ZARZUELA DE MARISCOS

Zarzuela de mariscos -

a mixed seafood soup with Squid, Mussels, Clams and Prawns

The word Zarzuela is Spanish for a particular kind of light or comic opera which includes operatic sequences, popular songs and dance - a light hearted mixture.  It is also the name given to a composite Spanish fish stew containing a mixture of different seafood ingredients.

It can be made with a variety of different fishes such as bream, hake, monkfish, seabass or with shellfish or a mixture of both.  On this occasion we decided to make one without fish using squid, mussels, clams and prawns.

It's comparator in France would be bouillabaisse.  It is also be similar to cioppino - a dish originating in San Francisco from the American-Italian community but owing its origins to various regional seafood dishes from Italy.

Zarzuela is, however, a more rustic dish than bouillabaise or cioppino - heavier and richer - due to the addition of serrano ham (or, in some recipes, chorizo) and ground almonds to thicken and flavour the sauce.

The quantities given here are for two very generous portions but could feed three as a main course or provide four large or six smaller starters.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg Mussels

500g Clams - eg Almejas, Vongole, Berberechos (cockles)

6 raw King Prawns or similar

1 squid

half cup blanched almonds

100g Serrano Ham

500 ml stock (fish, chicken or vegetable)

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 red pepper

1 dessertspoon chopped rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme

4 large ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)

1 lemon

Chopped parsley

1 dessertspoon Sweet Paprika/pimentón dulce*

1 red chilli*

pinch saffron

1 glass dry white wine, sherry or vermouth

Olive oil

for the stock

Heads and shell of prawns

1 small onion

2 sticks of celery chopped

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

METHOD

Peel the prawns, reserving the heads and shells for stock. Remove the black intestinal track and set aside the prepared prawns.

For the stock, gently soften a small chopped onion in a little olive oil, add chopped garlic, chopped celery, add 750mls water or chicken or vegetable stock and a bay leaf, bring to the boil and gently simmer for 20-30 mins than strain and set aside.

Clean the squid, or ask your fishmonger to do it, but it is comparatively easy to do yourself. Pull the head and it should come away with all the intestines. Remove the plastic-like quill from inside the tube. Cut the tentacles from the head just above the eyes and remove the hard beak.  You can then separate the tentacles into 4 pieces and set aside.

SQUID TENTACLES 

 Rinse the squid tube in running water.........

SQUID CLEANED

 ......then remove the skin. Just rub the tube and the skin will pull away easily and can be discarded.

REMOVE SKIN FROM SQUID

The wings can then be pulled off easily.  They can be chopped or sliced and the tube can be cut into rings.  Dust the squid rings, tentacles and wings with flour that has been seasoned with black pepper and half teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  Shake off excess flour and gently fry for a few minutes and set aside.

FRY SQUID

Rinse the mussels and clams in running water and debeard the mussels. Throw away any that do not close or have broken shells.

Blend the almonds in a blender/coffee grinder to a granular texture like breadcrumbs. If you blend them too fine they will be very greasy.

Add the saffron to the white wine.  (Most recipes I have seen add saffron, so I did, but the broth is so powerful that I am sure no one would notice its absence if you omitted it!)

Finely chop or mince the onion and fry gently to soften without browning in a large pan with a lid or casserole a dish.  Add the chopped garlic and then the chopped serrano ham and fry gently for a few minutes. 

Add the chopped red pepper and chopped red chilli and continue cooking gently until the pepper has softened.

CHOP PEPPERS

Add the prepared prawns.....

PRAWNS - SHELL REMOVED

 ....and continue frying gently for two minutes, turning the prawns until they colour a little.

Add the white wine infused with saffron and the bay leaf, thyme & chopped rosemary leaves and bring to the boil.  Add the tomatoes and when the mixture reaches boiling, add the mussels and clams. 

MUSSELS AND BERBERECHO CLEANED

Turn down the heat, place a lid on top and simmer gently until the mussels and clams have opened.

ADD LID AND BOIL GENTLY

 When the mussels and clams have opened, remove the lid, remove any mussels or clams that have not opened, scatter chopped parsley over the stew and season with black pepper and the juice of the lemon.....

