A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS

 

Christmas morning. My grandson, Leo Searl, home from university, is spending a few days at my house. He makes breakfast on Christmas morning--smoked salmon on toast with cream cheese and scrambled eggs. What a pleasure to catch up with what's going on in his life.

What's in this strangely-shaped present under the tree for Ben?

Oh, wow! Look what's in my Christmas box! It's a sampler of ibérico ham, a selection of sliced ham, shoulder-ham, chorizo and cured fat from Dehesa Monteros, made from ibérico pigs of the Rubio Dorado breed. They start out eating chestnuts in the forests of Ronda and are finished on bellotas, wild acorns. 

Christmas lunch for three. On a sunny afternoon we started with sopa de galets, a rich chicken broth with giant pasta shells stuffed with pâté. Marinated "standing rib roast" of ibérico pork centered the main course, accompanied by potatoes and squash roasted with onions and apples. 

The pork loin has been boned to facilitate carving, but the rack of ribs tied back on for roasting to keep the meat moist. Ibérico pork with its marbling of fat is especially juicy. Ibérico pork is usually cooked medium-rare to medium--still pink in the center. (The recipe for the pork marinade is here.)

A side dish of chard sautéd with garlic, raisins and pine nuts was served in a colorful hand-made ceramic bowl by Tara Chapman, Leo's mum. 

I bought a kilo of locally-grown pecans, called nueces americanas, from a chica in my aerobics class. The pecans, which I adore, inspired me to make a nut torte just for me! It was sugar-free and gluten free as well. (I used this recipe for walnut torte, swapping King Arthur baking sugar substitute and gluten-free bread crumbs.) For the guys there were also fig brownies with real sugar, sweet figs and lots of nuts. Both desserts are good served with a dollop of rich Greek yogurt or whipped cream.

Pecan torte with a dollop of rich Greek yogurt.

From my kitchen to yours, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

PIQUILLOS! THE MOST FESTIVE VEGETABLE

 

Piquillo peppers are holiday red!

Their brilliant red color surely qualifies piquillo peppers as the perfect holiday vegetable. Dress ‘em up, dress ‘em down, stuff them or cut them in strips, serve hot or cold, sauced or simply with extra virgin olive oil. 

Piquillo peppers are those small, flame-red peppers you buy in jars or cans at the grocery store. Cooks rave about them for their complex sweet and piquant flavor. The variety of pepper is grown in Navarra (northern Spain), in the area around Lodosa in the Ebro valley. The name, piquillo, means little “beak,” for the pointy tip of the pepper. 

Jar label for Lodosa piquillos.

Pimientos de Piquillo de Lodosa have PDO—protected denomination of origin. Piquillo peppers from Navarra are flame-roasted, hand-peeled and packed in cans or jars. The authentic Lodosa peppers contain, besides the peppers, only salt and an acidulating agent. However, not all piquillos are from Lodosa! Check the labels, because, even in Spain, the piquillos of many brands are imported from Peru and have added sugar.

I once grew piquillo peppers in my vegetable garden. They looked gorgeous, but proved impossible to roast and peel, so thin were the skins. I’m happy just to be able to buy them. 

The classic Basque recipe for stuffed piquillos is with bacalao, salt cod, in a cream sauce. After filling, the peppers are dipped in egg and fried before being finished in the oven. I usually do a similar recipe, using shrimp instead of the cod. (See below for links to more piquillo recipes.) But this week, I’m making a vegetarian version, with a mushroom stuffing. It’s a fine starter for a holiday meal. 

Piquillo peppers stuffed with mushrooms make a festive starter.

Peppers bake with a cheese sauce on top.

Stuffing for peppers is vegetarian.

Piquillo Peppers with Mushroom Stuffing and Cheese Sauce

Pimientos de Piquillo Rellenos con Setas y Salsa de Queso

Ideally, the stuffing would be made with seasonal wild mushrooms, but cultivated ones are delicious too. I used half ordinary white mushrooms and half oyster mushrooms. 

Although the recipe is vegetarian, it is not vegan. If preferred, substitute unsweetened  almond milk for the cream and use a picada topping instead of cheese sauce. (See the recipe for almond-hazelnut picada  here. ) 

Brandy gives the mushrooms real depth of flavor. Brandy de Jerez is aged in Sherry casks. 

