SeasonsTastings
photography by Luke Earls
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE - Spicy Nut Crunch & Ginger
Delicious with Sparkling Rose or Cava
Vegetable oil
1 T. granulated sugar
1 T. hot water
2 t. soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin, blanched
2 cups mixed nuts
1 T. coarsely grated fresh ginger,
squeezed dry
2 t. crushed red pepper
1 t. grated lime zest
2 T. sugar in the raw
Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. In a small bowl, dissolve the granulated sugar in the hot water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the soy sauce.
In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the garlic for 10 seconds. Drain and pat dry. Transfer the garlic to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and the cashews, ginger, red pepper and lime zest and toss well. Toss the cashews with the soy syrup. Add the raw sugar; toss again.
Spread the nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Season with salt. Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbling and golden. Let cool until warm but still pliable. Using a metal spatula, loosen the nuts from the baking sheet; let cool completely.
Fried Olives & Creamy Manchego
Reduce your stress and prepare both the olives and the dressing several days in advance.
½ c. Manchego cut into chunks
1 ¼ c. sour cream
¼ c. half & half
1 t. Worcestershire
1 t. Cholula or hot sauce
pinch of salt & pepper
2 t. minced scallion
½ c. mayonnaise
1 T. sugar
12 large green Spanish olives with pimento
1 c. flour
1 c. 2 eggs, well wisked
1 c. panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying (canola, safflower, or other blend)
Creamy Manchego dressing for dipping
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until creamy. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Drain olives. Set up a “standard breading procedure” area: a shallow dish of flour that you can shake back and forth; a dish for the eggs; a shallow dish of bread crumbs; a shallow container to hold the olives in the freezer until ready to fry.
Toss olives one at a time in flour, then dip in egg and roll in bread crumbs. Once all olives are breaded, freeze for at least several hours or up to one month.
Heat oil in a small, deep sauce pan until hot enough for frying. Fry several olives at a time until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Continue until all olives are fried. Serve warm with toothpicks and creamy Manchego.
Spanish Flatbread & Sherry Reduction
These too can be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated.
3 c. sherry
½ c. sugar
½ c. honey
2 pieces of Naan bread, seasoned with EVOO, salt & cumin
12 oz. cream cheese
2 t. fresh thyme, chopped
1 c. frozen spinach sautéed with 2 gloves of garlic, chopped
½ c. raisins, soaked in ½ c. sherry
½ c. sliced almonds, toasted
Manchego cheese, grated
Place sherry, sugar and honey in sauce pot. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced and syrupy. Allow to cool before using.
Preheat oven to 425. Grill flatbread until nice and toasty. Place flatbread on ungreased cookie sheet and allow to cool. Spread an even amount of cream cheese spread on each flatbread. Layer remaining ingredients, spinach and garlic, raisins and toasted almonds evenly. Garnish with Manchego cheese. Broil in oven approximately 8 – 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Cut into 6 – 8 pieces. Drizzle with sherry reduction.
Chicken Liver Pate & Shallot Jam
1 T. vegetable oil
6 shallots, peeled and finely diced
1c. balsamic vinegar
½ c. brown sugar
salt to taste
1 lb. fresh chicken livers, cleaned
1 c. milk
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 c. chopped yellow onions
2 t. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. Cognac or brandy
Shallot jam for garnishing
Saute shallots in oil in skillet until translucent. Add vinegar and sugar and continue to cook over medium high heat until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Jam will continue to thicken as it cools. If you over cook it you can add a little hot water. Salt to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a bowl, soak the livers in the milk for 2 hours. Drain well. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken livers, the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the livers are browned on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside, about 5 minutes. Add the Cognac and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and the livers are cooked through but still tender.
Remove from the heat, discard bay leaves and allow to cool. Puree the liver mixture in food processor or blender. Add the remaining COLD butter in pieces and pulse until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pour the pate into several small ramekins or small molds. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours. Serve cold with shallot jam and crusty bread.
Grilled Chorizo, White Beans & Garlic Alioli
(May be served at room temperature)
1 c. mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
½ c. blanched, pureed garlic
salt & pepper to taste
6 Spanish Chorizo, grilled, in casing
2 cans white beans, drained
3 T. high quality EVOO
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
Garlic alioli
Place mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic in food processor or blender and combine until smooth and creamy. Season to taste. Refrigerate until cold up to 2 weeks.
Grill sausage up to one day in advance and refrigerate. Reheat when ready to use, cut in half, on the bias.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add beans and cook over high heat until skins begin to separate from the beans. Add garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Season. Place in serving dish topped with chorizo slices and alioli.
Pan con Tomate & White Anchovy
Very Traditional, this is one of my favorites!
6 tomatoes
Fresh, Spanish white anchovies (available at specialty stores and online)
12 slices of good, crusty bread
3 cloves of garlic, poached in boiling water
Good quality EVOO
Salt & pepper
Core tomatoes and score with an “x” on the bottom. Place in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds and immediately plunge into an ice bath.
When cool enough to handle, remove the skins and pulse tomato meat in a food processor or blender.
Drizzle bread with EVOO and rub with garlic cloves. Spread 1 – 2 T. of tomato pulp on each piece of bread. Place 1 anchovy on top and place on serving platter. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with EVOO.
Spanish Cheese Plate
This is just a sample. Feel free to experiment with your favorite cheese. However, truffle honey is a must!
½ lb. aged Manchego cheese
¼ lb. Caña de Cabra
¼ lb. Cabrales Blue
1 c. dried mission figs, quartered
1c. Marcona almonds
3 T. truffle honey
Fresh berries & mint for garnish
Good, light crackers
Cut all cheese into bite size pieces and arrange on a serving platter with figs and almonds. Drizzle with honey just before serving. Garnish with berries and mint.
Gambas & Garlic Alioli
Another traditional dish, this one is heavy on the garlic and pimenton, a smokey Spanish paprika. While you can prep this the day before, it is best served right out of the oven so wait until you and your guests are ready.
1 ½ lb. shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 ½ c. good EVOO
2 T. pimenton (dulce, or sweet, not the hot!)
1 t. salt
6 -8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T. sherry
Garlic alioli (see Chorizo & White Beans above)
Combine shrimp and remaining ingredients in bowl, coating shrimps well. Place in oven proof baking dish and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance.
Preheat oven to 450 and bake approximately 10 -12 minutes until bubbly. Serve with crusty bread and garlic alioli.
Hot Buttered Rum
This will make enough butter for 12 cocktails so it’s perfect to make ahead for a holiday party
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 c. light brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
½ t. grated nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt
bottle dark rum
boiling water
In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Refrigerate until almost firm. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 2 small mugs. Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and serve immediately. Butter may be refrigerated for several weeks.
Candy Cane Martini - Serves 2
1 ½ oz. Godiva liqueur
1 ½ oz. Dutch chocolate vodka
1 ½ oz. mint syrup
1 ½ oz. half & half
3 candy canes, crushed
Chill a martini glass with ice. Then wet the rim with cold water and roll it in the crushed candy canes. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice and shake until chilled and shake, shake, shake. The more the better!
