Spanish food - Omar Allibhoy webchat Thurs 22 Aug 1-2pm

[quote aurelia]

I've been a fan of Spanish food since I was a young girl, when Martinez Spanish Restaurant in Swallow Street was a regular family Sunday lunch event.
I've just been given a large pack of "cooking chorizo". I'd be very glad of some ideas as to what to make with it. I've thought of putting some in a chicken and tomato stew, but what else could I do, and does it cook quickly?
I've also got some Teruel dop pork loin, it can be eaten like salami, but is there something more interesting I could with it, such as bake with onions or potatoes?

rocketstop

I too, like Tapas but haven't really bothered making it as all the separate dishes seem a bit long winded to prepare. Does Omar have a 'Quick fix' for this? He's quite right though, Spanish food should be made as popular as Italian, go on Omar..convert me !!

This is one of my favourite tapas to make at home and it's incredibly quick and simple. You will only need two ingredients: fesh chorizo and a bottle of vintage cider (not those fizzy sugary ones). In a small pot over high heat put a whole chorizo sausage and a bottle of cider and simmer for as long as it takes until the cider has reduced into a thick syrup. Enjoy with loads of bread. We haven't even used a knife and a chopping board!

Galen

I ADORE tapas, but alas, as there's only one of me- I think that they would be too diddly to make?

Unless you can persuade me otherwise?
Please?

Not everything in Spanish cooking are tapas. We do, as well, bigger dishes. A quick dinner fix will be "broken eggs" just pan fry in a bit of olive oil over high heat some of your favourite ingredients (chorizo, prawns, spinach, onion etc) until cooked, then crash over them a couple of eggs and season with a bit of paprika, salt and pepper.

Hattiehelga

Omar's chat is just three days before we go on holiday to the Pyranees and Catalonia so I hope I can get an answer in time !! On 31st August we will be in Santa Susanna and it just happens to be our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Can he recommend a really nice Tapas Restaurant in Santa Susanna where we could celebrate.

Sorry, I've never been there.

lizgg

I tried a recipe for wonderful soup we had in Bilbao called salmorejo, but it wasn't as nice as the restaurant - too oily - has Omar got a fail-safe recipe?

Yes, I do and you can find it in the book. It's not a soup, it's a dip but essentially you just need to blend one slice of bread, 3 tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar, a pinch of salt and half a glass of olive oil (yes, it has that much!) Serve with some very good Iberico ham and bread.

merlotgran

Hello Omar,

Tapas not pasta would be a very welcome mantra in our house because I often struggle with inspiration for light lunches and meals. We grow our own vegetables so would welcome any advice on how tapas could be used as part of a healthy diet which is low in carbohydrates.

If we ever have another lovely summer (always hopeful) I would like to imagine outdoor eating which is as far away from the ubiquitous barbecue as possible.

Why don't you try to make one of our fish dishes (1 Spaniard eats 5 times more fish than a British person, on average). Garlicky prawns. On a cold pan with a drizzle of olive oil, fry a lot of thinly sliced garlic and chili. When golden, add the prawns and some rock salt. When you flip the side of the prawns after 1 minute, sprinkle a bit of parsley and dress with a shot of white wine or the juice of one lemon.

CariGransnet

Proper tortilla is one of my favourite things ever. I've made an ok-but-not-brilliant one so would love some tips (and also please tell me it's possible to make a decent-ish one without using a ton of oil (and yes I know the oil is the best bit))

If you don't want to use loads of extra virgin olive oil for your tortilla, first parboil your sliced potatoes until halfway cooked. Then drain from the water and place in a baking tray with a little olive oil and salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and then proceed as usual.

Sunhat

Hello Omar

I'd like to have a go at cooking tapas, but I'm not sure what to put on my shopping list.

As a complete tapas novice, what ingredients would you suggest I buy?

With the release of my new cookery book I've gone away from using obscure or difficult to find ingredients. My starting point was when I learned from a statistic that 75% of the UK population buys their ingredients in the 5 major supermarket chains, Watirose, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsburys, and I am one of those 75%. There is nothing as frustrating as needing to discard 40 recipes out of a cookery book because you will never find those ingredients unless you are lucky to have a very specialised deli by where you live. All the recipes in this book are with ingredients you can find in those 5 major supermarkets, so that anyone, no matter which page you open the book from, will be able to cook it.

