Ajo Blanco- white gazpacho (gluten-free, vegan, kosher)

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White gazpacho is actually the original one. Wonderfully refreshing - perfect for hot summer's days!

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In addition to gazpacho and salmorejo there's yet another chilled soup in Spain: the Malagan regional specialty ajo blanco, also known as the white gazpacho. 

The chilled soups are so wonderfully refreshing and perfect for the late summer as Andalusia is swept over by the hot wind we get from Africa that make the temperature soar to over 40 c. 

Air is so dry and hot and the wind blows with such intensity even at night it's like walking in a hairdryer. 

Having your own pool is therefore not a luxury - it is a human rights issue!

The ingredients for ajo blanco are rather simple: bread, water, garlic and almonds. 

Some recipes, such as mine, also use grapes which make the soup even more refreshing and give it more flavour and acidity than cucumber, which is another often used ingredient. 

Green apple would really give this extra something, but owing to its consistency, you'd then have to add more liquid. 

Traditionally this too is made with that local sherry vinegar, but I prefer white wine vinegar. Cider vinegar would be another good one. 

This white version is actually the original gazpacho - the better known red one didn't see the daylight until the Conquistadors brought tomato in Spain. 

According to some theories this is  the stuff of "already the ancient Romans..." - legends, going back to the Roman way of dunking bread in oil. 

Some theories state this has its roots in the Moorish times and in the bread-based soups  Arab kitchen. 

Who can tell - but one thing I can tell is that I actually prefer this over its red cousin. 

serves 4

Ajo Blanco -white gazpacho

200 g almonds, soaked overnight (don't discard the water!)

3 cloves of garlic

100 g white bread, crust removed (gluten-free if needed)

1 dl olive oil

1/2 dl white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegarn or sherry vinegar)

225 g green, seedless grapes

5 dl water from aoaking the almonds

1/2 tsp salt

To serve: olive oil, toasted almond flakes, grape slices, chopped chives

Drain the almonds. Reserve the liquid and use it to dilute the soup.

Measure the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. 

For a velvety smooth consistency, pass the soup through a sieve. 

Check the taste and add more salt and/or vinegar if needed. Chill for a couple of hours and serve.

PS. If you like this, you might want to check out blog's other gazpacho recipes:

- gazpacho

- watermelon gazpacho

- cucumber gazpacho

Are you already familiar with ajo blanco; white gazpacho? Or do you have another favourite?

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Rabo de Toro - Andalusian oxtail in sherry (gluten-free, kosher)

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The warm earthy flavours of this oxtail recipe echoes the legacy of Andalusia's Arab conquerors with each spoonful.

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Oxtail, rabo de toro, is a Andalusian delicacy typical especially for Sevilla, though there this lump of meat is known as cola de toro. 

While I'm a passionate advocate of making most of each oart of the animal, I'd have to admit oxtail does not exactly charm with its glamorous appearance.

Much like pork cheeks though, these babies will handsomely reward those who dare to get over the initial apprehension. Oh, do they ever. 

Just forget them in the oven for a few hours (or overnight as is the case with these favourite recipe of mine) and dear me, what you'll get in return! Trust me - enough to reduce a grown man to tears.

My own niece and nephew are the fussiest eaters out there but my gorgeous god daughter Tiger never fails to restore my faith in humanity. 

The sight of this 3-year-old heroine grab oxtail with both of her hands and devouring every last piece of them... ahhhh. That's a thing of beauty!

Serves 4

Rabo de Toro – Andalusian oxtail in sherry:

1,2 kg oxtail, cut in 5 cm pieces

oil for frying

2 onions, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp pimentón

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp tomato concentrate

3 dl sweet or medium sweet sherry (such as Valdespino Oloroso Blend)

1 l stock (game or meat)

1 dl almond flour

(salt), pepper

to serve: handful of tasted almond flakes, handful of chopped flat leaf parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 150° (in a fan oven 130 will do).

Pat the meat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a couple of tbs of oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the meat in batches and transfer aside.

Sauté onion and garlic in the pot over meium heat until they're soft and the onion is translucent. 

Then add the spices and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes. Add tomato concentrate and sherry. Stir well, scraping in all the bits in the bottom of the pot, too. 

