimas de Pollo

Strips of chicken marinate  with spices before breading and frying.

These tasty fried chicken bites turn up as tapas and are also a favorite meal for the kids. Lágrimas are “tear drops,” so-called because the chicken is cut into tear-drop shaped strips. The chicken can be cut into nuggets, if preferred. I used the spice mix for pollo al ajillo, chicken with garlic (garlic, salt, oregano, parsley, ginger, sugar, “aroma”). 

No need to deep fry. Place about ½-inch of oil in the pan and fry the chicken pieces in batches so they don’t crowd each other. Flip them when golden—1 minute per side, more or less. (Test one nugget after frying to make sure it’s cooked through.)

1 pound boneless chicken breasts

2 ½ tablespoons al ajillo spice

1 tablespoon olive oil + more for frying

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Flour for dredging

1 large egg

Fine dry bread crumbs (about 1 cup)

Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

Cut the chicken into strips 2 to 2 ½ inches long. Place them in a bowl. In a small bowl combine the spice with 1 tablespoon oil and lemon juice. Add the mixture to the chicken and mix well. Cover and marinate the chicken, refrigerated, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

When ready to fry the chicken, heat oil to a depth of ½ inch on medium high in a heavy skillet. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and pat off excess. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and place in a shallow bowl. Coat the floured chicken in egg. Spread crumbs in a shallow bowl or tray. Lift the chicken out of the egg, draining briefly, and place in the crumbs. Shake the tray to coat the chicken with crumbs.

Place chicken pieces in a single layer in the hot oil. Fry until golden-brown on one side. Carefully flip the pieces and brown the reverse side, 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove them and place on paper towels to remove excess oil. Continue frying the remaining chicken. 

Serve the chicken nuggets hot or room temperature accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce for Fried Chicken

Salsa para Dipear

1 teaspoon al ajillo spice

1 teaspoon water

¼ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

Combine the spice and water in a small bowl. Let set 10 minutes. Stir in the mayonnaise until sauce is smooth.  

 

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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CELEBRATE WORLD PAELLA DAY!

 

Rustic, València-style paella.

Get out the paella pan! Heat the olive oil and make a sofrito. Stir in the rice. Will you add chicken or shrimp? Some beans or artichokes? For World Paella Day (September 20), the choice is yours. While the celebration started in València, the home of paella, it has turned into a world-wide affair.

Here are some paella recipes to get you started (click on the titles to link to recipes).

Start by frying the meat and vegetables to build flavor.

Rustic València Paella (pictured above). Here are ingredients and instructions for a fairly authentic Valencian style paella (minus the traditional snails). I tell you what kind of rice to use (no, don't wash it first!) and how to cook it, starting with the all-important sofrito (pictured at left), the frying of meat and vegetables.  

Paella with chicken and seafood.

Paella with Chicken and Seafood. (Paella con Pollo y Mariscos). If you want a showy paella chock full of chicken, shrimp and mussels, here's a classic recipe. This was prepared by guests at a private cooking class in my kitchen.  In Spain, home cooks often use powdered artificial yellow coloring to attain rice with that bright, sunny yellow color.  Real saffron gives inimitable aroma and flavor to the rice, but its yellow coloring is subtle. 

It's all about the rice! Paella with intense flavor.

Rice with Shrimp in Paella (Arroz con Gambas). This version is for purists, those who say, "it's all about the rice." It's not really paella, but simply intensely-flavored rice, without the showy garnishes and with virtually no protein! The instructions tell you how to build flavor with a seafood stock, a slow-cooked sofrito, and, finally, the cooking of the rice and creation of the socarrat, the crispy bottom. This version is finished in the oven, a process that gives the rice that every-grain-separate effect.

Outdoor paella for family and friends.

Family-Style Paella. In Andalusia, where I live, this is an authentic paella—although with clams and shrimp, and no beans, it's not like Valencian paella. This is paella of the domingueros, the Sunday gathering of family and friends at a choza, a rustic country farmhouse. Depending on the season, the paella might include fava beans, peas, artichokes, tomatoes or peppers picked from the huerta, kitchen garden.

Paella rice with cockles, peas.

Rice with Clams (Arroz con Almejas). Some paellas are truly baroque extravaganzas, with a sumptuous assortment of everything from sea, land and sky. Others, such as this dish of rice with clams (cockles), show an almost Zen-like simplicity.  “Un arroz”—“a rice”—is the name for such a rice dish.  'Un arroz' is a rice dish cooked by Mamá in the kitchen, whereas, 'una paella' is a grand event, cooked outdoors by guys. 