SCATTER WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY

 ........and serve with fresh crusty bread.

SERVED

Yum!  

*If you want more "heat" add extra chilli during cooking or use hot paprika (pimentón picante) as well as or instead of  pimentón dulce.

John Austin

Santa Pola, Spain - March 2019

RABBIT COOKED WITH PIMENTÓN (paprika) - Conejo chilindron

Conejo chilindron

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

30 ml olive oil.

1 rabbit

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely or minced

1 large onion peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon sweet paprika.(Pimentón dulce)

½ tablespoon hot paprika (Pimentón picante)

2 bay leaves

4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or tinned tomatoes or passata)

2 tablespoons tomato purée.

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips. (Or one jar of roasted sweet red peppers, drained)

250 ml red or white wine

500 ml chicken and/or rabbit stock*

750g potatoes

100g chopped serrano ham or similar**

1 dessert spoon chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

METHOD

If using fresh peppers, cut into strips and gently fry in olive oil until softened and set aside.

Chop the rabbit, or ask your butcher to do this for you, place in a polythene bag with flour seasoned with salt and pepper and shake.

Shake off excess flour from the pieces of rabbit and fry gently in batches until lightly browned on all sides and set aside.

Whole dried Ñoras 

Add the wine and two bay leaves. Bring gently to the boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Gently fry the onion until softened but not browned, adding the chopped/minced garlic during the cooking. 


Add the chopped ham and fry gently for a few minutes. 

Return the meat to the pan. Add the pimentón, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and chopped rosemary. If you use passata (tomate frito in Spain) you may not need the tomato puree. Stir to ensure meat is thoroughly coated. 

You can use any pimentón. This is really a matter of personal taste. For the sweet one I used Ňora picada - roughly ground.  Ňoras are grown a lot in the Murcia region (south east Spain). You could use sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce) or hot (picante) in varying proportions. Some recipes use ñoras or ñora paste, others choricero puree.  Ñoras are popular in Murcia and Valencia where they are sun-dried.  In Spain they will find any reason for a festival. We were in Guardamar del Segura a few years ago (the southernmost town where Valenciano is spoken) when they were celebrating a week long Ñora Festival!  If you prefer a smokey taste use Pimentón de la Vera, which is smoked,  the characteristic flavour often found in chorizo, and originates from Extramadura in western Spain. 

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, put on the lid and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in prepared peppers and potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces, and return to heat and simmer** gently for 45 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve with crusty bread and a green side salad or seasonal vegetables. We served ours with steamed red cabbage - a hearty winter dish.

* If the rabbit comes whole, you can use the head and heart/lungs/liver to make a rabbit stock.

**If you don’t have serrano ham you could substitute pancetta or lardons of bacon

*** At this stage, instead of cooking on top of the stove, the casserole dish can be put in a preheated oven at 130C.

John Austin

Santa Pola, Spain, March 2019

OUR ALLOTMENT - Life on the Weald February 2019 - Part 2

OUR ALLOTMENT - Life on the Weald February 2019 - Part 2

There was a sudden change in the weather mid-February with sunshine and record temperatures across the UK.  In Hove the daytime temperature in the middle of February was as high as 15C and this spring-like weather has brought a flurry of activity on the allotment....and a sure sign that Spring is on the way, my Hellebores at home are in flower.

Helleborus niger

I had managed to clear half of the area needed for my first early potatoes earlier in the month and fortunately Luke was on hand to help me finish the job. A giant cardoon, over 2.5 metres tall and 2 metres wide, which was engulfed in bindweed had been moved from this area, leaving a large hole about half a metre deep.  When we dug the area around where the cardoon had been, we managed to fill the wheelbarrow twice over with bindweed roots some of which were 6mm thick.  No doubt we left some behind so we will need to be extra-vigilant and ready to tackle the weeds as they show through.

19 February - potato patch cleared

From time to time we are reminded why we subject ourselves to all of this when we reap the rewards. Purple sprouting broccoli is one of my favourite vegetables and we are having a wonderful harvest.