Return the oxtail into the pot and pour over the stock. Bring to boil. Cover and transfer to the oven for 4 hours.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the oxtails carefully out of the pot. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Drain the stock through a sieve. (Don't forget to scrape in the pulp on the bottom of the sieve and don't discard the onions either as they're packed with flavour). 

Skim the fat off the stock. 

Kitchen supply stores sell particular separator jugs for this, but another easy way of doing this is freezing it quickly (in the winter you can chill the liquid by placing the container into the snow - provided you live in equally unfortunately Arctic climate as I do...).

Add a couple of tbsp of oil into the pot along with the onions and almond flour. Cook for a couple of minutes over medium heat and then pour in the stock.

Reduce over high heat until the stock has reached the desired thickness. Return oxtails into the pot and heat until they're piping hot all the way through. Check the taste and season as needed.

Scatter toasted almond flakes and parsley on top and serve, for instance with boiled rice. 

This recipe is from my new book and based on the feedback I've been getting, it has swiftly become favourite among the readers, too. "Food of love for those you love" is how a blogger colleague of mine described it and I don't think I could think of a better review.

How about you guys? Oxtail - yay or nay?

PS. In case you're part of the yay camp (and I sure hope you are!), don't forget to check out my other oxtail recipes:

- oxtail in chocolate stout

- oxtail ragù cooked overnight

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Salsa Romesco - Romesco sauce

Dazzled by the stunning springtime sunshine I was so very convinced it was only a matter of time before it was time to kick off the BBQ season. How very premature of me - now there's snow on the ground. Not much, mind you, but THERE'S SNOW ON THE GROUND!

It's coming, though, I'm sure of it. So, let's get carried away and start preparing for the summer, then! Today's recipe is Salsa Romesco, a grateful companion to picnics and BBQ parties.

Romesco sauce hails from Tarragona (oh, the strange logic of languages: Romesco doesn't come from Rome and Tarragona is not the home of tarragon...) in Catalonia where the fishermen have traditionally been whipping it up as a condiment to fish. It's got so much body though it can take on just about any BBQ treat. During springtime in Catalonia it's served as a dip for calçot, a local spring onion that's charred and then peeled to reveal the soft, succulent inside.

It's also related to Syrian muhammara that's you've already been introduced to on the blog and great as a sauce, dip, on sandwiches... sky's the limit. You can adjust the heat based on the type and quantity of chilli you use and if you want it milder, just add more almonds. Traditionally the sauce is thickened using a slice of stale bread, but this recipe only uses almonds making it suitable for gluten-free diners as well. For a runnier sauce add oil (I prefer canola oil owing to its neutral flavour).

Romesco sauce:

2 medium red peppers

1/2 dl (30 pcs) blanched almonds

5 roasted garlic cloves

1 Spanish Nora pepper, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes 
(or 1/2-1 large red chilli, depending on your palate)
1/2 tsp pimentón

1 roasted tomato

1-2 tsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

1 tbsp finely chopped, fresh parsley

salt, (white) pepper

If you don't have roasted garlic lurking in the fridge, start by prepping that. Wrap a whole head of garlic in foil and roast at 175º for an hour. Let cool and squeeze out the caramelized, soft paste from the cloves. You can roast the tomato at the same time - cut a cross-shape incision in the end and place on a tray lined with parchment. 

Roast the almonds on a hot pan until golden and aromatic. Let cool.

Cut the peppers and roast at 225º until the skin starts bubbling and turning black. Transfer into a bowl and cover. Once they've cooled enough to handle, pull the skin off. Do the same with tomato. If using jarred piquillo peppers, you'll need about 6.

Measure the almonds into a mixer and blizz into powder. Add garlic paste, tomato and chilli and mix. Then add peppers, pulse into a thick paste, season with pimentón and vinegar. The sauce will thicken the longer it waits in the fridge, so if you want it runnier, add oil.

Fold in finely chopped parsley and (if you manage to keep your fingers off!) let the sauce sit in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving. Then check the taste and season as needed by adding salt, pepper (and/or a little bit of sugar).

