Recipes from Our Barcelona Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1.5 litres fish stock
• Cuttlefish and/or squid, 400-600 g
• Prawns or shrimp, head on if possible, 1-2 per person
• Clams, 2-3 per person
• Mussels, 2-3 per person
• 400 g paella rice (round-grain rice, or risotto rice)
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes, grated or chopped
• Red or green pepper, a handful thinly sliced or chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Paprika or smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon
• Saffron, 0.25 g
• Salt, to taste
• Olive oil, plenty, at least 1/2 cup
• A splash of white wine

Method

1. Heat 4-6 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and fry the green and red pepper. After about 2-3 minutes, remove and place in a bowl to the side.
2. Fry the prepared prawns in the pan so that they leave a bit of the flavours of the shell and head. Add some extra oil to make sure the prawn flavour gets into the pan, and smash the heads to release the flavour. They cook quickly, so about 2 minutes is fine. After removing the prawns, add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and let it cook for about 1 minute to evaporate. You will have a lovely base sauce made in the pan.
3. Add the saffron first, then the minced garlic and let it fry for just a few seconds. Add the grated tomato, and finally the paprika. If you have extra virgin olive oil, now is the time to add a bit more so the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook it down into a nice sauce for a few minutes.
4. Add the chopped cuttlefish and/or squid to the sauce and allow it to release its natural juices for about 2 minutes. Salt lightly as well.
5. Add the rice to the pan and stir it constantly into the sauce. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, constantly turning so it does not burn to the pan (do not be afraid to add more olive oil to help this part). Then return the cooked red and green pepper to the pan with the rice.
6. Turn the heat up to high. Carefully add the simmering fish stock to the paella, best strained through a fine mesh colander, to about 1 cm above the top of the rice. It should begin to boil almost immediately. Start your timer for 16 minutes once the pan boils. Stir it once to spread the rice evenly around the pan, and do not stir it any more.
7. After 3 minutes, turn the heat down to medium or medium high. After 6 minutes of cooking, carefully place the prawns in any pattern you like, pushing them onto the rice. You can also add the clams and mussels now.
8. Let the rice cook at medium-high heat, making sure never to stir it (you can shake the pan to keep it from sticking). Leave the rest of the stock simmering so you can keep adding some to the pan as necessary. You will probably stop adding stock after about 11-12 minutes. The rice should take 16-18 minutes to finish, depending on your pan, stove top and burner size. When the paella is almost finished (1-2 minutes left), turn the heat up to high to crisp the rice on the bottom. This crust is called socarrat.
9. Once you remove it from the heat, place a towel over the top for about 3 minutes to let it finish cooking. If you have a slightly burned crust on the bottom of the pan, don't worry. This is traditional!

Ingredients

• 1-2 chicken thighs, cut into pieces (or, for the traditional choice, 1 rabbit)
• 2-3 pork ribs, chopped into smaller pieces
• 10-20 green beans
• 1 can of butter beans
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
• Optional: red and green pepper, about 1 cup
• 3 tomatoes, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons paprika or smoked paprika
• 0.5 g saffron (or colouring powder)
• 400 g paella rice
• About 1.5 quarts of chicken or meat broth, or water
• Olive oil, at least 1/2 cup

Method

1. Fry the vegetables (not the butter beans) until lightly browned, then remove.
2. Fry the meat well with the garlic and plenty of olive oil over medium heat, until it leaves browning on the bottom of the pan.
3. Remove the meat and cook down the tomato with the paprika and saffron. When the sauce has cooked down well, add the meat and vegetables back in and stir. Then add the broth and the butter beans and bring to the boil.
4. Optional: instead of adding broth, add water and cook only the meat and sauce (not the vegetables) for about 40 minutes so it creates its own broth. You will need to add more water to make up for evaporation.
5. Once your broth is boiling, add the rice and cook on medium for about 16 minutes. At the very end, turn the heat up to high to crisp the rice on the bottom.
6. Finish by placing a towel over the paella for 3 minutes to let the rice finish cooking. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Green pepper and red pepper
• Zucchini (courgette)
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Butter beans
• Cauliflower
• 1-2 tomatoes, or one small can of pureed tomato
• 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1-2 tablespoons paprika or smoked paprika
• Saffron
• Paella rice (or risotto rice if you cannot find paella rice)
• Vegetable broth
• Olive oil, at least 1/2 cup
• A splash of white wine, brandy or water, to deglaze