19 February - freshly picked broccoli

The Cavolo Nero has finally finished and going to seed and we have salvaged the last few leaves, pulled up the plants and given the ground a preliminary dig in preparation for planting the second early potatoes.

The spring like weather has also encouraged me to sow some early peas indoors. There are several early varieties that can be sown in January or February but I haven't had much success with these in the past.  Kelvedon Wonder has always been a heavy cropper and, although the recommendation is to sow indoors in March, I have taken a risk and sown some this month.  The added joy is that they germinate quickly and I had seedlings showing within a week.   

20 February - Peas

When they were about 5cms high I put them outside during the day to harden off, covering them with a cloche at night.

I have also sown my first leeks and it was so satisfying to see them sprouting within a few days.

22 February - Musselburgh Leeks

The worms in our wormeries were very well fed over the Christmas and New Year period and they have produced some rich compost, which I have spread over the remaining empty raised beds.

22 February - worm compost

The couch grass and perennial weeds which we dug up in the autumn, with great clods of heavy earth adhering, has been sitting in a great heap over the winter.  With a fine sieve, Sylvi has been busy riddling, recovering as much soil as possible, leaving the roots and any remaining vegetation to go to the dump - ie civic amenity site - where it can be properly composted.

The remaining fine soil has been added to the raised beds mixed with some well rotted compost.  

Parsnips are notoriously difficult to germinate but I have had modest success in past years. I had some seed tapes left over from last year so have taken a chance by sowing them in one of the raised beds.  Nothing venture, nothing gain!  I have also sown a couple of rows of Boltardy beetroots, having just lifted the final remaining ones from last year.

22 February - Parsnips sown

I raked the area which we had prepared for the first crop of potatoes and then made four shallow trenches about 6 inches deep in which I put a layer of peat-free potting compost.

22 February - trenches prepared for potatoes

I started the chitting process at home for the second earlies - Charlotte  and Nicola.....

22 February -Charlotte potatoes - chitting

and inspected the Duke of York first earlies which looked almost ready for planting.

22 February - Duke of York first earlies

I hope we have not been deceived by this false-spring but decided to plant them on Sunday 24th February, under blue skies and warm sunshine with the temperature approaching 20C!  The recommended distance between rows is 28 inches  (71 cms) and for the potatoes to be 12 inches (30 cms) apart.  I usually plant them a little closer - my rows are 2 feet apart (61 cms) and I planted the potatoes 10 inches (25 cms) apart.

I planted the potatoes in the trenches at a depth of 6 inches (15cms), covered them with peat-free potting compost and then raked over the surrounding earth to form low ridges.

I then gave them a light watering and a top dressing of an organic potato fertiliser.  As the shoots sow through I will regularly rake over surrounding soil, increasing the height of the ridges and keeping them covered until the risk of frost is reduced.

With the continuing warm weather, I have planted out the first batch of peas.

Kelvedon Wonder Peas - 1st planting

On the last day of the month, temperatures began to fall - but they're still higher than average for the time of year - and rain is predicted for the next few days.

But just to keep me cheered I'm tidying up the planters and pots at home - end enjoying the beauty of the Hellebores

Hellebores in Hove 

John Austin

Hove, February 2019

OUR ALLOTMENT - Life on the Weald February 2019

OUR ALLOTMENT - Life on the Weald Early February 2019

February started with a mixture of sub-zero temperatures and torrential rain so there was little prospect of early progress outdoors so we concentrated on what we could do indoors.

I started chitting some First Early potatoes - Duke of York - in a cold room indoors

Duke of York First Earlies - 3 February

In January, I had sown some broad beans in covered trays outdoors but they became waterlogged and then froze solid without any chance of germinating or recovery.

Demise of the broad beans

 It was comparatively warm in the conservatory as the ripening Habaneros show

Chill peppers - Habaneros

I thought I would make up for lost time and sow some Aquadulce broad beans indoors.

I used seeds that we had saved from last year's crop and, having discarded any that were damaged or attacked by pests, most seem to have germinated.

Between showers we managed to get up to the plot to feed the worms and drain the blueberries, whose pots had become waterlogged, and review progress.