And as we're gearing up for the BBQ season (hrrrrrrr.....) do not forget the other dips, spreads and sauces on the blog. Prepare a selection of your favourites and bring them along to a picnic. Great with these herby flatbread crisps...!

Muhammara for instance goes with, well, everything. 

Tartar sauce on the other hand loves, loves, loves fish and seafood. Both grilled and deep-fried kind!

And this take on baba ghannoush is versatile as heck. One of the most popular recipes in the history of this blog, by the way!

This apricot sauce is versatile too and a great accompaniment especially for Middle Eastern delicacies!

And this cashew-based garlic sauce is glorious with any grilled meat!

This mango, chilli, ginger and crayfish dressing/ spread is so delicious I eat it on its own (and so would you!) Though it is great served in hot dog buns too...!

This tangy and oh, so addictive lemon sauce is a perfect dip for anything deep-fried.

Tzatziki provides a nice cooling breeze with spicy dishes...

As does this Indian raitha.

And one shouldn't forget persillade,  either. Not only is it a great sauce for grilled fish or meat, it also makes a gloriously bright (and light!) dressing for salads, too!

Those ought to get you started! Now if only the weather were as welcoming to the idea of getting started with summer, too...!

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Lamb shanks al Andaluz - Andalusian style lamb shanks

In case the swiftly approaching Easter (where does the time go - I've barely survived Christmas/ Hanukkah season!) has you sweating all over the Internet in the search of this year's Easter lamb recipe, look no further. Sigh with relief. Pour yourself a glass of wine and breathe. The search is over. Here it is. Though, why wait - these Andalusian style lamb shanks make a perfect weekend treat as well!

Lamb is something we definitely don't reserve just for Easter - it's a Middle Eastern staple and something The Boy Next Door can't get enough of. As it's often just the two of us, an entire leg of lamb is a rarely seen sight and instead we prefer chops (do check these Moroccan-style lamb cutlets out or spoil yourself rotten with this persillade encrusted rack of lamb with garlicky cashew sauce!) or shanks, which we have cooked for instance in red wine and turned into the pulled variety, too. 

Like any cut cooked on the bone, the shanks are packed with juicy flavour. Three hours in the oven turn this somewhat bland looking piece of meat into a pile of comfortingly meaty bliss that falls of the bone by just looking at it. 

This recipe pays an homage to my beloved Andalusia: the sauce is made with sherry that Jerez region is famous for, features almonds that Malaga is known for and its gentle warmth courtesy of the oriental spices brings back memories of the Arab conquerors' era, the legacy of which still lives on in the region, hundreds of years since them.

Lamb shanks al-Andaluz,  por favore!

Serves two

Andalusian style lamb shanks

2 lamb shanks

oil for frying

1 large onion

2 large cloves of garlic

1 tsp pimentón

0,5 tsp ground cumin

0,5 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp tomato concentrate

1,5 dl dryish sherry (Amontillado preferred, but Oloroso will work, too)

0,5 l game or beef stock

to serve: handful of toasted almond flakes, another handful of chopped fresh parsley

Sear the shanks in hot oil until nice and brown. Move aside while you prep the sauce.

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Sauté in the same pan you used for lamb, adding more oil if needed. Keep the temperature low and continue cooking until they're soft and start to get a little bit colour on them (about 15 minutes). 

Then add the spices and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Then add tomato concentrate and sherry. Stir well scraping any bits that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

Return shanks into the pan/pot/casserole dish and add the stock. Bring to boil and then transfer into pre-heated oven (150º). After 2,5 hours remove the lid and continue cooking for another half an hour. Remove from the oven and lift out the shanks (carefully so they don't fall apart). Cover with foil and leave aside for a moment. 

Strain the cooking liquid (this makes peeling the fat off easier!) but don't discard the onions as they're packed with flavour. Using a spoon peel off the layer of fat and return the onions into the pot. Over high heat reduce until the sauce has reached the desired thickness. Check the taste (there shouldn't be much need for seasoning) and season if needed.

Pour the sauce over the shanks. scatter with toasted almond flakes and top with parsley.

Serve with boiled rice, mashed potatos, creamy root veggie hash, butter bean mash, Jerusalem artichoke puré or fruity couscous. 