Method

1. Put the broth on low heat on one burner. On another burner (the largest one), heat olive oil in a large pan and fry the chopped vegetables, browning them nicely, for about 4-5 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl on the side.
2. Deglaze with white wine, brandy, or even water if you like, then add the saffron and chopped garlic. Let it cook for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chopped or grated tomato and cook it down into a sauce. Make sure it has enough oil and is not too dry.
4. Add the rice and stir it into the sauce. Let it toast for a minute or two on low heat.
5. Add the boiling vegetable broth and start a timer for 16 minutes, which is more or less the total cooking time.
6. Let the rice cook at high heat for the first 4 minutes, then lower it to medium-high heat. Never stir it, but you can shake the pan every 2 minutes to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Reserve some broth to add as necessary.
7. When the paella is almost finished there should be basically no broth left in the pan. If you want, turn the heat up to high to crisp the rice on the bottom, about 1 minute before the timer finishes. Not all rices cook the same way, and altitude can affect cooking times, so taste your rice at the 15-minute mark and add a few tablespoons of broth if it needs another minute or two.
8. Once you remove it from the heat, place a towel or aluminium foil over the top for about 3-5 minutes to finish the rice. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes
• 4-5 eggs
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
• Salt

Method

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into uneven chunks. Chop the onion.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the potatoes and onion and stew gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft. Strain the potatoes and onion through a colander into a large bowl and set the strained oil aside.
3. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then stir them into the potatoes with plenty of salt. Heat a little of the strained oil in a smaller pan. Tip everything into the pan and cook over moderate to low heat, using a spatula to shape the omelette into a cushion.
4. To flip the tortilla, put a plate over the pan and turn it over quickly. Slide it back into the pan and cook a few more minutes. Use another plate to take it out of the pan and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 150-200 g jamon serrano, chopped as finely as possible
• Optional: 1/4 cup onion, chopped as finely as possible
• Optional: 1/4 cup Manchego cheese, finely grated
• 100 g white flour
• 100 g unsalted butter (extra virgin olive oil also works, but butter gives the best texture)
• 1 litre whole milk
• 2 eggs, whisked in a bowl
• Breadcrumbs (old baguette grated on a cheese grater works well, as does Japanese panko)
• Olive oil or another oil suitable for frying (not extra virgin)
• Salt

Method

1. Cut the butter into pieces and heat slowly in the pan on low. Once it has melted, add the onion and fry it covered on low for 5 minutes, without burning it.
2. Slowly sprinkle in the flour. Cook everything for 2-3 minutes, taking care not to burn the flour so the bechamel does not turn brown. Add the chopped jamon and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. You may not need all of it: add enough that the bechamel is thick, but not so thick that it stops being a sauce. Cook on low for at least 10 minutes, stirring constantly and adding milk as needed. When it has thickened and lifts away from the pan as you stir, it is ready.
4. Spread the thickened bechamel on a plate or baking tray and let it cool completely.
5. Put the breadcrumbs and the beaten eggs in separate bowls. If you like, you can also pass the croquettes through white flour before the eggs, but it is not essential.
6. Wet your hands lightly so the bechamel does not stick, and shape the croquettes by hand in whatever size you like. Dip one in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs, shaking the bowl to cover it. Repeat the egg and breadcrumbs for an extra crispy croquette.
7. Fry in olive oil, or any other oil suitable for frying, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8 shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
• 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Smoked or spicy paprika
• Optional: 1-2 cayenne peppers
• Salt
• Fresh bread, to serve

Method

1. Dry the prawns well with a paper towel.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, or in a cazuela de barro (Spanish earthenware casserole), over medium heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic (and cayenne if you like) and fry for 20-30 seconds. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
4. Turn up the heat, add the prawns and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Turn them over after a minute and let them cook on the other side. Prawns cook quickly, so do not overcook them.
5. Finish with a touch of paprika on top and serve with slices of fresh bread to soak up the garlic and prawn-flavoured olive oil.

Ingredients

• 1 kg mussels
• 1/4-1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tomatoes, finely chopped or grated
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup sliced red and green pepper
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• Fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Bread, to serve

Method

1. Clean the mussels and remove the beards.
2. Finely slice the vegetables and saute them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot with a lid. Once the vegetables have softened, add the tomato and cook it into a sauce for a few minutes. Add a touch of white wine once the sauce has reduced a bit and let it reduce again.
3. Add the mussels and turn the heat up to high. Let them open and cook for about 3 minutes, taking care not to overcook them. Add finely chopped parsley at the end and serve with slices of bread to enjoy the sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 kg mussels
• 1 jar romesco sauce (about 900 g / 32 oz)
• 1 tomato
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• Bread, to serve

Method

1. Clean the mussels and remove the beards.
2. Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in a pot with olive oil, then add the tomato chopped into pieces. Cook until you have a nice sauce.
3. Add the mussels and cover until they are cooked. Drain some of the broth, but not all of it.
4. Add the romesco sauce and the chopped fresh parsley and stir it well.
5. Serve in bowls with fresh bread.

