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Spanish 'Croquetas'

Ingredients (for 4 people):

Steps:

1: Put the oil in a frying pan and warm it. Once the oil is warm (but before it is so hot that smoke rises from it) remove the pan from the heat and add the flour to the oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes a paste.

2: Put the pan on the heat again and add the milk, little by little, stirring the mixture all the time until it is cooked and even. Add the nutmeg, a pinch of salt and the ham cut into small pieces. Cook in the pan until the mixture is stiff, and don't stop stirring.

3: As soon as the mixture is stiff enough, spoon it into a bowl and let it cool. Beat the egg. Once the mixture is cool, make small portions and mould them with your hands into the shape of a croquette (oval). Dip each croquette into the beaten egg and then dip it into the breadcrumbs which will stick to the croquet because of the egg. Place each croquette separately on a plate. You can fry them straight away, or put them into the fridge and leave them until you are r eady to cook and eat them.

4: Fry the croquettes in a pan with enough oil to cover them. When they are golden and crispy, take them out and lay them on kitchen roll to absorb the excess oil. Serve straight away.

Varieties and tips:
Croquettes made of... almost anything!!: Instead of using ham, you can use Serrano ham, bacon, cheese, tuna, cooked chicken, fish....... It is a perfect way to use up the last bits of roast meat or fish used the day before.
Make more and freeze: You can make more croquettes than you intend to use, and freeze them once they are ready to fry.

Plátanos fritos (fried bananas)  

Here is a delicious dessert recipe that you can prepare all year round, although it is is especially nice to enjoy outside on a warm late summer evening....

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat; add the banana slices and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, moving the slices with a spatula occasionally to prevent sticking.

2. Remove the banana from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.

3. Transfer to a large, warm serving platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and salt and serve warm.

Variations:

• The bananas can be sliced in rounds if you like.
• Top the bananas with a little piloncillo, unrefined Mexican brown sugar, or the darkest boxed brown sugar you can find, for a rich, added sweetness.
• Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top to give the dish a little extra flavour.

Crema de Aguacate: Cream of Avocado 



 

Preparation:

Peel the avocados and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Put the avocados in the blender (or in a bowl, if you choose to use a hand mixer) and add the milk. Beat well, and add the pepper, salt, broth and sherry. Beat again until it’s smooth and completely blended. Serve very cold, dusted with freshly ground pepper.

Serve with little points of toasted bread.

Turrón de Alicante

Is there a more widely consumed Spanish Christmas food than turron? These delicious nougats, soft and hard, line the shelves of Spanish supermarkets this time of year. We've uncovered an easy recipe for Turron de Alicante – a traditional hard  turron, made from the basic ingredients for Spanish sweets: honey, egg whites, almonds and lemons. Enjoy!

To prepare:

Slowly heat the honey in a saucepan until all the water that it contains has evaporated. Add the sugar and mix with a wooden spatula. Beat the egg white until stiff and then add to the mixture. Stir briskly with the spatula for eight to ten minutes then stir slowly over a low flame until it begins to caramelise (turn brown). Next, add the hot almonds into the honey mixture with the rind of the lemon. Mix well and let cook slowly for a few minutes, taking care it does not stick.
Finally pour the mixture into wooden moulds or dishes lined with rice or wax paper.
After two and a half hours, cut the turron. When it is completely cold, the slices can be stored in an airtight container.
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Flan, inspired by "Volver"

International newspapers have declared Almodóvar's new film, "Volver", the hands-down winner of this year's "best use of food in a film" award, if there were such an award. Penelope Cruz whips up all kinds of classic Spanish dishes in the movie, including tortilla de patatas and pisto manchego. Almodóvar's press group released a collection of the director's sisters' recipes just in time for Oscar season. Here's the Almodóvar family recipe for the classic Spanish dessert, a delicious caramel egg flan.

Instructions:

1. Place eggs, the milks and liqueur into a large blender glass. Blend well until mixture is smooth.

2. For caramelized sugar coating: Spread sugar evenly in the bottom of a flan mold (flanera) and place over medium-low heat. Toast it slowly. It may take a few minutes before sugar begins to melt. Without stirring watch sugar closely as it begins to liquefy at the edges. It will slowly turn first into a yellowish and then a golden syrup and finally into a brown caramel sauce. When brown, immediately remove from heat and coat bottom and sides of mold with caramelized sugar.

3. Add beaten egg mixture to the mold.

4. Cover carefully with aluminum foil held in place by an elastic band. If the mold has a lid, put it on top of the tinfoil and adjust it tightly. All this is to prevent water getting into the mold while the flan is cooking.

5. In a pot that is taller and about 2 inches wider in circumference than the mold, place the closed mold. Pour boiling water a little less than half way up the mold to create a water bath. Cook over medium heat for hour.

6. Turn off heat. Let mold sit in the hot water for at least an hour before removing it from the bath. Take off the foil. When flan is completely cooled, cover again and place in refrigerator for no less than 6 hours, although we recommend overnight.

7. To unmold flan: Remove from refrigerator. Let sit for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the edges. Place a large plate on top of the mold and invert. Flan will fall on to the plate with a fine layer of caramelized sugar on top.
Serve at room temperature.

Recipe from: Antonia and Maria Jesus Almodóvar, sisters of writer-director Pedro Almódovar.
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A quick guide to (a few) Spanish cheeses

Thinking about a cozy winter wine and tapas evening, we've prepared a guide to a few delicious Spanish cheeses we suspect you’ll be able to find at a store near you. Enjoy!

Did you know the different regions of Spain offer you all sorts of tasty alcoholic treats?

Here are a few of the best known, all easy to find in Spain and quite possibly, in your home town. ¡Salúd! 

Anís from Chinchón
The village of Chinchón, close to Madrid, is famous for this anís flavored liqueur. It is sometimes called Anís de Chinchón (Anisette from Chinchón) or simply Chinchón.
The best place to taste Anís de Chinchón is in the village's bars, where you are likely to be offered a tasting session with the help of the bartender and local folk. The anís of Chinchón, and similar anisettes made elsewhere in Spain, make as a tasty after dinner drink, served at room temperature mixed with water, on the rocks, or added to tea or coffee

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Pacharán
Pacharán is a traditional sloe liqueur commonly made and drunk in Navarra and the Basque country, and throughout Spain. While commercial brands are now available, pacharán is still most commonly made at home by families, usually by the women. The liqueur is made by soaking the berries of the blackthorn tree (known in Spanish as pacharanes or endrinas) in anisette with a few coffee beans and a vanilla pod and allowing the mixture to sit for several months. The result is a sweet red liquid around 25 to 30% alcohol.

Sidra
This traditional hard cider from Asturias is served in simple, rustic glasses and is poured– even from special long-necked bar taps – from a long distance above the glass, with the bottle held overhead and the glass down by the knees. It is said that sidra only develops its true flavor in the moment when it bubbles up against the bottom of the glass. Sidra is never left standing in glass; a few inches of liquid are poured down into a glass and drunk down right away. Sidra is a delicious accompaniment to fish dishes, the Asturian classic bean stew, fabada, and the strong Asturian cheese known as cabrales.

Orujo
Orujo is a high proof distillate from grapes, also known as aguadiente (from aguadiente de orujo) served as a digestive after dinner or in coffee. Orujo has a long tradition in Galicia, and a special Denomination of Origin: Denominación Específica de Orujo de Galicia. Dining in many restaurants in Spain, you may find yourself served orujo after dinner, without even asking.