So to answer your question, anything will work, as long as there is olive oil and garlic in your cupboard.

highfive

Hi Omar. What's your favourite tapas?

Probably croquetas.

Clytie

My three-year-old grandson is visiting this weekend, Omar, and he loves to "help" in the kitchen, then eat what he's "cooked". Are there any tapas recipes which you'd particularly recommend for children - either preparing or eating?

Thank you.

Why don't you give a go to meatballs in tomato sauce? Kids love working the dough of the meatball and making the balls. Comes without saying who doesn't like a good meatball?

MoonlightSonata

Omar, I've just been reading about your extraordinary cooking road trip. I wish I'd bumped into you. Do you have any plans to do this again?

Not at the moment but I will be signing books all over the country in the next few weeks so please check out www.tapasrevolution.com to find out where and when I will be visiting. I hope to see you soon.

CariGransnet

Ooh thanks riverwalk (tho I admit I am a bit of a purist and like just potato and onion in mine) Oh and Omar - on the same subject - I like them when they are slightly runny but the turning it onto a plate and then sliding back in the pan bit can get very messy. Help!

First of all you always need a flat plate much bigger than the pan. Secondly just practise with the pan empty. Always turn the pan and plate 180 degrees completely. Never stop halfway or half the tortilla will end up on your worktop.

marika

Hello Omar. Last time I had tapas one of the dishes I loved best was some meatballs (beef) in a tomato sauce. The meatballs were light as a feather so I would like to know how to get this effect (using just beef rather than other meats). Also the tomato sauce was mellow and sweet - when I try making one using tinned tomatoes it is always a bit acidic (and basically tinned tomatoey) Please can you help?

My favourite meatball mix has to have 50% pork meat and 50% beef meat. As well, loads of bread soaked in milk and egg in the mix is very important. Otherwise they will be a bit hard and dry. With regards to your sauce always add a bit of sugar and a bit of vinegar to balance the sauce. I hope it helps.

LyndaW

As wheniam mentioned earlier tapas and wine go hand in hand. Which wine would you recommend best accompanies tapas?

That's not true. Beer goes hand in hand with tapas, but wine - it all depends which food you are eating with which wine. Just imagine having a piece of cod with red wine. Your wine will taste oxidated and your cod won't taste right either. Too much white wine with tapas is very difficult because tapas is about nibbling from different dishes which may vary a lot between them. Unless you are going only for meat or only for fish tapas, I would recommend to always have a beer or some dry sherry.

spananana

I love tapas too. Partly because I like being able to have lots of different things in one meal and partly because it's delicious

I would like to know how to make (and the spelling may be very wonky) pan al ajo? Basically garlic bread with a hint of tomato. I tried rubbing cut pieces of baguette with cut garlic and tomato but it was a bit bland and I would love to do it like they do in the restaurants

Start by toasting your bread. With one clove of garlic scrub it by the bottom side of the slice. On the top, squeeze one cherry tomato (don't put more). Drizzle with a bit of olive oil over the tomato and sprinkle a bit of Maldon salt. When you put it in your mouth you will feel the spiciness and strength of the garlic on your tongue and the sweetness, acidity and saltiness on the top of your palate. If you get the book, you will get a really good explanation inside.

jiggle

I would love to try making paella but i don't eat seafood (or rabbit) Chicken is ok or veggie. I also don't have a paella pan - does this matter?

It doesn't matter as s long as you cook little amounts. A finished paella should only be one finger thick which means that if you are cooking on a normal size pan you wouldn't want to cook a paella for more than 2 people (180g of rice) as otherwise the rice won't cook properly and it won't be a paella with a good crust on the bottom of the pan. Again, the book has a very precise explanation for how to make the perfect paella.

jiggle

Can I ask one more? Why do boquerones (white anchovies) taste so good and tinned brown anchoviues taste so bad???

They are the same fish but one is cured for 8 hours in vinegar and the other is salted for days. In Spain you can get very good of both but here in the UK unfortunately the salted anchovies you get in the tins are not Spanish and they taste rubbish. If you ever come across an expensive little tin of salted anchovies in olive oil from Spain, please try them again as you will taste a huge, huge difference.