Ingredients

• 1 kg mussels
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red and green pepper
• Fresh parsley
• Olive oil
• Vinegar
• Black pepper
• Salt

Method

1. Clean the mussels and remove the beards.
2. Steam the mussels in a pot. Do not overcook them or they will become hard. Drain and let cool.
3. Finely chop the vegetables and add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Let this mix sit for at least 15 minutes.
4. Remove one half of each shell and place the mussels on a tray. Spoon a bit of the vinaigrette into each half shell and serve!

Ingredients

• 8 small squid, well cleaned
• 2 yellow onions, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 1/2 cup white wine (dry is best)
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Add the whole garlic to the heated olive oil and fry for a bit on medium heat. Add the onions and bay leaves and stir well. Season with a bit of salt. Cover and cook on medium-low to poach the onions slowly. Do not let them brown; keep them transparent.
2. When the onions are poached, remove them from the pan and reheat the pan with a bit more olive oil. Quickly fry the squid whole (cut large squid into rings) for about 2 minutes in total.
3. Return the onions to the pan and add the white wine. Cover again and let the squid stew on medium heat for 5 more minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Finish with fresh black pepper. For a fun variation, try adding cumin seeds while cooking.
4. If all of the wine cooks off, add a bit of water. Serve on individual plates.

Ingredients

• 2 fresh pork sausages (remove the casing and flatten with a fork)
• 2 yellow onions, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 1/2 cup cooking wine or brandy
• Pepper, salt

Method

1. Fry the onion and garlic together in the olive oil slowly and covered, to poach it. Add some salt to the onions.
2. Remove the onions and fry the mushrooms for a bit to remove the water. When finished, push them to the side of the pan. Add the sausage in pieces with a bit more olive oil. When you flip the sausage, return the onions to the pan, add the pine nuts and raisins, and pour in the cooking wine. Finish with a bit of pepper.
3. Cook covered for a couple of minutes and mix well a few times. Serve hot!

Ingredients

• 1 jar cooked chickpeas (400 g drained)
• 500 g fresh spinach
• 7 cloves garlic
• 2-3 slices rustic bread (70 g)
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 125 ml water
• Salt
• Olive oil

Method

1. Wash the spinach and cut it into fine pieces. Rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
2. Cut 3 cloves of garlic and the 3 slices of bread into small fingers, and fry them with 2-3 tablespoons of oil until golden. Remove from the heat and add the cumin and paprika. Put these ingredients in a mortar and crush them with a little vinegar.
3. Now fry the rest of the garlic and add the spinach. Saute for a few minutes. Then add the chickpeas and the crushed bread and garlic.
4. Salt to taste and heat for about 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pork sirloin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• French-style (log-shaped) goat cheese
• Baguette
• Fig jam
• Optional: finely chopped chives, to garnish

Method

1. Rub the sirloin with salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil. Sear in a pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the sirloin. Let it rest for at least 8 minutes before slicing into slices 1-1.5 cm thick.
2. Prepare slices of bread and place a slice of pork sirloin on each, then a slice of goat cheese and a small spoon of fig jam. Add a bit of finely chopped chives to garnish if you like. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 300 g fresh salmon, cleaned and diced into small pieces
• 1 lime (zest and a bit of juice)
• 1/2 green apple, cut into small sticks or cubes
• About 8 mint leaves, finely minced, plus extra mint leaves for the crackers
• A small handful of cilantro, finely minced
• Salt
• Pepper
• About 20 rice crackers

Method

1. Prepare the rice crackers ahead of time by frying them in oil, or buy them premade.
2. Mince the salmon into small cubes, do the same with the green apple, and mix them together with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mince the mint and cilantro, add some lime zest and mix into the salmon. Finally add lime juice to taste for a little tang.
4. Serve on top of a rice cracker, with a mint leaf between the cracker and the tartar to keep the cracker from going soggy.

