-       Plato de muy fácil preparación, tiempo estimado 45 minutos.

1.- Se parte un ramillete de perejil fresco y una cabeza de ajos (preferiblemente españoles) y se pican en una tabla.

2.- Calienta en una sartén aceite de oliva virgen sin llegar a quemarlo pero con la suficiente fuerza como para que se arrebate, se le echa guindillas de cayena al gusto y el ajo y perejil picado fino aplastando con el tenedor los ajos para que suelten todo su aceite y aroma.

3.- Se sofríen las kokotxas una vez hayan estado limpias y lavadas y se baja el fuego al mínimo para empezar a trabajar el pilpil.

4.- El bacalao suelta su gelatina y se emulsiona con el aceite de oliva a baja temperatura con lo cual hay que estar pendiente de no dejar de moverlo y controlar la cocción. A los diez minutos el pil pil estará en su punto.

5.- Se echa fumet de pescado hecho con cabeza de rape o pescados de roca y verduras

6.- Se añade el arroz y cuece 17 minutos, al ser meloso hay que controlar la proporción para que no se quede seco y obtenga el punto “meloso”.

7.- Cinco minutos antes de la retirada del fuego se añaden las gulas.

8.- Dos minutos antes de su retirada del fuego se añaden las gambas.

9.- Se deja reposar 5 minutos.

10.- A jalar.

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Creamy Rice with Cod Cocochas al Pil Pil and Surimi Baby Eels and Prawns

- Very easy to prepare, 45 minutes aprox.
1. Chop a bunch of parsley and a bulb of garlic (Spanish, if possible).
2. Heat some olive oil in a pan, it has to be quite hot but be careful not to burn it, and then add the red chilies (guindillas de cayena, if possible), the garlic and the parsley. Press the garlic with a fork so it spreads all its flavour and scent.
3. Sauté the cod cocochas once they have been washed, and put the pan at low flame, so the pil-pil starts to happen.
4. The cod is releasing its jelly and that emulsifies with the olive oil, so keep an eye on it and stir well. In 10 minutes the pil-pil will be ready.
5. Add fish stock made with monkfish’s head and with vegetables.
6. Add rice and cook for 17minutes. Be careful, don’t let it get dry.
7. 5 minutes before removing from flame add the surimi baby eels.
8. 2 minutes before removing it from the flame, add the prawns.
9. Let it settle for 5 minutes.
10. Eat!

Ingredients:
Lettuce
Red Onion
Corn
Carrot
Tomato
Lime
Fish Sauce
Soy Sauce
Sugar
Fresh Chili
Coriander
Peanuts
Glass Noodles / Mung Bean Noodles
Chicken Breast

Leave the noodles to soak for 5-10 minutes. Place in a plate the lettuce, tomato, corn, carrot and red onion, as if you were to make a normal salad. Crush 10-12 peeled peanuts in a mortar and add them to the salad. Chop the coriander and add it to the salad.
For the dressing use the juice of the lime, add 3 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1tsp of sugar and stir well. Chop the chili in small pieces and add it to the salad.
Place the water with the noodles on to the heat and remove it from there 3 minutes after it boils. Drain and cool them with cold water.
Chop the chicken into very small dices and fry it at low heat. Don’t let it get brown.
Add the chicken and the noodles to the salad and dress up with the sauce.

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Ingredientes:

Lechuga
Cebolla Roja
Maíz
Zanahoria
Tomate
Una lima
Salsa de pescado
Salsa de soja
Azúcar
Chile/Guindilla fresca
Cilantro
Cacahuetes
Noodles transparentes
Una pechuga de pollo

Antes de empezar se ponen un puñado de noodles a remojar en una olla durante 5-10 minutos. Ponemos en un plato la lechuga, cebolla, maiz, zanahoria y tomate como si fuera una ensalada normal. Cogemos 10-12 cacahuetes sin piel, los machacamos en un mortero y los echamos a la ensalada. Picamos cilantro y lo espolvoreamos encima.

Para hacer la salsa exprimimos el zumo de una lima, añadimos 3 cucharadas de salsa de pescado, 1 cucharada de salsa de soja, una cucharilla de azucar y removemos. Cortamos la guindilla en trozos pequeños y echamos al gusto a la salsa.

Ponemos el agua con los noodles al fuego y retiramos 3 minutos despues de comenzar a hervir. Los colamos, y enfriamos con agua fria.
Picamos la pechuga de pollo muy fina y la ponemos a freir a fuego bajo y removiendo, hasta que se haga pero que no se dore.

Finalmente añadimos el pollo, los noodles y regamos con la salsa.

