Garbanzos

(Pron: Gar-BAN-thos)

This is a Spanish stew of chick peas, potatoes, pork and sausage which is native to Catalonia, but versions can be found all over Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. Garbanzos is very cheap to make, but is at least as tasty as dishes costing ten times as much to prepare. Many Barcelona tapas bars offer a version of Garbanzos. Cook plenty because this dish is very popular – especially with kids! This recipe serves about 4 generous helpings.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil.

1 large Spanish onion, coarsley chopped.

2 cloves garlic, crushed.

200g salt pork/uncooked bacon/pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized chunks.

100g chorizo (Pron: Cho-REE-tho), cut into bite-sized chunks.

1 tbsp sweet paprika powder.

1 tsp dried chilli flakes.

1 cup of tomato passata (or 1 cup of water and 2 tbsp tomato paste).

1 cup of vegetable stock.

2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks.

2 cans chick peas, drained.

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan until hot. Add the onions, garlic, pork and chorizo then stir and fry for 2 miunutes or so, until the meat starts to brown and the onion relaxes. Add the paprika and chilli flakes and stir. Add the passata, stock, potatoes and chick peas and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for half an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked. Mash a few chick peas and some potato against the inside of the saucepan with your stirring spoon; this will help to thicken the sauce slightly - so continue until you have the desired consistency. 

Serving: 

Garbanzos is best served with huge chunks of fresh crusty bread. There are no hard and fast rules in the Spanish eating culture, and most dishes can be eaten at any time of the day or night. Garbanzos, like many Spanish dishes, are good to eat when served just warm or even cold. Leftovers can be served as a snack in a warm pitta bread pocket with fresh tomato and grated cheese.

Variations:

Due to its peasant heritage, this dish is also cooked with rabbit, goat, wild boar and other game. Honey may also be added to adjust the sweetness - especially where the dish is intended to be eaten cold. Chorizo is almost always used - whatever meat is added. Pig cheek and tongue are also used, but most other offal is avoided. Leaving out the meat entirely makes for a tasty vegetarian stew.

Eton Mess

This delicious mix of meringue, fresh seasonal fruit and whipped cream is simple to prepare and is always a hit at dinner parties. It's basically a smashed-up pavlova!

Ingredients:

Six small meringues

1 small punnet of raspberries or strawberries

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or  castor sugar

300 ml double cream

Method:

Break the meringues into small pieces and set aside. 

Wash the fruit. If using raspberries, simply toss them in the sugar for a couple of turns and set aside. If using strawberries, either half or quarter them, depending on their size. Toss the strawberries in the sugar to macerate them. Treated in this way, the sugar will help to draw some of the juice from the fruit, and add some sweetness to the dish.

Whip the cream until fairly stiff; too loose and it spoils the finished texture of the dish.

Just before serving, add all the ingredients to a large bowl and fold together gently.

Serve immediately. 

Note: 

You have an excellent excuse to finish it all off, because this dish spoils quickly once it has been combined.

Dan-Dan Mien - Spicy Sichuan Noodles

Adapted from Ken Hom's A Taste of China

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 to 4 as a single dish

Ingredients:

8 oz (225 g) pork, minced

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

6 oz peanut oil

3 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped 

2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons chilli oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn, ground

2 teaspoons salt

8 ounces chicken stock

12 ounces dry thin) Chinese egg noodles

1 handful roasted peanuts, finedly chopped

Method:

Combine pork, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Heat a wok or large skillet until hot. Add 4 ounces of the oil and stir-fry the pork, stirring with a spatula to break it into small pieces. When the pork is lightly browned, about 3 minutes, remove and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. (This will be for the noodles.) While the water is heating, go to the next step.

Reheat the wok (add the remaining 2 ounces of oil if needed) and stir-fry the garlic, ginger, and onions until aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli oil, sesame oil, Sichuan pepper, salt, and chicken stock and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, when the pot of water has come to boil, toss in noodles and cook for 2 minutes if they're fresh or 5 minutes if they're dry. 

Drain the noodles well. Divide into individual bowls or put them all into a large bowl for sharing. Ladle the sauce on top, top with pork and chopped peanuts, and serve while hot.

Cullen Skink

This superb chowder is a popular dish in Scotland, a land of fine produce including Aberdeen Angus beef, Loch Fyne seafood and fantastic single malt scotch whisky.

Cullen skink is more substantial than most soups, and it can be served either as a starter or a main. An authentic cullen skink will use finnan haddie, but it may be prepared with any kind of smoked white fish like haddock or cod.

Smoked fish is salty enough, so no salt is added beyond that in the fish stock.

Ingredients:

50 g (2 oz) butter 

1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
300 ml fish stock

300 ml (10 fl oz) milk 

600g g (1 1/2 lb) floury potatoes such as Maris Piper or King Edwards, peeled and sliced 

450 g (1 lb) smoked haddock fillet 
150 ml single cream
Pinch of white pepper 

2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus a little extra to garnish

An alternate garnish is finely chopped spring onions (scallions). 

Method:

Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and cook gently for 7 - 8 minutes until it is soft but not browned. Pour in the stock and the milk and bring to the boil. Add the sliced potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until they are really soft.

Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes, until it is cooked and will flake easily. Carefully lift the fish out onto a plate and leave to cool slightly. Meanwhile crush some of the cooked potatoes up against the side of the pan with the wooden spoon to thicken the soup a little.

When the smoked haddock is cool enough to handle, break the fish into flakes, discarding the skin and any bones. Return to the pan and stir in the parsley and some seasoning to taste. Stir in half the cream, leaving the rest for garnish.

Serve garnished with a swirl of cream, a little more chopped parsley and/or chopped spring onions.

Serves 4-6 dependent on portion size.

See the video

Download recipe sheet (PDF)