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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How to cook with sherry

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Sherry is quite a multitalent in the kitchen, too - here are my tips on how to use it in cooking!

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Recently I've been taking you on a tour of Andalusian sherry bodegas and with any luck that has planted even just a tiniest seed of interest in this noble and oh, so misunderstood wine. 

Now it's time to have a look at all the things sherry can do in the kitchen!

Biologically aged Fino and Manzanilla are like any other wine - once opened, they don't tend to keep for very long.

You can, however, happily use them to substitute dry white wine in recipes - for instance in risottos or in the recipe for these chorizo meatballs. 

Amontillado and Oloroso on the other hand are aged through oxidation, which means once opened and in contact with air they still keep surprisingly well.

Oloroso is one of firm favourites of mine and has been featured on several of the blog's recipes. 

It is one of the ingredients that add decadence to this wonderfully springy Crème Ninon - the poshest pea soup there is. 

Oloroso can also be found in this recipe for baby octopus, cooked in tomato sauce which gets an extra oomph from fennel and pimentón...

... and in this recipe for mussels, echoing Spain with each spoonful.

PS. For this purpose you could use also Medium Dry Oloroso Blend!

Sherry is equally gracious partner for seafood as it is for meat.

Sweeter Oloroso Blend lends something extra to this glorious (yet surprisingly easy!) rustic country style pork terrine.

I'm telling you - this is guaranteed to impress your guests, so snap the recipe up for Easter (or any of the up and coming festivities)!

The nutty notes of Amontillado (or Oloroso) lend an Andalusian air to these lamb shanks. 

Oh, yes - another recipe to stash away for Easter...!

Medium sweet Oloroso is one of the tweaks that make these oxtails echo all my favourite Andalusian flavours.

Iberico pork is one of the most magnificent animals in the world and their cheeks are one of my favourite Andalusian delicacy. 

I've already shared with two recipes for making most of these cheeky treats: first with sherry and apple marinade...

...and then braised in sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry.

It might come as a bit of a surprise that the sweet sherries such as PX are Andalusians' go-to variety when it comes to braising meat - we've come to think of them as a dessert tipple.

Sure enough -this dark, syrupy nectar with notes of dried fruits is a glorious dessert all in itself. 

But drizzle some on top of good vanilla ice cream and tp it all off with some candied nuts... Dios Mio - now there's a treat!

Does sherry often make an appearance in your kitchen? Or do you prefer it in your glass?

PS. For more ideas on how to pair sherry with food, check out my earlier blog post!

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SHARING IS CARING!

Carrilleras de cerdo en Pedro Ximénez - Iberico pork sheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry (gluten-free)

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Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro Ximénez sherry take a little time but they are a delicacy that will melt in your mouth!

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This recipe is from my new book. 

Sure, it is so very yummydeliciously übergood, too, but it became one of my favourites because it was one of the recipes we tried, tested, styled, shot and devoured together with my beloved Gothenburger.

This gives him a legitimate claim to fame and reason to brag about his contribution to the book - not only has he been giving his opinion on the recipe, he's also been holding the styling props (and listening to the endless stream of profanities sprouting out of the author, frustrated with the ever-changing light and swiftly approaching deadlines...)

Andalusia has traditionally been one of EU's poorest regions, which reflects on its cuinary traditions, too. Every single part of the animal is used; also the not-so-appealing ones.

Iberico pork cheeks aren't much to look at and they do take a little time, but trust me - they're quite possibly the best part of the whole pig.

Perhaps a little surprisingly the sherries most often used for braising meat are the dulces; sweet sherries such as Pedro Ximénez. Firts time I encountered this dish at one of my favourite tapas bars and boy, it was love from the first time.

Such a cheeky treat!

Serves 4-6 as a main, up to 10 as tapas

Carrilleras de cerdo en Pedro Ximénez - Iberico pork cheeks braised in Pedro
Ximénez sherry:

12 (Iberico) pork cheeks (total weight 1,2 - 1,6 kg)

2 celerys, finely diced

1 large carrot (or 2 medium ones), finely diced

1 large onion (or 2 small ones), finely diced

1 whole head of garlic, cut in half

5 dl stock

5 dl Pedro Ximénez sherry (or Cream sherry, like one from Valdespino)

salt, pepper

For frying: oil

Pre-heat the oven to 150°c.

Trim the pork cheeks from excess membranes if needed. Pat them dry and season. Sear in a pot in a couple of tbsp of oil in batches and transfer aside.

Add more oil into the pot and sauté the finely diced celery, carrot and onion until soft. Then add the garlic the cut side down and continue cooking for a couple of more minutes.

Add pork cheeks, sherry and stock. Bring to boil and transfer to the oven. Cook, covered, for 4,5 hours.

Using a slotted spoon lift the pork cheeks out of the pot. Cover with foil to keep them warm. Squeeze the liquid in the pot through a sieve (don't forget to scrape in the mash underneath the sieve!).

Skim off the fat on top.

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...).

As a result of freezing the fat forms a clear layer on top of the stock, making it weasy to spot and skim.

Return the stock into the pot and reduce, over high heat, for about 10 minutes until it's reached a desired thickness. Add pork cheeks into the pot and continue cooking until they are piping hot all the way through.

Check the taste and season as needed.

Cut to pieces and serve as tapas or serve as a main with boiled rice or mashed potatos.

For my favourite mash; one that will make you cry, check the recipe on the blog over here.

How about you guys? Tried and fallen for pork cheeks yet?