My favourite Twin Peaks character is, without a doubt, Agent Dale B. Cooper. When the series was first shown on Spanish TV I didn’t watched it till the end, partly because it was a bit too complicated to follow and partly because it scared me a bit; so I decided to dedicate my full attention to 90210 instead. I mean, I was 11 or 12 years old then. But Agent Cooper was a figure that I kept on remembering fondly, and I wasn’t really sure why till I decided to start again with Twin Peaks from chapter 1 till the end. And voilà! I saw it immediately, apart from being a character absolutely adorable, Agent Cooper is, basically, Agent Ñam Ñam. His breakfasts were always a party, and that is something that ñam ñam appreciates.

A while ago, talking about this with Marta Hurtado de Mendoza, I promised to her that, sooner or later, I would bake a Twin Peaks Cherry Pie and, finally, I’ve made it. Here is the recipe, give it a try!

I bought the pastry in the supermarket, is cheap, is not bad and it saves you lots of work. But this cake is so good that it deserves a homemade pastry. And for that you will need: 500 gr plain flour, 250 gr unsalted butter (diced), 150 gr of icing sugar and 6 egg yolks.

Place flour, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Then, gradually, add about 1-2 tablespoons of chilled water until mixture forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 30 seconds. Divide in half. Wrap each half in clingfilm and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Lightly grease a 22 cm round metal or glass pie dish with melted butter. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface into a 30 cm circle, about 5-7 mm thick. Drape dough over rolling pin and then, carefully, unroll it over the dish, gently pressing into the bottom and sides. Cut off excess pastry, leaving a 2.5 cm overhang around the edge of the pie dish. Chill while you prepare the filling. I mean, this can be very annoying and if you don’t want to spend such a long time for this cake, go and buy the pastry at your local supermarket, no problem.

For the filling, first of all you need some good cherries. My Uncle Pepe brought me this box from Valle del Jerte, aka Cherry Town. I don’t know how many of them did I used. The recipe I followed said 600 gr of pitted cherries, but I think I used less. Of course it depends on how big your cake is going to be.

You will also need juice and zest of 1 lemon, 1tbsp of plain flour, 1 tbsp of cornflour, 150 gr caster sugar, 1 vanilla pod and egg wash (1 egg beaten with a bit of milk).

An easy way to remove the pit from the cherries is using a rolling pin, but wear an apron, they will splash!

Now, place cherries, lemon juice and zest, flour, cornflour, sugar and vanilla seeds in a bowl and mix well. Leave to stand uncovered at room temperature for 10 minutes. Remove pie dish from fridge and pour the filling into the pastry shell.

Preheat oven to 200C. Roll out remaining pastry as before. Brush the edge with egg wash then drape dough over rolling pin and place it over the pie. Trim off excess from rim and press edges firmly together to seal.

Bake for 40-50, or until the top is golden, minutes 180C. Allow to cool before serving.

Isn’t it fantastic? And now you are ready to have an amazing breakfast Agent Dale B. Cooper style. One like this maybe. But remember he would drink a coffee black as midnight on a moonless night.

*This recipe is based on Jamie Oliver’s Cherry Pie recipe published on Jamie Magazine, The American Food Issue.

*receta difícil / difficult recipe

Ingredientes:

- 350 gr bloc foie-gras de pato entier mi-cuit rougié

- 200 gr de carne de higo rojo crudo

- 40 gr crispy caramelo sosa

- 12 unidades de pan de molde

- 2 unidades de higo rojo

- 4 unidades bouquet de verdes varios

- vinagre de higos

- aceite de oliva virgen

Elaboración:

Triturar la pulpa del higo y congelarla en cilindros de 3 cm de diámetro, temperar el bloc de foie y trabajarlo hasta que tenga textura de mantequilla pomada. Introducir en una manga pastelera para rellenar los moldes del coulant hasta la mitad. Introducir un cilindro de higo congelado. Terminar con más foie y reservar en la nevera. Limpiar los higos enteros y laminarlos. Tostar el pan de molde cortado muy fino.

Montaje del plato:

Sacar el coulant de foie de la nevera y desmoldar. Poner en el centro del plato y pegar las tostadas alrededor del coulant. Aliñar la ensalada y el higo con una vinagreta suave de vinagre de higo y aceite de oliva virgen, poniéndolo al lado del coulant. Terminar con crispys de caramelo encima del coulant.

