Albóndigas -- Spanish Meatballs

Although I am not much of a carnivore, I do sometimes eat beef and pork (especially jamón ibérico).  One day while looking at recipes I saw a recipe for meatballs that caught my eye.  I actually kept my readers in mind because I realized that until then I had not made a single dish with beef or pork.  I stumbled across a recipe for "Albóndigas a la Madrileña", or Madrid style meatballs.  These meatballs are the typical meatballs seen in Spanish tapas bars; the dry, cold meatballs taking a bath, accompanied by peas, in a gravy-like sauce  in a tray beneath the glass display counter on the bar are later warmed up in a microwave upon request of the patron.  

Those meatballs I referred to are actually a tradition in many Spanish houses, and every Spaniard will tell you that his/her mother's version is the best.  So, having a recipe in hand, and many Spaniards to consult for advice, I created my own version.  I went to my local market to get fresh meat and vegetables for the dish.  Going to a local market is always an adventure for me, so I try to go regularly both to support local business and chat with the locals. 

I went first to the butcher where we struck up a conversation on the seasons, he said that winter was the best for carniceros, Spanish for butcher.  While there, he told me about his version of meatballs, telling me how much beef and pork I needed and exactly how to cook them.  This action evoked a spirited group of 70ish year old Spanish women, who all had their own ways to make "Spanish meatballs".  A trip to the greengrocer and 20 recipes later I was finally home with the ingredients and forced to draw up a new plan for my version of albóndigas.

The Spanish word for meatball, albóndiga, comes from Classic Arabic bunduqah, which comes from the Ancient Greek κάρυον ποντικόν, meaning hazelnut.  The meatballs I make do resemble a large hazelnut, but taste much different.  They are a mix of 3/4 beef and 1/4 pork, Italian parsley, garlic, onions, eggs, and flour.  The meatballs just wouldn't be meatballs if it weren't for the sauce that accompanies them. I make the sauce using carrots, peas, leeks, onions, garlic, and sherry.  Combined with the sauce they make a perfect meal any time of the year.  So even if it is summer time, give your butcher some business and make some Spanish meatballs.

This dish is one that can easily be made in any part of the States any time of the year. In fact, I made it a few times when visiting my family and I have to say that it was my most successful dish.  You could serve this dish with mashed potatoes, rice, or bread.  The most common accompaniment in Spain is bread.  I encourage you to experiment with the dish and serve it how you want.  I hope you, your family, and your friends enjoy my take on Spanish meatballs!

Equipment
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Vegetable peeler
Large pot
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Bowls
Plates
Whisk

Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic
2 medium onions
1 large leek
8 medium carrots
2 tomatoes
1/2 lb of fresh or frozen peas
1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
1/2 lb of ground pork
2 eggs
1 glass of sherry
Olive oil
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Handful of Italian Parsley
Fresh rosemary
Fresh thyme
Bay leaf

Instructions

1. Finely chop one onion, two cloves of garlic, and the parsley.  Mix the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, and cumin.

2. Mix the chopped ingredients with the meat.  Then add two beaten eggs.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan.  Form golf ball sized meatballs with your hands and lightly flour them. 

4. Brown the meatballs in the skillet.  (It is not necessary to fully cook them at this point.)  Set them aside and reserve oil and drippings.  

5. Finely chop the other onion, garlic, leeks, and carrots.  Peel, seed, and dice the tomatoes.(Refer to photos.)

6. Heat the oil and drippings in a large pot.  Add the onions and cook for a minute.

7. Add the carrots and the bay leaf.  Cook for 5 minutes.  

8. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes.

9. Incorporate the tomatoes, garlic, cumin, and fresh herbs.  Cook for 5 more minutes.

10. Pour in the glass of sherry and allow to reduce a few minutes.

11. Put the peas in along with two cups of water.  Let cook a few minutes.

12. Add the meatballs and a bit more water, just enough to almost cover the meatballs.  

13. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low.  Let cook for about an hour.  (Check the meatballs occasionally and stir, but don't do it too often because it should be cooking on low heat.)

