Divine bites: at the altar of Hispanic cuisine
Here at Wallpaper*, we're worshipping at the high altar of Hispanic cuisine, where moreishness is next to godliness. To celebrate this, we put together a striking shoot for the April edition of the magazine (W*193) featuring a host of delectable, classic dishes – all virtuous, authentic and relatively straightforward to put together at home.
Photography: Tobias Harvey; Interiors: Benjamin Kempton; Entertaining Director: Melina Keays
Pimientos del piquillo rellenos
(Stuffed peppers)
Serves 3
90g can white tuna
2 tbs mayonnaise
3 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
1 tbs capers
salt and pepper
6 piquillo peppers (from a jar)
Flake the tuna in a bowl with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, onion, lemon, egg and capers, and mix well. Season to taste. Drain the peppers and pat dry. Using a teaspoon, stuff with the tuna mixture.
---
Albondigas
(Meatballs)
Serves 4-6
1 slice white bread, crust removed (approx 80g)
500g minced beef or pork
1 egg, beaten
1⁄2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
2 tbs flour
3 tbs olive oil, for frying
Tear the bread into chunks and soak in cold water for a few minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl with the mince, egg, onion, garlic and parsley. Season the mixture, then work it with your hands until well combined. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Sprinkle the flour into a wide shallow bowl and season. Roll the meatballs, a few at a time, in the seasoned flour, then shake of the excess. Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium heat, then fry the meatballs in batches, without overcrowding the pan, for a few minutes, turning until browned all over but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate to rest.
For the sauce
3 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
500g chopped tomatoes
1 bay leaf
pinch of saffron
Add the oil to the pan and fry the onion, garlic and carrot over a low heat until soft and golden. Add the tomato, bay leaf and saffron, bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meatballs, bring back to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Pan de higo
(Fig cake)
Serves 8
100g Marcona almonds
500g dried figs, stalks removed and roughly chopped
1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp whole anise seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs honey
2 tbs brandy
Manchego cheese, to serve
Toast the almonds in the oven or in a dry frying pan until fragrant and just golden. Set aside. Line a 16–18cm round, shallow tin with baking parchment, allowing enough at the sides to bring over the top and wrap the cake. Place the dried figs in the bowl of a food processor. Sprinkle with the spices, add the honey and brandy, and grind to a rough, sticky paste. Transfer to a bowl and work in about three quarters of the almonds with a wooden spoon. Press the fig mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Press the remaining almonds into the surface. Wrap loosely with the overhanging parchment and place a saucer, with a weight on it, on top of the cake to compress it. Leave the cake to dry out and firm up for a few days. Serve in thin slices with Manchego cheese.
Hornazo
(Stuffed bread)
Serves 4–6
200ml lukewarm water
1 tsp honey
2 tsp (7g) dried yeast
500g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
100ml white wine
125ml olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg, beaten, to glaze
150g chorizo, sliced
150g Serrano ham, sliced
150g lomo (pork loin), sliced
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Put the water in a jug and whisk in the honey and dried yeast. Leave in a warm place for 15 minutes to develop a froth. Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture to the flour with the wine, oil and egg. Knead for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size. Heat the oven to 190°C. Place the dough on a large floured work surface and cut in half. Roll one half out into a round shape, approx 1cm thick. Place on a floured baking tray. Arrange the sliced meat and egg over the dough, leaving a 2cm border at the edge. Set aside about a fifth of the remaining dough. Roll out the rest to make the pie top. Brush the borders of the base with water, put the top in position and press the edges together to seal. Roll the remaining dough into thin strips and use to decorate, fixing them in place with water. Brush with egg, prick with a fork and bake for 30–40 minutes until well risen and golden.