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Ingredients:

- 350 gr block of duck foie-gras entier mi-cuit rougié

- 200 gr flesh of raw red fig

- 40 gr of crispy soda caramel

- 12 units of sliced bread

- 2 red figs

- 4 bouquet assorted lettuce

- Figs vinegar

- Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Grind the figs flesh and frozen it inside cylinders of 3cm diameter. Soften the foie and work on it till it gets the texture of butter, place it in a pastry bag and fill the coulant tins to the half, insert a cylinder of frozen fig, complete it with more foie and keep in the fridge. Wash the whole figs and slice them. Toast the sliced bread.

Dish presentation:

Take the coulant our of the fridge and out of its tin. Place it at the center of the dish and stick to it the toasted bread. Dress the salad with a smooth vinaigrette of figs vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and place it next to the coulant. End with the crispy soda caramel topping the coulant.

I did this with 10 courgette flowers with the zucchini attached to them. Wash the flowers carefully so you don’t break the leaves. Then take off the pistil inside the flower because it tastes a little bit weird.
Dry them carefully.

For the stuffed courgette flowers:
I used more or less 150g or 200g of fresh ricotta (I did with goat’s ricotta)
5 or 6 mint leaves chopped very small
Salt
Black Pepper
Nutmeg
Lemon Zest
A little bit of extra virgin olive oil
A little bit of grated pecorino cheese (if you don’t have pecorino, grana or parmesan is fine)
You can also chop one garlic into very small pieces and add it to the filling, but it can also be done without it if you want a very light taste.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and taste, add more lemon or salt or pepper until it’s perfect.

Fill the flowers with the mix.

For the batter
Ice cold sparkling water or white wine
White flour
1 ounce fresh yeast
Salt
Mix the ingredients to get the batter as thin as possible like tempura, keep adding flour or water until it has the right consistence, to know that, put your finger in it and if the batter covers the finger and stays it’s good.
Dip the filled courgette flowers in the batter cover then well and fry in hot oil.

Meatlessballs

(serves 4)

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 dl textured soy protein

2 dl water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 tbsp soy sauce

ketchup

oregano

½ dl breadcrumbs

1 dl cream

1 egg

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp peeled sunflower seeds

olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion, then add the garlic cloves
2. Add textured soy protein to the saucepan and pour water on top to swell the soy
3. Season with the vegetable bouillon, soy sauce (or salt), a little bit of ketchup and oregano, and let it cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes
4. In a separate bowl: mix the breadcrumbs and cream and wait until the breadcrumbs are swollen, then add the mix to the saucepan and stir
5. Add the egg, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds and stir
6. Leave the mix to cool and then using your hands, shape the mix into balls (OR hamburger patties!)
7. Heat a little bit of oil in a frying pan and brown the balls well on all sides (OR bake for 20 minutes in the oven, 225°). Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam

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(4 personas)

1 cebolla bien picadita

2 dientes de ajo, picados

1 dl de proteína de soja texturizada

2 dl agua

1 cubito de caldo vegetal

1 cuchara de salsa de soja

ketchup

orégano

50 gr pan rallado

1 dl nata

1 huevo

1 cucharada de semillas de sésamo

1 cucharada de pipas de girasol (peladas)

Aceite de oliva

Calienta el ceite de oliva en una sartén y sofríe la cebolla, cuanto esté doradita añade el ajo. Echa la soja texturizada y el agua, para que la soja se hinche. Sazona con el cubito de caldo vegetal, la salsa de soja (o sal), un poco de ketchup y orégano y deja cocinar a fuego medio-lento durante. 5 minutos.

En un bol aparte, mezcla el pan rallado con la nata, hasta que las migas de pan se queden bien empapadas, entonces añade la mezcla a la sartén y remueve bien. Añade el huevo (batido), las semillas de sésamo y las pipas, remueve bien.

Deja que la mezcla se enfríe un poco y, usando las manos, dale forma de bolas (o de hamburguesas). Calienta un poco de aceite en una sartén y dora bien las albóndigas por todos los lados (también las puedes hornear durante 20 minutos a 225 ºC).

Sirve con puré de patatas y mermelada de arándanos.

Para 4 personas:

Ingredients (for one if you are hungry, or maybe for two)

. Rice

. Wild Green Asparagus

. A Clove of Garlic

. Ground Cumin

. Saffron

. Bay Leaf

. Butter

. A cube of Funghi Porcini stock

. Salt

. Herbs Orujo (if you can’t find it I’ll feel sorry for you, but don’t worry Grappa will do it)

. Cured Manchego Cheese.

Heat some butter in a wok, and fry lightly in it the wild green asparagus (cut them first) and the clove of garlic. Once they are browned, add the rice and fry lightly for a few seconds. Then add some water, just enough to cover the rice, the spices, the cube of stock and the orujo. Let it cook, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes. If necessary, add more water, a bit every time, so it evaporates nicely. Taste it, and if necessary, add a pinch of salt.