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Shrimps with Limoncello mayonnaise and tomato and basil mayonnaise - quick and easy party treat (gluten-free)

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A bag of cooked shrimps and a couple of dipping sauces. Party treats don't get much easier than that!

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It seems this seafood aficionado has finally found her match. New Love is at least as passionate about fish and seafood as I am and I... I'm loving every minute of it. 

I'm not quite ready to let the Gothenburger see what kind of havoc I wreak when let loose at an all-you-can-eat shrimp buffet, though... perhaps we should leave that much mystery into this relationship?

Located on the Atlantic shore Gotheburg, the second largest city in Sweden, loves its fish and seafood and takes them very seriously. I would have never thought I of all people would get to witness someone break out into full foodzilla mode. But that, my friends, is exactly what happened (and yes, I loved every moment of it)

As we sat down for a dinner at our hotel Gothenburger ordered Toast Skagen, a Swedish classic (an open-faced sandwich piled high with shrimps), which was advertized to feature "hand peeled shrimps". 

As the dish arrived at the table, it only took him a nano second. "These. Are. Not. Hand. Peeled." he hissed, in a voice so cold it would have been enough to freeze the entire Mediterranean. 

Well, these babies are. And the best thing? They're peeled by your guests thsemselves- you just sit back and enjoy! The dips only take minutes to make, so these are perfect for any stress-free (and gluten-free!) party.

Whole Nordic ready-cooked shrimps can be found in frozen foods section of your supermarket. And IKEA, of course.

Shrimps with two dips:

500 g bag of  whole, cooked shrimps

Limoncello mayonnaise:

1,5 dl good mayonnaise (yes, I mean Hellman's)

the finely grated zest of a lemon

1 tbsp Limoncello (or lemon juice)

1 tbsp finely chopped chives

(salt, pepper)

Tomato and basil mayonnaise:

1,5 dl good mayonnaise

5 sun dried tomatos

10 basil leaves

(salt, pepper)

Measure the ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth. Check the taste and season if needed.

Dip and enjoy.

For more dips and sauces, just click here.

Oh, and for more ideas for a stress-free (and Mediterranean) holiday feast see here and here.

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SHARING IS CARING!

Rustic country style pork terrine - as impressive as it is easy (gluten-free)

Don't let the looks fool you - this rustic country style pork terrine is as easy as it is impressive. Made ahead it is a perfect treat for stress-free Christmas!

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This year Christmas came early. I've been working on a photo shoot for a client, creating recipes for a stress-free Christmas. Stress-free? Christmas? Is that even possible? Yes, it is and for the next week I'll be sharing my tips for it. You just wait and see!

Stress-free is something I've been in a dire need of, too. The book project has taken most of my time and outside it I've been a knackered human wreck. Trust me, I could have used a lot more vicious words, such as ones rhyming with the word itch - my state certainly would have warranted that.

Luckily my friends have seen me through this, too. And actually, gathering them over for trying out the recipes has made me rediscover the joy of cooking all over again. 

Having people I love around my kitchen table has reminded me why I do what I do. Cooking is not just sharing food - it's sharing love. 

And what better way to thank my friends for all their support and patience than to have them over for dinner? 

This time I wanted to focus on enjoying the evening (and yes, a glass or twenty of wine), so everything on the menu was either quick and easy or something that could be made in advance.

Not so surprisingly our Christmas season kicked off in rather Mediterranean spirits. The star of the evening was this rustic pork terrine. It's guaranteed to impress just about anybody, but while you're basking in the glory of their praises, you can also take smug pleasure in being the only one who knows just how easy it actually is. I told you - perfect for stress-free Christmas!

I have a feeling this will become a staple at our picnics next summer, too...

Psst- this also makes for a welcome foodie gift!

Check out the rest of the recipes, too:

Fish and roe terrine
Shrimp with Limoncello mayonnaise and tomato and basil mayonnaise
Lemon and rosemary shortbread biscuits

Serves 8-10 people

Rustic country style pork terrine:

400 g pork neck (or shoulder) 

250 g chicken livers

200 g pork belly (without the rind)

1 egg

3/4 dl port wine/ cognac/ brandy

75 g pistachios

75 g dried cranberries

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped 

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Also: 2  pckgs (á 180 g) bacon rashers

Pat the chicken livers dry. Cut the pork neck and belly into cubes, discarding any tough fatty pieces. Measure half of the pork into a food processor with all of the livers and the egg. Whizz until smooth. Transfer into another bowl.

Add rest of the meat into the processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Combine with the liver mixture along with rest of the ingredients. Mix well, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 hours (or overnight).

Separate the bacon rashers from each other and, holding onto one end, stretch them.

Line the mold (1 litre) with rashers slighty overlapping each other. Cut two of the rashers into half and use those pieces for the end. 

Spoon the terrine mixture into the tin lined with bacon. Fold the rashers over the mixture and cover with a piece of parchment. Wrap the mold with tin foil.

Heat the oven to 170º (in a fan assisted oven 150 will do). Place the mold into an oven proof dish and pour enough boiling water to reach halfway of the mold. 

Cook for 75 minutes, until the terrine starts to come away from the edges of the mold and a skewer inserted into it comes out clean and piping hot. Remove the mold from the water bath and place a weight (such as a couple of tins) on top of it. 

Leave to cool and then transfer into fridge. Leave to set until next day.

Remove the weights, unwrap the foil and carefullyturn it into a serving platter. Serve with cornichons, pearl onions and/or cranberry or blackcurrant jelly.

___________________________

ANYONE FOR SECONDS?

     

SHARING IS CARING!