14. If you see that the sauce seems a bit too liquid, sift some flour into the mixture to thicken it a bit.  

15. When you have a thick sauce and the meatballs seem nice and tender, it is time to eat!  I hope you enjoy!

Merluza en Salsa Verde -- White fish, Green sauce

One of the few benefits of living in a shared flat is that you are exposed to many different people from many different backgrounds.  In my case, I have met people from all over the world inside the 5 bedroom flat I have called home since April 2009.  My flatmates have come from very diverse parts of the world, from the South Pacific to Europe and everything in between.  In addition, many of them have come from right here in Spain.  In fact it was one Basque flatmate that introduced me to the dish I present to you today: "merluza en salsa verde" (hake in green sauce).  He used to bring leftovers home when he returned from his parent's house in Bilbao and he would also make it in the flat, but it was not until only a few months ago that I would try making it myself.

As I said before, the dish comes from the Basque country, an autonomous region of Spain which borders France.  The region is famous for its rain, food, and beautiful cities and villages.  Many people in this region speak the Basque language, an ancient language that has no link to any other language in the world.  I love this region for its landscapes, its architecture, its people, and its food.  Merluza en salsa verde is one of the many fish and seafood dishes made in this region.  

According to the Merriam Webster American Dictionary, "Hake" is a marine fish from the genus Merluccius, hence the name merluza in Spanish.  It is related to the cod family, so if you cannot find hake, just use cod.  The BBC food section says that in the United States hake is referred to as ling or whiting.  I used cod when I made this dish for my family in the States and they all loved it.  Frankly, I think you could use any white fish, but just make sure to have a good sauce to put it in.

The base of the green sauce is fresh parsley, but you can add other green vegetables to make it greener and more nutritious.  I used fresh peas and asparagus as they were both in season the first time I made the dish. The other key ingredient of the sauce is a good fish stock, or vegetable stock if you cannot find fish stock.  I have provided a fish stock recipe below.  

One of my "traditions" when cooking seafood is to open a bottle of white wine and put some Portuguese fado music on in the background.  I know the Portuguese music is not very Spanish, but it is Iberian and it reminds me of the sea.  I encourage you to find a relaxing way to cook this dish and to feel free to experiment.  I hope you enjoy it!

Equipment
Large pot
Chopping knife
Chopping board
Strainer, or cotton cloth, coffee filter, etc.
Large frying pan
Plates
Bowls

Ingredients (Fish Stock)

1 lb. (1/2 kg) Monk fish bones and head
1 lb. (1/2 kg) Hake bones and head
1 Medium onion
2 Medium carrots
1 Large leek
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon of whole black pepper
Half a glass of white wine
A handful of fresh parsley
Olive oil
Water
Salt

Ingredients (Hake in Green Sauce)
2 lbs. (1 kg) of hake, or any other white fish
About 20 fresh clams (optional)
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 lb. (1/2 kg) of asparagus
1/2 lb. (1/4 kg) of fresh or frozen peas
1 cup of flour
Fish or vegetable stock (I always make homemade, but you can buy them)
1 glass of white wine
Olive oil

Instructions (Fish Stock)
1. Roughly chop all of the vegetables for the stock.  Heat oil in a medium pot.  Once heated, add the vegetables (except the parsley) and cook for about 7 minutes.  

2. Add the half glass of white wine.  Cook for about 5 minutes more.  Then add the fish bones and heads, and finally the herbs and spices and a bit of salt.  

3. Cook the mixture for a few more minutes and then add just enough water to cover the ingredients.  Simmer the mixture on medium heat for about 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes have passed, remove the pot from the heat and strain the liquid from the fish and vegetables.  Reserve the stock for the hake in green sauce.

Instructions (Hake in Green Sauce)
1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.  Remove the peas from the pod and chop the asparagus into pea size pieces.  Finely chop the asparagus.  Place the clams in a bowl of cold water and salt.  Rinse them after 20 minutes.

2. In a large skillet heat olive oil to medium heat.  Add the onions and fry until they become transparent.  Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

3. Add the peas and cook for about 5 minutes.  Then add the asparagus and cook for 5 more minutes.  

4. Sift flour into the mixture and stir.  Then add the wine and cook for about 5 minutes.  

5. When the mixture begins to thicken.  Add the fish stock.  Then add the fresh parsley.  Let cook until the peas become tender. 