Ingredients

• 10 slices of cecina (or bresaola)
• 1 container of cream cheese
• 1 slice of quality blue cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup Pedro Ximenez sherry
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Olive oil

Method

1. Mix the blue cheese, cream cheese and chopped walnuts in a bowl.
2. Cut the cecina into two slices for each large slice.
3. Place some of the mixture on a slice of cecina and roll it up. Place the rolls on a tray with high edges.
4. Make a sherry reduction in a pan with the sherry and a tablespoon of sugar. Heat on medium-low and stir with a spoon. When it starts to thicken, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
5. To finish, pour some olive oil over the rolls and place them in the fridge. Add the sherry reduction right before you serve.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• Sobrassada sausage
• Goat cheese (preferably rulo de cabra)
• Honey (optional)

Method

1. Cut the pastry dough into pieces you can fill with goat cheese and sobrassada. There are many possible shapes, so have fun with it.
2. Place a small amount of goat cheese and sobrassada on the pastry, then close it and seal it with a fork. You can also add a few drops of honey if you like.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C.
4. Serve soon after baking for the best flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 piece of sobrassada sausage
• Honey
• Pine nuts
• Baguette

Method

1. Slice the baguette into as many slices as you need to serve. Cutting at a slight angle makes for a nice presentation.
2. Use a knife or fork to spread the sobrassada onto each slice of bread.
3. Heat the sobrassada on the bread in the oven using the broiler, or use a kitchen blowtorch.
4. Add a few pine nuts after heating and toast them very lightly in the oven (or with the blowtorch). Finish with a teaspoon of honey on top.

Ingredients

• 6-8 boiled shrimp
• 1 cup cooked whole crab pieces (imitation crab is a fine substitute)
• Optional: 1 cup cooked octopus or steamed mussels
• 1/2 green pepper, cut into slices
• 1/2 red pepper, cut into slices
• 1/2 sweet onion or a spring onion
• 2 tomatoes (use the best quality you can find)
• 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Slice the onion julienne and slice the tomato into flat slices.
2. Slice the red and green peppers into long, thin slices.
3. Add all the vegetables to a salad bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss gently. Then add the vinegar and oil.
4. Add the seafood to the salad and toss once more, gently.
5. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes so the flavours can mix together well.

Ingredients

• About 2 cups desalted salt cod, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 sweet onion, sliced very finely and soaked in water with a bit of vinegar for 30 minutes
• 2 tomatoes or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cubed or sliced
• 1/4 cup black or kalamata olives
• Dressing: 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, with olive oil and sherry vinegar

Method

1. Prepare all the ingredients and arrange them on a single dish or on individual plates. Presentation is important!
2. Put a little of the vinaigrette on the salad and serve cold!

Ingredients

• 4-6 tomatoes
• 1/2 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 small piece of day-old bread
• Red wine vinegar
• A bit of lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Water, to get the desired consistency
• Salt

Method

1. Peel and chop the onion and tomatoes.
2. Peel, deseed and chop the cucumber.
3. Chop the red and green pepper.
4. Soak the small piece of bread in a little vinegar.
5. Add all the ingredients to a blender, or use a hand blender, adding olive oil and water to reach the consistency you like.
6. Add a little lemon juice and salt to taste. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes so the flavours combine well.

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 litre milk (1 pint)
• Half a cinnamon stick
• 1-3 pieces of lemon peel
• 2-3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
• A little extra sugar, to caramelise

Method

1. Beat the egg yolks, then whisk in the sugar and cornflour. Mix for a couple of minutes to cream the sugar.
2. Place the milk in a saucepan with the cinnamon and lemon peel. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and take out the peel and cinnamon.
3. Once the milk has cooled a bit, whisk it into the egg mixture.
4. Dissolve the cornflour with a little milk and whisk it into the mixture.
5. Place the mixture over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to boil. It should be thick right before boiling.
6. Pour the custard into a pudding bowl or smaller individual bowls and let it cool before placing it in the fridge.
7. Before serving, sprinkle a little sugar on top and caramelise it under a hot grill briefly until the sugar melts and turns brown, or use a kitchen torch.

Ingredients

• 1 peach
• 1 apple
• 2 oranges (1 sliced, and the juice of the other)
• 1 lemon (half sliced; more than half can be too strong)
• Optional: strawberries, pineapple or other fruits
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 shots of liquor (rum, brandy, triple sec, vodka, gin, etc.)
• 1-1.5 litres red wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 small bottle of soda water or lemon soda
• Ice

Method

1. Cut the peach, apple, orange and lemon into thin slices.
2. Put the sliced apple, orange and lemon and the cinnamon stick into a jar or pitcher and pour the liquor over it. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the red wine and orange juice, then add some soda water to taste.
4. To finish, add a few ice cubes and some fruit to each glass it will be served in. Enjoy!