WHISKY SAUCE IS SPANISH?

One of my readers (an Australian living in Sevilla) once asked me for a recipe for solomillo al whisky—pork tenderloin in whisky sauce. I had never come across such a dish in Spain, so I suggested that whisky wasn’t Spanish and maybe he could use Sherry or brandy instead of whisky. 

Sorry, Ian, if I sounded like a silly know-it-all. I’ve since learned that pork in whisky sauce is muy sevillano, a popular dish in many tapa bars there. I’ve never, however, discovered how a sauce made with whisky—as in Scotch—came to be part of Sevilla cooking.

A popular tapa in Sevilla--medallions of pork tenderloin cooked in a whisky sauce.

Just speculating: Maybe it’s because a cook ran out of brandy and decided to substitute some whisky in the sauce. Or, maybe it’s an indicator of the relationship between the Sherry trade and whisky distillers in Scotland. Sherry casks (Jerez, where Sherry is made, is very close to Sevilla) are used in ageing some of the finest whiskies. Or maybe a bar cook decided that cheap-o Spanish-made whisky wasn’t good enough to drink, but was fine for cooking.

I’ve got to say, whisky makes great gravy! It’s easy to make and would go with almost any roast—beef, pork, turkey—or steak, chops.

You don’t need to use finest single-malt whisky for this recipe (although, it would probably be fantastic). Ordinary blended Scotch is fine. Brandy de Jerez (brandy made in Sherry-land) is a fine substitute. As are other whiskies. (I saw one on-line recipe illustrated with a bottle of Canadian Club.)

The only trick to this recipe is not over-cooking the pork tenderloin. Tenderloin is tender, but lacks fat to keep it juicy. Overcooking makes it dry. After searing, finish cooking the meat in the whisky sauce, but take it out when the medallions are still slightly pink in the center.

Browning a wedge of onion in the oil before adding the whisky and stock helps to give the sauce a deeper color. The garlic cloves are unpeeled. That prevents their scorching and turning bitter. They can be skimmed out or served with the meat and sauce, as you prefer.

In Sevilla, pork tenderloin in whisky sauce is usually served with potatoes—fries, shoe-string, pan-fried or mashed. Plenty of bread, too, for the gorgeous gravy.

Velvety whisky sauce with the pork tenderloin and pan-fried potatoes. Red chard makes a nice side.

Pork Tenderloin in Whisky Sauce, Sevilla Style
Solomillo al Whisky a la Sevillana

Glass of whisky for sauce.

Serves 4 as a main dish.

1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin (1 or 2 tenderloins)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic
Wedge of onion
¾ cup Scotch whisky
1 cup chicken or meat stock
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Chopped parsley to serve

Sprinkle the meat on all sides with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon oil. Allow it to come to room temperature (at least 1 hour).

Cut the meat crosswise into 1-inch medallions. Brush a heavy skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil and heat. Sear the pieces of meat until nicely browned on both sides. The meat will not be cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Lightly crush the cloves of garlic to split the skins, but do not peel them. Add to the skillet with the wedge of onion. Sauté, turning frequently, until onion is well browned.

Add the whisky to the pan. Cook (or flambé) until alcohol is cooked off, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits in the skillet. Add the stock and a sprig of thyme. 

Stir the cornstarch into ¼ cup water until smooth. Stir into the whisky in the pan and stir until sauce thickens and is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If stock is salty, more salt may not be needed.) Add the lemon juice and the butter, if using. Simmer the sauce 10 minutes. 

Return the pork and all the accumulated juices to the skillet. Cook gently, turning the pieces once, until pork is hot and just barely cooked through, 3-4 minutes. 

Discard the piece of onion and sprig of thyme. Cloves of garlic can be left in the sauce, if desired. Serve pieces of meat and sauce garnished with chopped parsley.

More recipes for pork tenderloin:

Pork Tenderloin with Mushrooms.

Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Ketchup.

Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce.

WHAT'S ON THE MENU FOR NEW YEAR'S EVE?

Deeply flavorful quail broth with wild mushrooms and sautéed quail breast.

In Spain, New Year’s Eve is an occasion for la cena de noche vieja, a late supper with the whole family. After the midnight bells, when it’s customary to swallow 12 grapes to assure good fortune in the new year, the younger ones go out to party until the wee hours.

The festive menu might include a platter of mariscos, shellfish such as shrimp, crayfish, crabs, clams; a special soup, such as a consommé or a crema, cream soup; a meat dish such as pork tenderloin; a tart or parfait for dessert, and, of course, more turrón, almond nougat and marzipan, accompanied by cava, Spanish bubbly.