6. Now add all unopened clams.  Let cook for another 5 minutes.  If they start opening, take them out of the pan and reserve them on a plate so they don't overcook.  

7. Lightly flour each side of the hake.  Add the pieces to the sauce.  It will only take a couple minutes to cook the fish.  Be sure to cook it on both sides. Remove from heat and serve!

Recommendations

This dish would be good with fried or cooked potatoes, or even white rice.  I recommend serving it with a good cold white wine.  I hope you enjoy it and repeat it!  It is healthy and sure to please everyone!

AGUR!!!  (Basque language for good bye.)

Tarta de Santiago -- Flavorful, flourless cake

The summer of 2012 was marked by love, adventure, farewells, running, travel and Tarta de Santiago!  The latter is the one I prefer to talk about in this blog post. I  first heard about this cake in college when preparing a presentation on Galicia, a region of northwest Spain right above Portugal, but I did not try it until I went to a low budget birthday party where this cheaper cake was bought instead of a better quality one.  I later ate it for breakfast along with coffee in some Spanish cafeterías a few times, but it was not until 2012 when I would experiment with this cake at home.  I started running during that summer and was always craving sweets, so I decided to learn to make it.  It turned out to be easy to make and I continued to make it often throughout the summer upon my flatmates' request.

To give you a bit of history about this cake, it is a cake that has its origins in 16th century Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, according to the Spanish State Official Bulletin.  This cake, tarta in Spanish, was first served to a visiting inspector at the University of Santiago de Compostela in 1577.  Its original name was "torta real", royal cake, and later became known as "tarta de almendras" before finally taking its current name of Tarta de Santiago.  In 2006 this cake received the distinction of becoming a "Protected Geographic Origin", meaning that certain bakeries in Galicia can sell the cake with this title as long as they use the proper ingredients.

As the official document states, the weight of the cake is to be distributed in the following manner: at least 33% quality ground almonds, at least 33% refined sugar, and at least 25% eggs.  You can also add grated lemon peel, powdered sugar, sweet wine, brandy, or aguardiente.  The recipe I have always used does not feature alcohol, and is completely celiac friendly as it does not contain gluten.  

Almonds, or almendras in Spanish, are widely seen in Spanish deserts.  I have eaten almonds in many ways unimaginable before coming to Spain.  The Spanish Almond Board - Almendrave, the Spanish organization for exporters of almonds and hazelnuts, explains that Spain is the world's number 2 producer of almonds.  The group states that almonds are high in fiber, vitamin E, and fatty acids; and they are good for fighting cardiac illnesses and osteoporosis.  They are high in calories, but this means they give you energy!

My version of Tarta de Santiago is quite similar to the official version.  The only thing I do different is that I add a bit of cinnamon to the mix.  I have seen some interesting varieties floating around on the internet: chocolate, orange, walnut, hazelnut, and tons more.  I recommend you to adapt your recipe if you are up for experimenting.  I would sure like to try it in the future.  Below I give you the base recipe which you will find quite simple.  Have fun baking!

Equipment
Cake pan

Grater (or vegetable peeler and knife to chop)
Bowl
Whisk
Ingredients
5 eggs
250 grams (a bit more than a cup) sugar 
250 grams (about 9 ounces) ground almonds
1 lemon
1 tsp of cinnamon
Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 175° Celsius (350° Fahrenheit).  Grate only the yellow part of the peel of the lemon and reserve.

2. In a bowl mix the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon peel.  In a separate bowl whisk the eggs.  After whisking add the eggs to the dry mixture.

  

3. Grease the cake mold with butter or oil and pour in the mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes.

4. While you are waiting for the cake to bake, draw or print out a Santiago cross (I don't have a printer so I drew it by hand).  You can see an example at this website.  When the cake finishes and cools, place the cross on top and powder it with sifted powdered sugar.

As you can see from the photo, my sugaring job was a failure.  I need to master my sifting skills.  I hope you all enjoy the cake!  ¡Disfruta!