Peras al Vino Tinto -- Pears in Red Wine

As a New Year's resolution I have decided to continue with my blog among other things.  The first blog I would like to present to you is a simple, healthier dessert recipe you could make for dinner tonight.  I concocted this gourmet dessert in October after a rural weekend getaway in a beautiful area of northwest Spain: Sanabria.

Sanabria is a wooded, mountainous region in the province of Zamora.  Its primary village is Puebla de Sanabria, a small picturesque village perched on a hill and presided by a castle.   12 km from the village you find El Lago de Sanabria, the largest natural lake in Spain at 368.5 hectares (910.58 acres).  In its surroundings you can visit many small villages with an abundance of local produce.  

It was in one of these small villages where I bought local chorizo, wine and pears.  Having returned with so many great products I decided to make good use of them and experiment with a dish I had tried once, but never cooked: pears in red wine. 

According to my friends, peras al vino (Spanish for "pears in wine") is a typical dish in rural Spain.  It is easy to make and much healthier than other dessert options.  The USDA states that one medium pear contains more than 20% of the fiber recommended for a healthy diet.  One pear has only 100 calories and has a significant amount of Vitamin C.  And as far as red wine goes, many of us have heard that it is good for us in moderation.  The Mayo Clinic says that this may be true due to its high content of antioxidants which could protect the linings of the blood vessels in our hearts.  Red wine also contains a substance called resveratrol that is key in reducing bad cholesterol and preventing blood clots.  If we take these figures into account and eat and drink in moderation, this dessert is perfect for us to prepare and eat every now and again.  I hope you enjoy it!

Equipment
Chopping board
Knife
Sauce Pan

Ingredients
6 medium size pears

6 tablespoons of sugar

700 ml of red wine

Cinnamon

Orange peel


Instructions
1. Cut the bottoms off of the pears to make them sit level in a pot.  Peel them leaving the stem at the top.

2. Peel an orange and save the peel.







3. Add pears, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and red wine all to a small pot and cook for 25 minutes on medium heat.

4. Once the pears are cooked, remove them along with the orange peels.  Turn the heat up to high and create a syrup with the remaining wine and sugar.  It will only take around 5 minutes. Do not make the same mistake I did and leave the stove for a couple minutes.  It turned into a sticky, burnt wine smelling mess!

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.)

Potaje de Vigilia -- A Spanish Lenten potage

Although this recipe is good for cold weather and famous during Lent in Spain, I am posting it now on a warm, sunny spring day three weeks after Easter.  A student told me about this recipe last year during Lent, but I never got around to making it until this year.  I have to say that I am very grateful to him for passing this delicious idea on to me!

The potaje de vigilia is a dish that is eaten in Spain on Fridays during Lent as its principal ingredients are garbanzos, cod, and spinach.  The Spanish word potaje has the same origins as the English word 'potage' (or 'pottage'), which all come from the Old French word potage which refers to "that which is put into a pot."  The word in Spanish, as stated by the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, is another word for a soup.  But this word is often used as an antonomasia and describes a soup made with legumes, vegetables, and other ingredients especially during periods of abstinence.  The word vigilia comes from the Latin word vigilĭa, and one of its meanings that I translate from Spanish is, "a meal with abstinence of meat," hence the term potaje de vigilia: a pot of soup eaten on days of abstinence.

The key ingredient in this pottage is another legume that I use quite often in my cooking: garbanzo beans (or chickpeas).  As these tasty legumes are not part of Midwestern American  fare, I never really started to eat them until I came to Spain.  Now I eat them a few times a month cooked in a variety of methods.  I recommend them to you because of their great nutritional value — they are high in protein and dietary fiber, and low in calories and fat.  Another benefit is that they are very filling, which is good for those of you who are dieting. 

If you choose to make this recipe, I recommend making variations according to the ingredients you have available.  It may be difficult to find salted cod, so just use fresh or frozen cod.  You could even use another white fish or leave out the fish entirely.  This healthy dish is sure to please you.  After following my instructions you can "buy something with" a mess of pottage.  Go ahead, take the challenge and follow the recipe I have provided below.  
Equipment
1 large pot
1 large bowl
1 medium bowl
1 medium frying pan
1 chopping knife
1 colander
1 wooden spoon

Ingredients
400 grams of dehydrated, salted cod (I don't know if this is available in the States, you might have to just use fresh white fish)
500 grams of dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
3 tomatoes
4 medium carrots
1 large onion, plus another half of an onion
400 grams of spinach (fresh or frozen)
4 whole cloves
1 head of garlic, plus 2 cloves
2 small bay leaves
Cumin
2 dry ñora peppers (I don't know if this is possible to find, so if not just use sweet paprika)
Salt
Pepper
4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Water

Instructions
1. Clean the garbanzos with warm water and look for imperfections.  Let them soak overnight (about 12 hours) in warm water and salt in a large bowl.  Make sure you use a large bowl because the beans almost double in size.

2. If using salted cod, rinse off salt in cold water.  Put it in a bowl with cold water and cover it.   Leave it in the refrigerator overnight.  Make sure to change the water at least three times.  (I had it in the water for a total of 15 hours)

3. Peel the carrots and cut each into 3 pieces and take the outer skin off of the garlic.  If using ñoras, take off the stem and remove the seeds.

4. Then peel the skin off of the onion.  Cut the top of the onion off.  Don't cut the bottom off, but cut the roots off to keep it clean and in tact.  Make four cuts in a cross form without cutting too deep.  Puncture the onion with the 4 cloves.  

5. Put the onion with cloves, garlic, carrots, and bay leaves into a large pot with about 2 liters of water and bring to a boil.  (You can add the ñoras to this boiling water to reconstitute them.  Keep them there for a few minutes and remove them.  Take out the pulp and reserve it for later.)

6. When the water comes to a boil, add the garbanzos and return to a boil (garbanzos should always be added to boiling water).  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Be sure to keep an eye on the pot in the first 30 minutes of cooking because you need to remove the foam the garbanzos produce.  

7. While the garbanzos are cooking we can prepare the other ingredients.  Finely chop the other onion and the garlic cloves.  Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds.  Dice them into small cubes.

8. Heat olive oil to medium heat in a frying pan.  Add the chopped onions and cook until transparent.  Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  

9. Add the tomatoes, ñoras (or sweet paprika), and a bit of salt.  Cook until softened.  (If using frozen spinach I recommend adding it to this mixture after the tomato has cooked a while)

10. Now you should go back to the garbanzos to check and see if they are cooked.  They need to have a soft texture, but still be in tact (for me there is nothing worse than semi-cooked garbanzos).  If they are fully cooked, first remove the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and carrots from the water.  Then drain the garbanzos reserving all of the liquid.  

11. Return garbanzos and liquid back to the pot.  Only add enough liquid to cover the garbanzos by about an inch (if you like it soupier, add more).  The important thing is that it be covered by liquid the entire time it is cooking.  Add the fried mixture to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.  

12. Meanwhile drain the water from the cod and rinse it a bit.  Be sure to check the cod for any small bones.  Now cut the cod into small pieces (you can vary in size depending on personal preference).

13. After the mixture has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the cod and a bit of cumin.  It should cook in a few minutes.  

14. Remove from heat, garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg, and serve hot with a nice big piece of bread.  (I suppose crackers would also be fine.)

Please enjoy!  ¡Buen provecho!