lunaticsinge.com - Spanish Meats

Trout Stuffed with Ham - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 whole boned trout, about 8 oz. each

3 tablespoons olive oil

Fine sea salt and ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

4 thin slices serrano ham

12 sprigs thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Rinse the trout and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the skin and cavity of each fish with the olive oil. Sprinkle each cavity lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle each with 1/4 teaspoon of the vinegar. Arrange the trout in a single layer in a roasting pan.

3. Tuck 1 slice of ham and 3 thyme sprigs lengthwise in the cavity of each trout and fold over to close.

4. Roast the trout until the skins are crisp and the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to individual plates and remove the thyme sprigs. Serve at once.

Wine Suggestion: A Navarrese Chardonnay

Sea Bass in Salt Crust - (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing

1 whole dorada, red snapper, or other firm-fleshed fish, 3 lbs., cleaned & scaled

4 lbs. rock salt

Ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

allioli for serving (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

2. Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the fish comfortably. Place the fish in the prepared baking dish and cover evenly and completely with the rock salt. Roast until the salt has formed a hard crust, about 45 minutes.

3. Using a large stainless-steel spoon, remove as much of the salt as possible. Carefully skin and fillet the fish, then transfer the fillets to individual plates.

4. Serve with a generous grinding of pepper. Serve with the lemon wedges and, if desired, allioli.

Wine Suggestion: A fragrant, fruity white Albarino from Galicia or a Penedes white.

Baked Cod with Olive Oil & Garlic - (Serves 4 - 6)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Fine sea salt and ground black pepper

2 lbs. fresh cod fillets

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon pimenton (Spanish smoked pepper)

1/2 cup white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cod fillets on both sides, shaking off any excess flour

3. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the cod fillets and fry until golden brown. Transfer to a small roasting pan, leaving the oil in the hot pan.

4. Add the garlic to the frying pan and fry until just colored, about 1 minute (do not allow the garlic to burn). Remove from the heat and stir in the pimenton. Add the wine, return the pan to medium-high heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

5. Pour the wine mixture over the fish. Roast in the oven until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve at once.

Wine Suggestion: According to Spanish custom, cod is often matched with a red wine. Try an aromatic, mineral-rich Garnacha from Priorat or Monsant.

Chicken Cooked with Garlic - (Serves 2 - 4)

Ingredients:

4 lb. chicken, breast & backbone removed cut across the bone in walnut-sized pieces.

Fine sea salt & ground black pepper

1 head garlic

1 cup olive oil

3/4 cup dry fino sherry

1 dash sherry vinegar or other white wine vinegar

Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1. Reserve the chicken breasts for another recipe, as they tend to dry out excessively. Place the dark chicken meat chunks in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper, turning to ensure the chunks are evenly coated.

2. Separate the garlic cloves, without peeling, and crush them whole with the blade of a large knife.

3. In a wide, deep frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the garlic cloves and fry until they are beginning to take on a light golden color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl.

4. Add the chicken to the pan and fry until the chunks are golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour or ladle off the excess oil and reserve for another use ( it will be great for frying potatoes). Return the garlic cloves to the pan and pour in the sherry. Bubble until a thick sauce has formed, turning the chicken chunks in the wine as it reduces. Add the dash of vinegar and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the parsley, and turn out into a serving dish.

Note: Serve with a bowl of green olives and a basket of crusty bread.

Wine Suggestion: An aromatic, bracing Fino Sherry

Pork Rib & Potato Stew - (Serves 8)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs. baby back ribs, 4 inches in length, sliced into individual riblets

2 large red onions, coarsely chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed & roughly chopped

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled & thickly sliced

Boiling water, as needed

1 tablespoon pimenton (Spanish smoked pepper)

Fine seas salt and ground black pepper

1. In a deep cast iron stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork ribs and fry until just beginning to brown. Using tongs, transfer to a platter and set aside.

2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Return the ribs to the pot along with the potatoes. Add enough boiling water to cover, stir in the pimenton, and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 1 our. Toward the end of the cooking time, use a fork to crush a few potato pieces against the side of the pot and stir in to thicken the sauce. Transfer to a platter or shallow bowl, and serve.

Wine Suggestion: A velvety, full-bodied red from the Ribera Del Duero.

Braised Oxtails - (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Fine sea salt & ground black pepper

3 lbs. oxtail or bull's tail, cut across the bone into thick steaks

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 large leek, white & pale green parts, chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 sprig rosemary

2 sprigs, oregano

3 cups dry red wine, preferably a deep-colored Spanish red

2 cups beef stock, or as needed

1. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the meat on both sides, shaking off any excess flour.

2. In a cast-iron casserole dish with a lid or a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Using tongs, transfer the meat to a plate. Add the leek, bell pepper, onion, carrots, and garlic to the pot and gently sauté until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the bay leaves, rosemary, and oregano and season well with salt and pepper.

3. Return the meat to the pot, pour in the wine and enough stock to just cover the meat, and bring to a boil. Skim the surface for foamy impurities, then cover, reduce the heat to very low, an simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once every hour. The meat should be so tender that it literally falls off the bone. Remove and discard the bay leaves and herb sprigs and serve directly from the pot.

Wine Suggestion: A big bodied red from D.O. Toro

Leg of Lamb with Mint & Garlic - (Serves 6 - 8)

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb, 5 to 6 lbs, boned

3/4 cup mint, chopped, plus small leaves for garnish

1/4 cup bacon, finely minced

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 tablespoon pimenton, (Spanish smoked pepper)

Fine sea salt & ground black pepper

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1. Unroll the leg of lamb, fat side down, trim away all excess fat and sinews. In a mortar or small bowl, combine the mint, bacon, garlic, pimenton, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and mix to form a paste. Rub the paste evenly over the inside of the lamb leg. Roll up the leg and tie securely with kitchen string. Wrap the lamb in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

2. Unwrap the lamb and bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil and the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar. Brush the lamb lightly with some of the mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Roast, basting with the oil-vinegar mixture every 8 to10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 120 degrees F for rare, 45 to 50 minutes, or 130 to 135 degrees F for medium, 55 to 60 minutes. Alternatively, test by cutting into the lamb with a sharp knife; the meat should be rosy or done to your liking.

5. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Snip the strings and slice to serve. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Win Suggestion: A Portuguese red from the Douro Valley.