Made with the traditional Solera method sherry is a lot more versatile a wine than people think and definitely warrants an audience beyond the elderly on Emmerdale.

Fino, the driest variety is also the lightest and is drunk on its own accompanying for instance tapas. Works with both jamòn and seafood.

Oloroso is dry, but richer and more full-bodied and has, on this blog, too, been used in variety of recipes. It has worked wonders with Spanish mussles, these baby octopi and with Iberico pork cheeks. Very versatile wine and works with seafood all the way to duck and geese and even game.

Amontillado that this recipe uses is, courtesy of the aging process, nuttier and a bit sweeter in flavour. I have heard it being recommended for oily fish but depending on the sweetness it could also be paired with fairly sturdy meat dishes. Try it with this lamb recipe! It wouldn't be out of place with mature cheeses either. Bear in mind its fortified nature though - it's rich and high in alcohol so you wouldn't probably even want to drink it in similar quantities to normal wine...!

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Gluten-free orange and rosemary polenta cake

The pending move is doing my head in. See, I hate moving. And packing in general. It isn't until you're moving to another place that you realize just how much stuff you've managed to amass. You'll come across mountains of boxes in the attic that you've not even opened since the previous relocation. Which turn out to house stuff you don't even know why you held onto. All episodes from Jeeves on VHS for instance. I've never even owned a VHS- player! Oh, and metres and metres of C-tapes (apparently there was a time in my past when I genuinely appreciated the extraordinary musical talent of Janet Jackson and Haddaway...)

And packing - that's never been one of my strengths. These days I draw (an illustrated)list of what to pack as soon as I've booked the flights. Which is called for, as I recall one trip to Ireland for which I'd forgotten to pack any underwear. Which didn't really matter in the end either as I also forgot to wake up that morning and missed my flight altogether...

So far my contribution to the test of organizational skills and sense of logistics has been going through and minimizing the contents of my pantry. Yes, baking. The latest result was this gluten-free polenta cake that was inspired by the success of the polenta fries. It gets its tangy juiciness from oranges and a little something extra from rosemary. That wonderfully fragrant herb is a firm favourite of mine and works well in desserts, too as lemon and rosemary crème brûlées, rosemary and damson flan and these lemony pudding cakes demonstrated.

Instead of orange, you could use lemon too. And in case your guests don't have issues with gluten, you can substitute almond flour with all purpose flour. Alcohol can be omitted (in that case do use the zest of 3 oranges!) but Limoncello (for lemon dishes) and Cointreau (for orange dishes) just add such hard-to-replicate citrusy depth which takes the flavour to a whole new level! Just try this Tagliatelle alla Pollo con Limoncello!

Orange and polenta cake:

200 g butter

150 g sugar

150 g almond flour

2 dl (appr. 140 gr) finely ground polenta

1,5 tsp baking powder

finely grated zest of 3 oranges and the juice of 2 oranges 

(1 generous tbsp Cointreau/ Grand Marnier/ Triple Sec in which case zest of 2 oranges is enough)
3 eggs
1,5 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Take the butter into room temperature well in advance. Combine dry ingredients. You can also speed the softening by chopping it into small cubes. Beat with sugar into pale yellow froth and then add eggs, one at a time. Then add orange zest, the juice of 2 oranges and finally the dry ingredients.

Pour the mixture into a spring form pan you've lined with parchment (mine measured 20 cm) and bake at 175 for 70-75 minutes. As the cake cooks, it starts pulling away from the edges and a skewer comes out almost dry. Remove from the oven and let cool in the tin. In the meanwhile make the orange syrup.

Orange and rosemary syrup:

the juice of 1 orange (1 dl)

1 dl sugar

1 sprig of rosemary

Measure the ingredients into a heavy-based pan. bring to boil and then reduce the heat. Let simmer away for about 5 minutes. Let cool and drain.

Prick the surface of the cake with a toothpick-like-device of your liking. Careful though as it is moist and therefore cracks fairly easily. Pour the syrup on top and let it soak for about half an hour. Then flip it over and remove the parchment. This way the perfectly flat bottom becomes the top and the syrup soaks thoroughly into the cake.