Ajo blanco
(Chilled almond and garlic soup)
Serves 4
100g stale white bread
200g skinned almonds
3 garlic cloves, peeled
150ml olive oil
3 tbs sherry vinegar
2 tsp salt
750ml ice cold water
150g Muscat grapes, to serve
Tear up the bread and place in a bowl of cold water. Leave to soak for a minute or two, then squeeze out the excess water and place in a food processor with the almonds and the garlic. Add the olive oil, vinegar and salt, then blend to a very smooth paste. With the processor running, pour in half the water in a slow, steady stream. Place a sieve over a large bowl. Ladle the soup through the sieve, squeezing out every drop of liquid by pressing the ladle against the sieve. Stir in the remaining water, adding a little more if the soup seems too thick. Chill well, and serve with a few Muscat grapes, or chilled melon chunks, in each bowl.
Merluza en salsa verde
(Hake in salsa verde)
Serves 4
2 tbs flour salt and pepper
4 tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced lengthways
4 hake steaks, on the bone, each approx 200g
1 small glass dry white wine
3 tbs finely chopped parsley
Sprinkle the flour onto a plate and season well. Heat the oil in a large, lidded sauté pan or deep frying pan over a low heat, then add the garlic and turn in the hot oil for a minute or so to flavour the oil, but without allowing the garlic to brown. Press the hake steaks into the seasoned flour on both sides and shake off the excess flour. Turn up the heat under the pan to medium-high and place the hake in the pan. Fry for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly coloured. Add the wine to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle over the parsley, tilting and swirling the pan to distribute it. Place the lid on tightly, cook for another minute, then turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes. Check the fish is cooked – it should only just flake away from the bone when tested with a knife.
Jarrete de cordero a la Riojana
(Lamb shanks braised in Rioja)
Serves 4
4 lamb shanks
salt and pepper
4 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
600ml Rioja
100ml sherry vinegar
300ml lamb or beef stock
1 tbs honey
1 whole bulb garlic
2 bay leaves
Season the lamb shanks well. Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole over a medium to high flame. Brown the shanks, turning them in the oil until well browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, carrot and garlic to the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and golden. Heat the oven to 160°C. Return the shanks to the pan with the wine, vinegar, stock and honey. Break up the garlic bulb, removing the outer layers, but keeping the bulb together at the root, then add to the pan with the bay leaves. Bring to the boil, put the lid on the casserole and place in the oven for 2–3 hours. The meat should be very tender without coming away from the bone.
Flan de naranja
(Orange flan)
Serves 6
350g white sugar
3 tbs water
400ml freshly squeezed orange juice
6 large eggs
Place 200g of the sugar and the water in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up to high and boil the syrup until it turns a dark caramel colour, then pour into six 175ml moulds, swirling to coat the sides and base until almost set. Heat the oven to 160°C. Place the juice and remaining sugar in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved but without boiling. Whisk the eggs gently in a large bowl. Pour the hot orange juice into the eggs, whisking as you pour. Strain into a large jug, then pour into the moulds. Place in a large roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the moulds. Cook for 15–20 minutes until set but wobbly. Cool, then refrigerate. Invert onto dishes with their sauce.
Pimientos de Padrón
(Padrón peppers)
Serves 4
2 tbs olive oil
250g Padrón peppers, washed and dried
sea salt flakes
Place a large, deep frying pan over a high heat and add the olive oil. Allow the oil to become smoking hot, then add the peppers. Stir fry for 4–5 minutes until the skins begin to blister and turn brown. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle generously with sea salt flakes. Serve immediately.
Torta de Santiago
(Almond cake)
Serves 8–10
260g blanched whole almonds
250g golden caster sugar
6 large eggs, separated
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cinnamon
icing sugar, for dusting
Line a 20–22cm springform cake tin with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180°C. Place the whole almonds in a food processor and grind (not too finely – they should retain some texture, with a consistency closer to granulated sugar than flour). Beat the caster sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in the orange and lemon zests. Add the ground almonds and cinnamon, and mix together well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites into soft peaks. Fold three tablespoons of the beaten egg white into the almond mixture, to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool in the tin, then turn out and remove the paper. Cut a cross of St James (sometimes called a Santiago cross) from card and place it on the centre of the cake. Dust the cake with icing sugar and remove the card.