We picked some cavolo nero but it is beginning to go to seed so our supply is coming to an end.  But the good news is that the Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli is sprouting! 

Purple sprouting broccoli - 9 February

 And we have a plentiful supply of leeks which, thankfully, are disease free and have not succumbed to the virus which seems to have infected several other sites in Brighton and Hove.

Leeks - 9 February

I had put the seed trays with the broad beans in the coldest room in the loft with an overhead window.  The result was that the beans grew very tall and straight - or a bit leggy!
I hardened them off outside in anticipation of a warm day for planting out.

Broad beans hardening off 12 February

Fortunately, the weather changed for the better on 12 February and it was almost spring-like. The following day was also dry and sunny, so we took the opportunity of planting them out .

Broad beans 13 February

With more than a little help from Sylvi, we cleared the area around the blueberries and began to clear a patch for planting the First Early Potatoes.

Getting prepared for first potatoes

We had begun to pick purple sprouting broccoli earlier in the month and I am very thankful that I remembered to net the plants to keep off the pigeons.  A week or so after our first picking, more strong healthy sprouts had grown which will provide us with a good haul for the weekend.

Purple sprouting broccoli, netted - 13 February

The onions, garlic and shallots are looking good - especially the shallots

Shallots - 13 February

We have also been busy weeding around the blackcurrant bushes but some were so choked with couch grass that I actually lifted them, cleared the couch grass and replanted them with a dressing of blood, fish and bone and pruned them.

Blackcurrants fruit on newer wood so it is OK to cut back some of the branches fairly hard to encourage new growth and new shoots. It is advisable to cut down about a quarter of the old stems to just above the soil and remove any weak or diseased stems and any that cross over the centre of the bush. Redcurrants, on the other hand fruit on the older wood so need to be pruned differently.  Obviously it is advisable to remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems to keep an open bush. Redcurrant bushes can grow very large so to keep them at a manageable size I removed about 10cms from the growing stems and cut out some of the older ones to keep an open bush.  I have acquired a small fruit cage (having lost the entire crop to the birds last year) and it is just over 1m high so this determined how far back I needed to prune the branches.  Similar pruning is needed for gooseberries - remove the 3-Ds - damaged, diseased or dead branches; cut out cross branches and then lightly prune the remaining ones. It is advisable to wear gloves when pruning gooseberries!

I am also busy indoors this month. Outdoor cucumbers would normally be sown outdoors in May but some varieties can be sown indoors in February or March and planted out in May producing early fruits in July.  I'm trying Mr Fothergill's Marketmore this year but am also sowing some Spanish Pepino Marketer seeds for a later crop.  Leeks can also be sown indoors in February for planting out in May or June.  I'm sowing some Musselburgh which is a tried and tested, reliable variety.   I am also starting off some early peas indoors and some Habanero chilli peppers from seeds harvested from last year's crop.

Once we have cleared and prepared enough space for the potatoes the next task will be to dismantle the frames which were used for growing runner beans and cucumbers last year and clear that space for the brassicas.  The runner bean frames need some tlc and I need to dig a couple of trenches where the beans will be planted and fill them with kitchen waste and old newspapers - this will help provide nutrients but also help with water retention which is particularly important if you don't want tough, stringy beans.  I recall that in the 70s we buried an old flock mattress under the beans on the Cherry Orchard allotment in Charlton. I haven't seen a flock mattress in years, soit will just be newspapers and kitchen waste this year.

I don't have any pictures of the Charlton beans but I have found a photo of one of the cabbages.

Charlton cabbage 1970s

To avoid any confusion, the cabbage is in the foreground, the others are two of my children!

Absolutely nothing to do with the allotment but we had a night out for St Valentine's for the Labour Party down at Fat Boy Slim's Big Beach Cafe where I drank a toast to the Queen in Chocolate

The Queen was in chocolate - my drink was a little more alcoholic. There's always a raffle at a Labour Party social and we were able to offload some of our jam and marmalade as prizes - and we won someone else's picalilli!

It has been a busy couple of weeks so I'll close this blog and start a fresh one for the second half of the month.

John Austin

Hove 15 February 2019