make | SPAIN | patatas bravas, limón brócoli and pescado

The quintessential Spanish food = tapas.  

OK, so it's really hot in Spain most of the time.  Imagine you're back in the day, and you're sitting in a Spanish bar enjoying a glass of something cool (the pastime of many Spaniards on a hot summer day).  The flies buzzing around would really annoy everyone, getting in your drinks etc.  So what do you do? You put a cover over your glass or jug to stop them getting in there.  This has developed into the tapas that we now know and love today.  

Someone smart decided they would use a slice of bread as the cover for their drink and then they decided they ought to put something yummy on that slice of bread.  As this trend caught on, these special tapas ('tapar' is Spanish for 'to cover') were born.  Going for a drink in Spain almost always involves a bite to eat.  

The great thing about tapas is that you can take the basic idea and use whatever you've got on hand to create some yummy  tidbits, or in our case, a whole meal of little bits to enjoy with your friends and family.  Leftover ham, cheese, bits of cooked fish, mini roasties (- we'll show you how to make patatas bravas from your leftover roast potatoes in a minute!), delicious garlicy veggies - it's the perfect summer snacky meal, using up whatever's left in the fridge. 

Enjoy today!!

- rosinaviolets    x

Pescado con limón y perejil

(Fish with lemon & parsley!)

Serves 4 

- 4 fillets of white fish
- 1/2 lemon
- salt & pepper
- 2 tsp dried parsley

• Super simple: put your fish in a baking dish, add half a lemon slice to each fillet and reserve the rest of the lemon for squeezing over afterwards.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the parsley.  Bake in the oven for 15-20mins depending on the size of your fish fillets.  

Patatas Bravas 

(Leftover roasties, Spanish style) 

Serves 4 

This is a truly delicious dish - I highly recommend trying this when you've got leftover roast potatoes, or like we did, by making your own just for the patatas bravas. 

- 2 cloves garlic, smooshed

- 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped 

- 1 tsp sweet paprika (not smoked, or spicy) 

- 1 tsp fennel seeds 

- 1 tsp coarsely ground salt 

- 500g new potatoes

• Wash and dry your new potatoes.  
• Cut them to bite sized pieces if they are a bit big.  
• Plunge them into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes or so.  You want them to be partially cooked so they won't take too long in the oven.  You can put them in the fridge at this stage until you want to make the rest of your dinner if you want.  
• Otherwise, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.  Spray them with olive oil and mix around a bit so they've got a coating.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, the mashed up garlic cloves and the chopped rosemary leaves.  Mix them around a bit again.  
• Roast at 180C in your oven for about 15 - 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.  

Meanwhile, make your sauce... 

- 1 onion, finely chopped

- 4 cloves of garlic, smooshed 

- 1 red chilli (or chilli flakes, to taste) 

- 1 carrot, finely chopped

- salt & pepper to taste

- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

- 400g tin chopped tomatoes

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

• In a saucepan, spray a little oil and cook the onion, garlic and carrot for a couple of minutes.  
• Tip in the chilli, salt & pepper and thyme, and cook for another couple of minutes.  
• Add the chopped tomatoes and vinegar and now simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced.  

To assemble...

• Take the roast potatoes out of the oven, and put into a bowl for serving.  Sprinkle over the 1tsp sweet paprika, and the 1tsp fennel seeds.  Grind a little salt over the top.  
• Pour the sauce into a jug on the side.  
• Dig in! 

Limón Brócoli 

(Lemony Broccoli) 

Serves 4 

Again - if you know anyone that says they don't like broccoli, just wait until they have tried it like this.  This broccoli is stellar.  Honestly, so yummy - I think I could eat a whole bowl full.  

- 1 head of broccoli, broken into florets 

- salt & pepper 

- 4 sliced and peeled garlic cloves 

- 1 lemon (zest and juice) 

- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil 

• Tip the broccoli into some boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes until par-boiled.  
• Spread out on a baking sheet, with a spray of olive oil, the garlic cloves and some salt and pepper 
• Roast in the oven at 180C for 15 minutes 
• On emerging from the oven cover those delicious florets in the lemon zest, juice to taste, and the basil.  Serve and enjoy! 

Other tapas ideas... 

- Do the same thing as I've got going on with the broccoli with some asparagus.  Serve with some torn olives over the top! 

- Skewer some anchovies and arrange them on a serving plate.  Drizzle over the juice of half a lemon, and lots of black pepper and parsley.  

- Spray a pan with olive oil and cook some lemon zest in there quickly, then throw in a couple of sprigs of thyme, and about 25g pine nuts.  As soon as they get golden, drain a jar of artichokes and add them to the pan until they are warmed through.  Stir in a teaspoon of honey and some salt & pepper.  

- Manchego is the famous Spanish cheese.  It's quite strong and has a texture similar to parmesan.  Cut it into cubes or wedges and serve with a drizzle of runny honey and some thyme on top.