Red pepper shots with prawns

Of course I never follow a recipe exactly, I like to adjust it to my own tastes. Therefore from the cooking class in Barcelona I have created red pepper shots with a garlic and chilli prawn to serve as a canape at a party.

Ingredients

2 large red bell peppers
3 large shallots
350-400mls water
salt
pinch sugar
8-10 saffron threads toasted

Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180oC, cut the peppers in half and place on an oven tray. Spread some olive oil over the peppers and season with salt. Bake in the oven for approx 30mins or until roasted.
2 Put the roasted peppers in a bowl and cover with gladwrap so they can sweat. Once cooled, peel the skins off and deseed. Cut into slices and set aside.
3 Slice the shallots, and simmer in a pan with a Tbsp olive oil until cooked. Do not brown.
4 Add the peppers, pinch of salt and sugar and cook for a further 5 mins.
5 Add the water and let simmer for a further 15-20 minutes. Take off heat.
6 Toast the saffron and infuse the soup with it (off the heat). Cover and leave for 1 hour.
7 Puree through a blender and place back into the pot. Check seasoning.
8 Serve the soup in shot glasses with anything you like as an accompaniment - a garlic prawn as I did was great. Sprinkle the prawns with parsley.

Cook and Taste cooking class, Barcelona

While in Barcelona we could not miss an opportunity to have a Spanish cooking class.

http://www.cookandtaste.net/

Our class started at 5pm with a group of about 12 of us.

The menu was:

- Shot of red bell pepper soup flavoured with toasted saffron and cod
- Magret of duck, caramelised onion and foie cake
- Seafood paella
- Crema Catalana

It was a pretty hands on experience with an emphasis on 'experience' rather than learning... with a bit of wine to go with it.

Paella recipe (serves 4)


Ingredients
4 prawns
1/2 squid
300gr mussels
2 cloves garlic
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 small red onion
6 Tbsp olive oil
320 grams rice
1 Ltr fish stock (4.4 cups)
8-10 saffron threads

 Method
1 Heat the oil in the pan and fry the squid and prawns until slightly browned. Set aside.
2 Chop the onion and the green pepper and add them into the hot oil and fry slightly. After a few minutes add the chopped garlic and fry over medium heat.
3 Add the rice and fry for a few minutes. Then stir in the hot stock. Leave the rice now and do not stir.
4 Cook for a further 8 minutes approx on medium to high heat.
5 reduce the heat to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes.
6 Stir in the mussels and at the last moment add back in the prawns and squid. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Not your everyday burger joint

Kiosko Gourmet Burger

Marques de L_Argentera 1 bis 08003, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

 http://www.kioskoburger.com/

I know, I know, we should not have been eating burgers while in such a gastronomic place like Barcelona is! However, my husband loves a good burger, so we could not miss the chance to check these out. The place is extremely popular, so be prepared to queue - nothing new for Barcelona! The burger was beyond expectations. If you love a good gourmet burger you can't miss going here.

Cabbages and Condoms, Bangkok, Thailand

A great experience if you happen to be in Bangkok is to go the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant.

Location:

10 Sukhumvit Soi 12, Bangkok 10260, Thailand

 

Website:

http://www.pda.or.th/restaurant/ 

This restaurant was set up by the guy who brought contraception to Thailand. It is a fun, somewhat educational place, with everything in the surroundings either made out of condoms or related to safe sex.

Background:
The restaurant was conceptualized in part to
promote better understanding and acceptance
of family planning and to generate income
 to support various development activities
of the Population and Community
Development Association (PDA)









Food:
There is an extensive menu of a range of Thai foods and are all very reasonably priced.


And remember, the food is guaranteed not to cause pregnancy!

Rhubarb Apple Crumble

Ingredients

3 cooking apples, peeled, quartered and cored
1 cup water
20 sticks rhubarb
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
100g butter, chopped
½ cup self raising flour
½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup rolled oats

Method

1 Preheat oven to 180 C.

2 Cut apples into thick slices and place in a saucepan with water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile wash rhubarb and chop into 5 cm lengths. Add rhubarb, sugar and orange rind to apple, return to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. 

3 Pour mixture into a shallow oven proof dish. Make the crumble by rubbing the butter into the flour, mix in brown sugar, and rolled oats. Sprinkle crumble evenly over the apple and rhubarb and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with icecream, cream or custard.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Leek Pie

 Ingredients
Flaky Puff Pastry ( shop-bought is fine)

Filling

• 1.8 kg chicken (free-range preferably)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 leeks, white part and a little into the green
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 tablespoon milk to glaze the pie.

Method 

1 Simmer the chicken with salt, freshly ground black pepper and bay leaf in a large saucepan of water for 1 hour or until cooked. When cool enough to handle remove flesh from chicken and discard skin and bones.

2 Strain the stock and skim fat as it rises to the surface.

3 Preheat the oven to 210 C 
4 Wash and slice the leeks and sauté in butter with the onion until tender, stir in the flour and gradually add 3 cups of the chicken stock while constantly stirring until sauce boils and thickens. Add the chicken and the cream parsley and chives.
5 Pour the filling in to the pastry shell and cover with pastry, pressing the edges together. Glaze the pastry with the egg mixture and make a few steam holes.

6 Bake in the oven until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 35 minutes.

Spanish Romesco Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1-inch thick slice of crusty bread, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped or slivered (can substitute hazelnuts, peeled)
• 5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 425g can of crushed tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes (including the juice) that have been de-seeded, (you can use fresh tomatoes when in season)
•  200g roasted red bell peppers, (drained if using from a jar)
• 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika (preferred) or sweet paprika
• 2-3 Tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the bread and almonds, stirring often, until they just begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2 Place the contents of the sauté pan into a food processor with the remaining ingredients—salt, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, smoked paprika, vinegar. Purée until smooth. Spread the sauce out on a baking sheet in a pan and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to caramelize. Allow to cool and scrape into a container to store.
To use romesco sauce, mix with pasta, shrimp, chicken or vegetables either before or after they are cooked, much like you would a pesto. I prefer it best with chicken skewers
Kept in a sealed container, Romesco sauce will last for a week or more in the fridge. It freezes well, too.


Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Julia Child's Chicken Liver Pate

Julia Child’s Chicken Liver Mousse
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients
2 cups chicken livers
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup cognac or brandy
1/4 cup  cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. pepper
Pinch of fresh thyme
1/2 cup melted butter
 Salt and pepper

Method
1. Remove any greenish or blackish spots from the livers, as well as any sinew. Cut the livers into 1 cm pieces.
2. Melt butter over medium heat in a sauté pan until foam has subsided. Sauté livers with the shallots in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until the livers are just stiffened, but still rosy inside. Scrape into the blender jar.
3. Pour the wine or cognac into the pan and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 3 tablespoons. Scrape it into the blender jar.
4. Add the cream and seasonings to the blender jar. Cover and blend at top speed for several seconds until the liver is a smooth paste.
5. Add the melted butter and blend several seconds more. Adjust seasoning.
6. Optional: press through a sieve to get rid of any chunky bits.
7. Pack into the bowl or jar and chill for 2 to 3 hours.During this process you can seal it with some melted butter.