The piquillo peppers can be stuffed in advance of baking. Store them, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before adding the sauce and baking. 

Serves 4 as a starter.

12 piquillo peppers (from a 225-gram jar)

10 ounces mushrooms

¼ cup olive oil + additional for the baking dish

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika) + more to garnish

3 tablespoons Brandy de Jerez

1 small (4-ounce) cooked potato

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of pimentón picante or cayenne

½ cup light cream or evaporated milk

For the cheese sauce:

You will only need about half of this cheese sauce for 12 piquillos. Save the remaining sauce for another use. Broccoli gratin, perhaps?

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons flour

¼ teaspoon smoked pimentón

1 cup milk

½ teaspoon salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces grated cheese (about 1 cup)

¼ cup hot water

Sauté mushrooms.

Remove peppers from the jar, saving their juices.

Trim mushrooms as needed and chop them coarsely. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet on medium-high. Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Sauté until mushrooms are lightly browned and are beginning to sizzle in the oil. Stir in the pimentón and immediately add the brandy. Cook on medium until the alcohol cooks off, 2 minutes. 

Cut the potato in small dice and add it to the pan with salt, pepper, thyme and picante. Cook 2 minutes, then add the cream or evaporated milk. Cook, stirring and mashing the potatoes slightly. Remove the pan from the heat.

Stuff peppers.

Lightly oil a baking dish that will hold the peppers in one layer. Use a teaspoon (and fingers) to fill the piquillo peppers, gently pushing the filling to the tips. As they are filled, lay them in the baking dish. (The stuffed peppers can be prepared in advance and refrigerated, covered. Bring them to room temperature before baking.)

Stuffed and ready to bake.

For the cheese sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan and stir in the flour and pimentón. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and stir the sauce until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper and cook the sauce 5 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese. Remove the pan from the heat.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil and reserved juices drained from the peppers. Pour hot water around the peppers in the baking dish. Spoon the cheese sauce on top of the peppers. Bake the peppers until bubbly and the sauce lightly golden, 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serve the peppers in the baking dish or carefully lift them out onto individual plates.

More recipes with piquillo peppers:

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Shrimp.

Piquillo Pepper Dip.

Cod with Piquillo Peppers, Bilbao Style.

Piquillo Pepper Alioli.

Braised Veal with Piquillo Peppers.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN, ANDALUSIAN STYLE

 

Fried chicken dinner for the Fourth of July. The chicken is fried in olive oil. Those ripe tomatoes are Andalusian. The potato salad is Andalusian too.

Where I grew up in the Midwest, we used to spend the Fourth of July holiday at my aunt and uncle’s farm in southern Illinois. My aunt would dispatch a farmyard chicken, pluck it clean and hack it into pieces. They were floured and slow-fried in fat to a golden brown crunch. God, but that was good fried chicken. With green beans from the garden and a heap of corn-on-the-cob. 

I remember sparklers for the kids. And, right outside the screen porch, at the back of the house, was a big round cement cover over a cistern for catching rainwater. My uncle told us kids it was full of ice and cokey-cola. I could just picture those bottles nestled in heaps of ice. 

So, to celebrate the Fourth, U.S. Independence Day, I’m making “southern” fried chicken. But, the south is Andalusia! Wish I had some corn-on-the-cob to go with it.

Andalusian-style potato salad--patatas aliñadas--to go with the fried chicken. The recipe is here.

Crispy Olive Oil-Fried Chicken

Pollo Frito

American-style fried chicken gets marinated in buttermilk before flouring and frying. For the Andaluz version, I’ve used yogurt instead. (Allow at least two hours or overnight to marinate the chicken pieces.) I’ve used lots of pimentón de la Vera, smoked paprika, both sweet and picante, hot, for my seasoned flour. And, of course, the chicken is fried in extra virgin olive oil. 

The olive oil for frying needn’t be your finest. In heating, the oil loses some of the aromatic organoleptic qualities that are present in raw oil. Use enough oil to come up to a depth of about 1 inch in the pan. 

Heat the oil to about 360ºF /180ºC, which is well below the smoking point of olive oil. Don’t crowd the chicken pieces. Lower the heat to medium so the chicken cooks slowly without browning too quickly. If the temperature is too high, the pimentón (paprika) in the seasoned flour coating will darken. Turn the pieces after six to eight minutes and fry until the reverse side is browned. The chicken should be cooked through and golden-brown on the exterior. You may have to cut into one piece to test for doneness. Or test with an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of a drumstick—it should read 165ºF. 