Mamie

Hello Omar
We love rice dishes. Last week our Spanish daughter-in-law made a delicious paella with chorizo and chicken and tonight we made arroz negro with allioli which was pretty good too.
So two questions, firstly what is your favourite rice dish and secondly which rice would you buy?
We live in northern France which is pretty hopeless for ingredients, but we always stock up when we are in Spain and come home laden with Nunez de Prado oil, tinned and dried peppers, saffron and rice. Is there anything else we should be buying in Spain? (Sorry that is three questions)!

My favourite rice dish is paella valenciana, the traditional and famous one. For any Spanish rice dish you will have to use always Spanish short grain rice (Bomba, Calasparra). Spanish rice is the best in the world and the most expensive. The reason is because it absorbs the most water of all the grains. Every penny will be well worth it. When I come back from Spain I always bring some sliced jamon iberico, morcilla de Burgos, pimenton dulce, manchego cheese...

granIT

Can you convince me that it's not fiddly to cook tapas? It seems to me that you have to serve far more dishes and that's a terrible faff. At least with pasta it's pasta and a sauce. I sometimes think about making tapas - I do love Spanish food - but it always seems more sensible to eat it out than to go to all the bother of cooking several different things, perhaps for only four people. I would like to be convinced it doesn't have to be too complicated...

It's not as complicated as it may seem. There is plenty of short and quick recipes that you can rustle up in literally 15 minutes. I cannot describe them all but they are all in the book. I promise you won't be disappointed and it will change your perception about Spanish food.

batgran

Hi Omar,

do you have any tips for making really crispy squid? I have tried but mine always comes out a bit soggy.

Thanks!

You will need chickpea flour to coat the squid, a very hot oil. Cook it only for 70 seconds at 190 degrees and when you drain it never pat it dry with kitchen paper. Always put it straight into a bowl, season with salt while sauteing in your bowl so that it dries in the air as opposed to steaming away in the paper. That should give you the perfect crisp squid.

downwithcupcakes

Hello Omar,

I am on a bit of a mission to eat more pulses. Could you suggest anything delicious and Spanish I could do with, for example, chickpeas or butter beans?

Pan fry finely chopped garlic, onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. Add one bayleaf, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of sweet pimenton and a splash of white wine. Fill the pot with cold water, put your lentils inside and let it simmer for as long as the lentils need.

firenze

A few years ago I had the most amazing ham in Spain that tasted like no ham I've eaten before or since. I think it was made from pigs that had fed on acorns - is that right? I wondered if you could tell me what it was called and if it's possible to buy it in the UK? Thanks.

It's called jamon iberico. What makes this ham so special is firstly the breed of the pig: iberico. Then it has to do with the way they live their lives, roaming freely in the woodlands of Spain eating grass and acorns throughout their lives. Once the pig is slaughtered we salt the leg for around 2 weeks and then we dry it in cold caves for 3 years. It results in what you described, the most amazing ham in the world. You can find thinly sliced iberico ham in supermarkets today, but you will only get the real thing freshly hand carved if you go to a Spanish tapas bar. I don't know where you live but I'm sure there is a local tapas bar which has it.

appleseed

I am a bit hesitant about using peppers in cooking because (sorry, this is probably too much information) I find they repeat on me. They can be very aggressive. But I do like the taste at the time! Can you suggest any ways I can use them that will have less of a lasting effect?!

Roast your peppers at 200 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes. Place them in a tight container with a lid so that they keep steaming themselves. When they drop temperature peel them and deseed them. Use those peppers in any way you want and they won't repeat ever again.

fritterbug

Is there a correct proportion of hot to cold dishes when serving tapas?

Not at all. It's completely up to you.

getmehrt

I like the mixing of cheese and meat and vegetables that you get with tapas. I usually only serve cheese at the end of a meal. But I don't really know what to do with the cheese so that it's not just slabs. Should I be making it more interesting?! If so, how?

There is one recipe in the book called Almogrote Gomero which is a beautiful dip or spread from the Canary Islands. Just blend the cheese with one fresh tomato, a bit of vinegar, olive oil and cumin seeds. This will go very well with meats and vegetables.