This deeply flavorful quail and mushroom consommé just might fit the bill for your party menu. I have served it as a welcoming libation for a holiday buffet party on a blustery winter day. In lieu of canapés, I passed the soup in demitasse cups with the sautéed breast meat and mushrooms speared on toothpicks. I’ve also served the soup as a starter for a smaller dinner party. It’s satisfying without being filling and you can vary the garnishes.

Serve consommé in cups as an apperitif.

Begin preparations for the consommé at least one day and up to 3 days before serving. Any wild or cultivated mushroom can be used—cêpes are divine, oyster mushrooms are fine. “Clarifying stock” maybe sounds like a cheffy thing to do, but it’s pretty simple and the results are really satisfying. A short-cut, if you don’t want to bother, is to bring the carcasses to a boil, drain them and rinse in running water to remove impurities that will cloud the broth, before putting them to cook.

Boning out the quail breasts is fast and easy. Use a small sharp knife to slit down along the ridge of the breastbone. Cut through the skin at the neck and release the half-breast where the wing is attached. Cut away the other half-breast in the same manner. Leave the skin attached to the breasts.

Brandy de Jerez (brandy aged in Sherry casks in Jerez de la Frontera where Sherry is made) lends a deep, mellow flavor to the soup. Dry fino or amontillado Sherry could be used instead. Sherry is the perfect wine to accompany the consommé.

Vary the garnishes--here with a poached quail's egg.

Consommé of Quail and Wild Mushrooms
Caldillo de Codorniz y Setas

Serves 12-16 as an appertif or 6-8 as a soup course.

Quail--easy to remove breasts.

6-8 quail (2 ¼-2 ½ pounds), breasts removed
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, unpeeled
12 ounces wild or cultivated mushrooms
12 cups chicken stock
1 sliced leek
2 sliced carrots
1 stalk celery
½ cup chopped tomato
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprig of thyme or ½ teaspoon dry thyme
2 bay leaves
Sprigs or stems of parsley
2 egg whites and crushed egg shells to clarify the broth
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Brandy de Jerez
1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Optional garnishes
1 cup shredded baby spinach leaves
Poached or hard-cooked quail eggs
Chopped scallions


Preheat oven to 400º.

Wrap the boned quail breasts in plastic wrap and refrigerate them until shortly before serving. Spread the remaining quail carcasses in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place the unskinned onion in the pan with the quail and roast, turning quail occasionally, until well browned, about 45 minutes.

Transfer quail and onion to a large soup pot. Add ¼ cup water to the roasting pan and scrape up all the drippings. Add them to the soup pot.

Set aside 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) of mushroom caps or slices to finish the soup. Chop the remainder and add them to the soup pot with the chicken stock, leek, carrots, celery, tomato, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Cover and simmer the broth 1 ½ hours. Remove and cool slightly.

Strain the broth in a colander, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. (You may want to separate the legs and serve them with vinaigrette.) Cool the broth, then refrigerate, covered, at least 12 hours or up to 2 days.

Skim off and discard the fat from the top of the broth. Strain the broth into a clean soup pot and add the egg whites and crushed eggshells.  Place on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the broth begins to simmer. Lower heat so it barely simmers for 15 minutes, without stirring, rotating the pot a quarter of a turn at intervals. Keep a close watch so the broth never boils. As the egg white cooks and floats to the top it will carry along solids that cloud the broth. Remove from heat and allow to stand 10 minutes.

Line a colander with 4 thicknesses of damp cheesecloth and place it over a clean pot. Gently push the egg-white froth to one side and carefully ladle the broth into the colander. Discard the foam.

Shortly before serving, place the pot of clarified broth on a medium heat and add the brandy. Bring to a simmer.

Sprinkle the quail breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the virgin olive oil in a skillet and sauté the breasts, skin side down, on a medium heat until browned, about 1 minute. Turn and sauté 1 minute on the other side. Breasts will be pink in the center. Remove and keep them warm.

Sauté the reserved mushroom caps or slices in the same oil, about 1 minute on each side.

When the broth begins to boil, lower heat so that it simmers and add the shredded spinach. Cook 2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Serve the consommé in small (½-cup) cups with the breast and mushroom cap speared on a toothpick or in shallow soup bowls with the sliced breast and mushroom placed in the bowls. Add poached or hard-cooked and peeled quail eggs, if desired.