Olive oil used for frying can be strained and used again. Store it, covered, in a cool place shielded from light.

For my fried chicken, I’ve used all drumsticks, so timing is easier. You could use a whole, cut-up chicken 

Use plain flour and fine dry breadcrumbs or substitute gluten-free flour and crumbs for breading the chicken. You will not need all of the spice blend for seasoning the flour. The remainder can be stored in a jar and used for meat, fish, vegetables. 

Yogurt marinade.

Serves 4

For the marinade:

½ cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Milk or water to dilute the marinade

8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds)

Seasoning blend.

For the seasoning blend:

2 tablespoons pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante (hot smoked paprika) 

1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon thyme

1 tablespoon crumbled oregano

Pinch of celery seeds

Flour, crumbs, seasoning.

For the seasoned flour:

1 cup flour, regular or gluten-free

¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, regular or gluten-free

1 tablespoon seasoning blend

For breading and frying the chicken:

1 medium egg

2 teaspoons water

Olive oil for frying

For the marinade: Whisk together the yogurt, salt, pimentón and lemon zest. Add about ¼ cup of milk to thin the marinade. 

Place the chicken in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Add the chicken pieces and turn them to cover all of the pieces. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. 

When ready to fry the chicken, drain the pieces of excess marinade.

For the seasoning blend:

Mix together the two kinds of pimentón, black pepper, salt, cumin, garlic powder, thyme, oregano and celery seeds. Only 1 tablespoon of the spice blend is needed for the seasoned flour. Store the remainder in a tightly capped jar.

For the seasoned flour:

Combine the flour, regular or gluten-free, with the breadcrumbs and seasoning blend. Spread the seasoned flour in a rimmed tray or shallow bowl. 

Beat the egg with the 2 teaspoons of water. Place in a shallow bowl. 

Drumsticks frying in olive oil.

Dredge the drained chicken drumsticks in the flour, coat them in beaten egg and dredge them again in the flour. Pat off excess flour and lay the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet or pan. (See headnotes for more about quantity of oil and frying temperature.) Place a layer of drumsticks in the oil and lower the heat to medium. Fry the chicken slowly until golden-brown on one side (about 6 minutes). Carefully turn the pieces and fry them on the reverse side until browned. Remove and drain the fried chicken on paper towels or on a wire rack set over a pan to catch any drips.

Remove and drain the fried chicken on paper towels or on a wire rack set over a pan to catch any drips.

Serve chicken hot, room temperature or cold.

More for the Fourth:

Corn-on-the-Cob.

Crispy-Fried Chicken Wings.

FESTIVE ROAST PORK FOR HOLIDAY MEALS

 

A pork shoulder roast--perfect for a holiday dinner party.

Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just a small dinner party, roast pork may be the perfect holiday menu. It’s festive and fairly economical. 

Last Christmas, when I was in the U.S. with family, I helped Juana, my Venezuelan consuegra (fellow mother-in-law) prepare a whole pernil, a whole bone-in, skin-on, shoulder of pork. She scored the outer layer of fat and studded it with cloves. In roasting, the fat would crisp to delicious cracklings. She cut deep gashes in the meat and rubbed an aromatic marinade all over it. I watched over it, turning the meat a few times, for the next 24 hours. It was then roasted in a slow oven for about six hours. 

We were 14 at table for that Noche Buena feast. The pork went around and round again and still there were leftovers (to serve with arepas on Christmas day). 

Pernil--whole bone-in pork shoulder with crackly skin will feed a crowd. 

Home in southern Spain, I couldn’t easily find a whole pork leg with skin and certainly didn’t need such a massive piece of meat for family meals. I started with a 3-pound boneless chunk of shoulder, a cut called cabezal, and used the same marinade as for the Venezuelan-style pernil. It provided a festive dinner for four, plus leftovers for sandwiches in the following days. 

Make the marinade 24 hours before roasting the pork. The ingredients given make enough marinade for a whole (8-pound) bone-in pork shoulder. If making the 3-pound boneless roast, as described, save half the marinade in the freezer for another use. It’s terrific for anything from leg of lamb to whole turkey, chicken breasts to pork chops. 