When ready, serve the risotto in a plate, and place some very fine slices of the Manchego Cheese on top of it. Enjoy!

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Ingredientes (para una persona con hambre, o bien para dos)

. Arroz

. Espárragos trigueros, un manojo.

. Un diente de ajo

. Comino molido

. Azafrán

. Una hoja de laurel

. Mantequilla

. Una pastilla de caldo de Funghi Porcini, o, en su defecto, de caldo de ave.

. Sal

. Orujo de hierbas

. Queso Manchego, de Cuenca a ser posible.

Esta receta se hace en un pis pas y está deliciosa a más no poder. En un wok se calienta un trozo de mantequilla y ,cuando se haya licuado, ahí se sofríen los espárragos y el diente de ajo. Cuando estén hechos, se añade el arroz, y se le da unas vueltas. Acto seguido se echa agua (ya caliente) hasta que cubra el arroz, y se va añadiendo más si se ve que se nos queda seco. También se añaden en ese momento todas las especias, el orujo y el cubito de caldo. Se comprueba el gusto y si hace falta se le echa una pizca de sal. Hay que dejar que el arroz se haga unos 15 minutos, dando vueltas y comprobando que no le falte agua, pero sin pasarnos de líquido, no queremos un arroz caldoso. Mientras, se van cortando unas láminas de buen queso manchego. Cuando el arroz esté listo y en el plato, se pone el queso por encima, y a disfrutar.

Makes about 12 regular cupcakes
125ml semi-skimmed milk
4 Earl Grey teabags
110g unsalted butter
225g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 large eggs
125g self-raising flour, sifted
120g plain flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 160C(fan)/180C/gas mark 4and line a 12-hole muffin tray with the appropriate size cupcake cases.

Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add the teabags. Cover and leave to infuse for about 30 minutes, then discard the teabags

In a mixing cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth, using an electric hand-mixer. Add the almond extract if using, and the eggs, one at the time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.

Combine the two flours in a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flours to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the infused milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added.

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes – it should come clean.

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completed cool, ice the cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and sprinkle with any decorations taking your fancy.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing:
Makes enough to ice 15-20 regular cupcakes
110g unsalted butter
60ml semi-skimmed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
500g icing sugar, sifted
Few drops of food colouring

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar until smooth with an electric hand mixer. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.

If you want to colout the buttercream, start with one drop of colouring and beat thoroughly. This will be all you need to achieve a very pale pastel hue. Add carefully, drop by drop, and beat after each addition to build up to your desired shade.

Ingredientes:
Un pollo entero limpio
Una cebolla grande
Mantequilla
Aceite de oliva
Un limón

Se parte la cebolla en aros, se hace una cama en la bandeja y se echa un chorrito de aceite de oliva. Se coge el pollo y una cucharada de mantequilla y se masajea al animalito hasta que queda tan resbaladizo que podría salir volando si lo aprietas demasiado. Se parte el limón en cuatro pedazos iguales y uno se le introduce al bichito por el orificio anal. Se calienta el horno cinco minutos a 180 grados y se mete la bandeja dentro del horno. Uno de los pocos trucos consiste en que el pollo tape la cebolla para que no se queme. Cada diez o quince minutos se pincha al animal para comprobar como va el horneado y para que sude juguito. Cuando ya este hecho por un lado, se voltea y se repite la operación. Al cabo de otros 30 minutos, se dora durante 10 hasta que esté tostado. Cuando se saca del horno se exprime sobre la salsa el resto del limón. Si hay suerte, el aceite de oliva, el jugo del pollo y el zumo de limón emulsionan y el resultado es una deliciosa salsa color marrón oscuro.

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Ingredients:
A whole chicken
1 big onion
Butter
Olive oil
1 lemon

Cut the onion in rings, and place it all over a baking tin, drizzle some olive oil over it. Grease the chicken with a tbsp of butter and massage it till it is so slippery that it could fly if you press too much.
Cut the lemon in 4 pieces and insert one of them through the bottom of the chicken.
Pre-heat the oven during 5 minutes, 180 ºC. Place the baking tin, with the chicken and the onion, inside. One of the tricks for non burning the onion is that the chicken is big enough to cover it. Every 10 or 15 minutes prick the animal so you can check how the baking is going. When it is baked by one side, turn it down so the other side gets its turn. After 30 minutes, brown it during 10 minutes.
When it is out of the oven, sprinkle over it the juice of the other pieces of the lemon. If you are lucky, and you will be, the olive oil, the juices of the chicken and the lemon juice will form a delicious dark brown sauce.