Decorate with orange slices and rosemary sprigs. Or with cream. Or mascarpone mousse.

And mamma mia! I know this was supposed to be a treat for my gluten-intolerant colleagues but you know what? I'll just bake another one. This one I'll eat all by myself...!

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Orange curd tart

From my friends who read this blog (yes, there are some out there!) I've learnt that this blog has a cake index. Based on the foods I cook they can diagnose my state of mind. And when there's cake, I am apparently in the need of therapy.

So, for those of you reading the blog now, relax. Nothing to worry about. I'm fine. This is a happy cake!

And sort counts towards the five a day, right? Five slices a day anyway - it's that good!

Instead of regular flour you could use almond flour. Some of the flour could also be substituted with oat flour (not very much though as that makes the crust too sandy and brittle). Instead of orange curd you could use lemon curd, for which blueberries would be a wonderful accompaniment.

For the tin I used (28 cm diameter) you need 1 portion of orange curd.

Recipe for the crust is the same I used for egg custard and salmon and spinach tart. This time I added 1/2 dl of sugar into it too. In order to play up the orangey notes you can also grate the zest of 1 orange into the dough and, instead of water, use orange juice.

Prepare the dough for the crust, wrap in cling film, roll into a thin sheet to cover the bottom and the sides of a fluted, loose bottom tin. Let set int he cold for half an hour, brush with the egg white left over from the orange curd (or just blind bake for about 15 minutes), pour the orange curd into the shell and bake at 175° for about 20 minutes until the crust starts getting a bit of colour.

Let cool to room temperature and then chill for a couple of hours before serving. Sprinkle berries on top and serve. And enjoy. And help yourself to another slice.

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Pan de higo con almendras - Andalusian fig cake

Soup Sunday is taking a well deserved break and for the rest of the year Sundays are all about gift ideas for the foodies. I myself don't celebrate Christmas much. Since I don't believe in that Jesus. The Gentleman isn't too keen on it either. Since he doesn't believe in anything. 

The house in Spain on the other hand gets decked alright. The doors with wreaths (plastic, big and sparkly) and the house with Christmas trees (three to be precise - plastic and equally sparkly). Courtesy of the Santa's little helper living in The Mother-in-Law's house less than a mile away: "Of course you've got to have a tree!"

My sister's year, too, can be neatly divided into three sections: Christmas, the 180 days after it and those 181 days during which she's statistically closer to next Christmas. And no, I exaggerate not: the Christmas calendar countdown can be found posted on her Facebook wall right after Midsummer. 

Though I'm not one for Christmas myself, I do notice my Love Actually dependency levels rise to the red part of the scale. And I'm not averse to all of the Christmas foods either. Especially around Christmas in Spain the shops sell pan de higo, a no-bake cake made of dried figs and almonds. Which isn't really a cake at all. This delicacy, originally from Jaen in Andalusia, is traditionally served with cheeses and cold cuts.

Malagan figs are famous, but the most authentic variety is pajarera fig from Extremadura, an autonomy north of Andalusia and also famous for iberico-pigs that are widely considered to be the best in the country. These figs are smaller and thinner skinned than the ones from Turkey or Middle East. The almonds traditionally used for this are marcona almonds. But in case you can't get your hands on those specific specialities, it's really not the end of el mundo. If you want, you could add some other dried fruits or berries into this and I'm sure cognac could be substituted with... port? Or that really smooth sherry from Pedro Ximénez I've had the pleasure of sampling in Ronda and in Tallinn...

You could make one bigger cake or 2 smaller ones that make pretty foodie gifts for cheese lovers!

Pan de higo con almendras - Andalusian fig cake:

500 g dried, soft figs
2 tbsp cognac
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cane honey (or dark syrup)
50 gr almonds (plus some more for decoration)

Trim the stalks of the figs and roughly chop to smaller pieces (of this just might turn out to be the end of your food processor...) Blizz with the spices, honey and cognac to a sticky pure. Add a bit water if needed, but the more liquid you add, the more time the cakes need for setting and drying. Spoon into dishes of your choice the bottom of which you've lined with parchment. Cover with a cloth and let set in the fridge for a couple of days. Kept covered this keeps for ages.

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