Palette of spices for marinade.

In America, Juana used store-bought spice mixes for the marinade (adobo, sazón and mojo criollo). But making your own blend is easy enough. The ingredient list is long, but probably you already have the required herbs and spices in the pantry or herb garden. Assemble them in a row and it takes no time at all to mix up this marinade. I customized the blend, adding wild fennel seeds and Spanish smoked pimentón (paprika). 

Wild fennel seeds in the mix.

Use a mortar or spice grinder to grind the dry spices and herbs. Use a mini food processor to grind the fresh herbs and aromatics. The dry ones can be stored in a jar; the fresh mix, in the fridge. Combine them immediately before using. 

Whether a whole pernil or a small roast, slow roasting at 300ºF is what makes for tender, juicy meat. Always keep some liquid in the bottom of the roaster—water, the strained marinade, wine or stock. Cover the meat with foil until the last 30 minutes. The meat should reach about 180ºF internal temperature when done. Then turn up the heat and uncover the meat so that it browns nicely.

Roast pork is ideal whether hot or cold.

Pork is juicy and tender. It's served with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts that have roasted with the meat. I've added homemade apple chutney as a relish.

Spoon pan juices over the meat.

Herb-Marinated Roast Shoulder of Pork

Asado de Cabezal de Cerdo con Marinada de Hierbas

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast 

For the marinade:

Dry spices and herbs

2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1-2 cloves

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

¼ teaspoon hot pimentón or pinch cayenne

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

Fresh herbs, onion and garlic in the marinade.

Fresh herbs and aromatics

½ cup parsley

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

½ onion, coarsely chopped

15 cloves garlic

Zest of 1 lemon (1 ½ teaspoons)

1 bay leaf, broken into pieces

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon seedless raisins or chopped prunes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Liquid

Fresh orange juice (1 cup for the 3-pound piece of pork)

Boiling water

24 hours before roasting the pork:

Blend of dry spices and herbs.

Crush the dry spices and herbs in a mortar. Place the salt in the mortar first with hard items, such as peppercorns, cloves, coriander and fennel seeds. Continue with the oregano. Stir in the ground pimentón, turmeric and cumin. Reserve the spice mixture.

In a food processor, finely chop the parsley and cilantro. Add the onion, garlic, lemon zest, pieces of bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, capers, raisins and oil. Process to make a paste. Place in a bowl and stir in the dry spices. (Divide the mixture in half. Freeze one half to use for another marinade.)

Garlic and herb paste.

Place the piece of meat on a work surface. Use a thin knife to cut 1-inch slits all over the top and bottom of the pork. Rub the herb-garlic marinade all over the meat and into the cuts. Place the pork in a non-reactive container. Pour over the orange juice. Cover tightly. Refrigerate the meat, turning it two or three times during 24 hours.

Rub marinade on all sides of the meat and poke it into slits.

Ready for the oven--pork is tied to make a compact shape and placed on a rack in roasting pan.

Two hours before roasting, remove the meat from the marinade, scraping off excess. If desired, tie the meat into a compact roll using kitchen twine. Allow the meat to come to room temperature. Strain the marinade, saving the liquid. Discard the herbs and solids. 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. 

Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 300ºF. Add enough boiling water to cover the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the pork with foil. Return to the oven for 1 hour.

Carefully turn the pork. Add the reserved strained marinade liquid and enough boiling water to cover the bottom of the pan. (If desired, add potatoes, carrots or other vegetables to the pan.) Cover the meat with foil and return to the oven for 1 hour. 

Check the meat again and add additional water if needed. Roast 30 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 375ºF. Remove the foil from the pork. Return to the oven until the top surface is browned, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pork to a cutting board. (Remove any vegetables to serving bowls.) Pour the pan juices into a saucepan. 

Allow the meat to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing. Bring the pan juices to a boil and simmer 15 minutes to reduce slightly. Season, if needed, with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the pork.

'Twas the day before Christmas and I've got a lovely gift! Fresh orange juice goes into the marinade for the pork.

More recipes for pork shoulder:

Larded Pork Pot Roast (Carne Mechada).

Zamora-Style Rice with Pork and Sausage.

Pork Braised in Milk.