Paella recipe in FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS

Vegetable Paella with Picada Topping (Arroz de Verduras). This recipe appears in my latest cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, which features recipes with roots in Moorish Spain. The Arabs introduced the cultivation of rice in Spain, but did they invent paella? Perhaps. We know that rice dishes of that era, before modern milling, were more like porridge, sweet or savory, made with pounded grains. Some were made with whole grains combined with meat and vegetables--not unlike paella today. The sofrito for this paella does not contain tomatoes, a vegetable from the New World, unknown in Moorish times. 

I make this all-vegetable paella when I have guests of several persuasions and serve it with a selection of dishes on the side—sautéed shrimp, clams, fried chicken nuggets, squid rings, garlicky chickpeas—as well as alioli garlic mayonnaise. Each person can garnish the paella to suit herself. It may not be authentic, but it makes a festive party dish.

Vegetarian paella with brown rice.

Vegetarian Brown Rice Paella (Paella Vegetariana con Arroz Integral). Authentic paella  is not loaded with protein ingredients—they're present to flavor the rice. This version is without meat, poultry, or seafood. 

I use whole grain brown rice (medium-short grain "round" rice) to boost the protein. I make a vegetarian stock with kelp. Full of flavor, this paella is perfect for a meatless Sunday lunch. Lunch, because the Valencianos, inventors of paella, say you never, ever, eat paella at night! But, that’s your call.

No bones: paella parellada

Boneless Paella (Paella Parellada). The recipe for paella Parellada was supposedly invented in Barcelona in the 19th century for a finicky diner (his surname was Parellada) who didn’t want to mess with fish spines, shrimp shells and chicken bones. It’s a paella mixta, mixed paella, because it includes meat (chicken and sausage), fish (monkfish) and shellfish (shrimp, cuttlefish and mussels). You can use all of these ingredients or pick and choose among them, according to availability, tastes and prep time. 

Dare to add sausage to paella! But, chard?

Paella, My Way (Paella a Mi Estilo). Supposedly, for World Paella Day,  Valencianos grant you an indulgence for adding extraneous ingredients, even sausage, to paella. Mine includes chorizo and red chard along with more typical rabbit.

Seafood Paella with Alioli Garlic Mayonnaise (Arroz al Marinero). What I make when my pescatarian friends are coming for dinner: paella with chunks of monkfish, cuttlefish, and shrimp. I serve it with a garlicky mayonnaise embellished with seaweed. 

An impostor! No rice in this paella.

Low-Carb Paella with Cauliflower "Rice." 

Packed with flavor, this rendition of paella has chicken, chorizo, squid, shrimp, mussels, and artichokes. But no rice. Kernels of cauliflower, flavored with saffron, take the place of rice. It may be an impostor as paella, which, after all, is a rice dish, but it's perhaps the world's best cauliflower!

😉

Black rice.

Black Rice with Squid and Shellfish (Arroz Negro con Mariscos). Unlike the classic Valencian paella, tinged with saffron, this version from Alicante is black with squid ink! Also heretical, as I've included chorizo. So, it's not really paella, it's arroz negro. But I've made it in a paella pan, with Valencian rice, so it's a grand way to celebrate World Paella Day.

Not paella! Baked rice with a crust on top.

Rice with Sausages (Arroz con Costra). This is not paella! Valencia paella has big butter beans, flat green beans, chicken and/or rabbit and/or duck, and snails. Snails! No sausage. But, Valencia has hundreds of other rice dishes. Some of those do contain sausage! Just don’t call them paella!

This one comes from Alicante, where rice is also grown. It’s called arroz con costra, rice with a “crust,” because it’s finished in the oven with a topping of beaten eggs. It can contain two or more types of sausage. 

About Spanish rice. Spanish rice, the kind used for paella, is a round-grained, medium-short variety. Senia, Bahía and Bomba are some of the varietals. (Some have denominación de origen, such as Valencia and Calasparra.) Spanish rice has a white perla (pearl), where the starch is concentrated. Its great virtue is as a flavor conductor, soaking up the savory juices with which the rice cooks—olive oil sofrito, chicken, rabbit or seafood,  saffron. Spanish rice is similar to Italian varieties used for risotto. But the cooking method is totally different. Risotto is stirred to develop the creamy starch. Paella rice, cooked “dry,” is never stirred, as stirring breaks up the starch kernel. 

***   ***   ***

Twelve finalists from four continents will compete for the PAELLA WORLD CUP. The event takes place in València starting at 10 am CET (European Daylight Savings), tomorrow, Sunday, September 20. Live streaming at WORLD PAELLA DAY .

Quite a few rice dishes can trace their roots to Moorish Spain. Besides the Vegetable Paella mentioned above, this cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, has two other traditional rice dishes--Country-Style Rice in Cazuela and Baked Rice with Lamb and Egg Topping--as well as a dessert, Creamy Rice Pudding. See below for where to order the book.
 

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)

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

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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.

***

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!)

***

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