Sunshine on a plate

Why not bring a little sunshine indoors on these wet and windy days we're having lately ?

Tapas always remind me of holidays - sun and fun. Here's a few I'll be making this weekend - Ham Croquettes, Gazpacho shots and the famous spanish Albongigas.....yummy.

Croquetas de jamon - Ham Croquettes

The jamon serrano in this recipe could be replaced with chopped hard-boiled eggs, shredded salt cod, chopped prawns, chopped chorizo, cheese, or just about any vegetable. Start the preparation the previous day to allow the béchamel time to set. It will make the mixture easier to handle when shaping the croquetas.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for deep-frying
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated
3 ounces jamón serrano or other dry-cured ham, finely chopped
Salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
2 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs
Lightly oil a shallow 8-inch square dish.


Method
In a saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and, using a wooden spoon or whisk, mix well. Continue to stir or whisk for about 2 minutes, or until the flour is well blended.

Add 1/2 cup of the milk and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the remaining cup of milk and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly with the spoon or whisk, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the jamon serrano, season lightly with salt (remember, the ham is already salty), and stir until evenly distributed. Cook for 1 minute longer and then pour the contents of the pan into the prepared dish. Spread the mixture evenly. Let cool down for a bit and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the mixture to set.


Break the eggs into a bowl and beat ligthly until blended. Spread the bread crumbs on a dinner plate. With 2 spoons, shape the béchamel-ham mixture into walnut-sized croquettes. Roll each croquette in the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs, and then dip into the beaten egg. Lift each croquette from the egg and roll it again in the bread crumbs, coating it evenly. Lay the croquettes in a single layer on a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.

Pour the olive oil to a depth of about 2 inches into a wide, deep, heavy pot and heat over high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, slip 5 or 6 croquettes into the oil, pressing on them gently with a slotted spoon to submerge them, and fry, turning them gently, for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden on all sides. Using the slotted spoon, lift out the croquettes, holding them briefly over the pot to allow the excess oil to drain, and transfer to an ovenproof platter lined with paper towels to drain further. Keep the croquettes warm in a low oven. Fry the rest of the croquettes in the same way, always making sure the oil is very hot before adding more croquettes.

I like to eat mine with a side order of ajoaceite ( all-i-oli)......Buen provecho!

Recipe of the day

The Seashore - Gouache

Stuffed Mussels 

(Mejillones Rellenos - Tigres)  

This tapa is not as popular today in the bars as it once was, but I like it so much that I make it whenever I find fresh mussels.

Ingredients
1 1/2 dozen mussels, scrubbed and beards removed
3 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoon white wine
1/2 cup mussel liquid
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water
4 tablespoon fine dry breadcrumbs
 Olive oil for frying


Method
Steam open the mussels. Put them in a deep pan with the water. Cover the pan and put over a high heat, shaking the pan, until the shells open. Remove from heat and discard any mussels that do not open.
Mussels can also be opened in a microwave. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, partially covered, and microwave at full power for one minute. Stir and microwave one minute more. Remove any mussels that have opened and microwave one minute more. Again remove open ones. Repeat twice more. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
When mussels are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the empty half shells. Loosen the mussel meat from the bottom shell and arrange the mussels in their shells on a tray in a single layer. Strain the mussel liquid and reserve it.
Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a saucepan and sauté the minced onion until it is softened, without letting it brown. Stir in the flour, cook for a minute, stirring, then whisk in the wine and the mussel liquid. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Put a spoonful of this white sauce onto each mussel and smooth it level with the top of the shell.
Refrigerate until the sauce is firmly set, at least one hour. Place the beaten egg in one dish and the bread crumbs in another. Dip the mussels, open face down, first into egg, then bread crumbs. Arrange them on the tray in a single layer. (The mussels can be prepared up to this point, then frozen. Freeze them in one layer, then pack them carefully in a freezer bag or plastic container. Let them thaw at least one hour before continuing with the preparation.)
To fry the mussels, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan. Fry them in two or three batches, breaded side down, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

Tigres - Stuffed Mussels