Galician Pork with Greens (Lacón con Grelos).

Pork and Vegetable Stew.

PUNCH THAT POPS

For a holiday lunch with guests who don’t drink alcoholic beverages, I concocted a festive punch of red hibiscus tea, spicy chai, sliced oranges and fizzy water. It was a drink with pop, without the punch. 

Hibiscus punch is bright, fruity and spicy.

After the party, I had a cup or two of the bright and spicy drink leftover. I turned it into a sauce for duck breast by cooking it with sweet Sherry and thickening the sauce with cornstarch. I tried it with cream instead of cornstarch, too, but the cream turned the sauce from cherry-red to pink. I liked the red best.

Leftover hibiscus punch is the basis of a spicy sauce for duck.

Sliced and sauced magret (duck breast) with purple potatoes and brussels sprouts that have been sautéed in the duck fat. 

Non-Alcoholic Hibiscus Punch
Ponche de Hibiscus sin Alcohol

This punch is best if not overly sweet. Use 2-3 tablespoons of sugar (or a few drops of non-caloric liquid sweetener such as stevia). Agua con gas (seltzer water) gives the drink fizz. Add it to the punch immediately before serving. Guests who prefer their punch with real punch can top-up with cava sparkling wine instead of soda. Or rum. Ice is optional. 

Tea bags for the punch.

Hibiscus tea (or infusión) is made from flowers of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, also known as flor de Jamaica, malva and sorrel flowers . Apparently, it is not the same variety as the red hibiscus that blooms on my patio (Hibiscus syriacus or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis). The tea bags I used contained hibiscus plus rosehip, doubling the red power and vitamin C content. The chai tea adds the spice. 

Serves 6.

2 hibiscus tea bags
1 chai tea bag
Slice of ginger, crushed
1 strip of orange zest
3 cups boiling water
Sugar or sweetener, to taste
Ice (optional)
Seltzer 
Orange slices

Place the tea bags in a heatproof pitcher or jar. Add the ginger and strip of orange zest. Pour over the boiling water. Cover and let the tea steep 30 minutes. Add sugar or sweetener to taste. Let the mixture steep until completely cool. Strain the liquid, discarding tea bags, ginger and zest. Chill the infusion.

Divide the infusion between glasses or goblets, adding ice, if desired. Add seltzer and orange slices to the drinks.

Leftover hibiscus punch is starter for sauce.

Duck Breast with Spiced Hibiscus Sauce
Magret de Pato con Salsa de Hibiscus

Scoring the layer of fat allows the fat to render out in cooking. Moderate heat so it doesn't splatter and, carefully, drain off the fat part way through cooking. Anything sautéed in the reserved duck fat will be delicious. Here I've used par-boiled potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Serves 6.

1 ¼ cups hibiscus drink (recipe above)
¼ cup sweet Sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 duck breast halves (magret), each 14-16 ounces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 allspice berries, coarsely crushed
Orange slices to garnish

Place 1 cup of the hibiscus drink in a saucepan with the Sherry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it bubble 5 minutes until alcohol is cooked off and liquid is slightly reduced.

Place remaining ¼ cup of the hibiscus drink in a small bowl. Add the cornstarch and stir until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened. Keep sauce warm while preparing the duck breasts.

Place the duck breasts on a cutting board, fat-side up. With a sharp knife, score the fat without cutting into the flesh. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crushed allspice on the top of each, rubbing it into the cuts.

Heat a cast iron skillet. Place the duck breasts in the skillet, fat side down. Cook on medium heat until the fat is browned and crisped, about 5 minutes. Remove the breasts from the skillet and very carefully drain off accumulated fat. Return the breasts to the skillet and cook the flesh side 3 to 5 minutes or until the meat is medium-rare in the center. (You may have to cut into one to test for doneness.)

Scoring the layer of fat allows the fat to render during cooking.

Place the breasts on a cutting board. Allow them to rest 5 minutes, then slice about ¼ inch thick. Plate the sliced duck. Spoon over the sauce and garnish the plates with sliced oranges.

More recipes with duck breast:

Duck Breast with Clementine Sauce.

Grilled Duck Breast with Olive Sauce.

Also good with duck breast:

Mango Chutney.

Fig and PX Wine Sauce.

HAPPY TWELFTH NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS!