A Dinner in Barcelona Prestonwood Gourmet April 10, 2010 7:00 PM Appetizer: Spanish Nibbles Salad: Entrée: Veggie: Dessert: Catalan Salad with Cilantro Cream Dressing Chicken with Chorizo over Rice Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts Crema Catalana Division of Labor: Four Couples Couple #1 Chicken and Rice Couple #2 Appetizer and Salad Couple #3 Spinach Couple #4 Dessert Five Couples Couple #1 Chicken and Rice Couple #2 Appetizer Couple #3 Salad Couple #4 Spinach Couple #5 Dessert Suggested Spanish Wines from Goody Goody Liquors: Red Altos Del Duraton White Dona Rosa Albarino Cava (optional) - Marques De Monistrol Sangria (optional)
Barcelona - Traditional Cuisine The gastronomy of Barcelona is a window for Catalan cuisine which is substantial and nourishing and is mainly based on a variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, meat, poultry, game, fruit and vegetables. All of these products adapt to the different seasons and the region's cultural and religious traditions, and can come in unusual and delicious combinations: meat and seafood, poultry and fruit, fish and nuts. Olive oil, aromatic herbs, dried fruit, wild mushrooms and game from the Pyrenees, the trinity of olives, grapes and wheat from the hilly heartland, all manner of fruits, vegetables, and nuts from the irrigated lowlands, rice and eels from the river deltas, and a great variety of fish and shellfish are the basis of a cuisine which is one of the happiest expressions of the Mediterranean diet. One of the simplest and yet most delicious dishes (the one that Catalans particularly yearn for when are abroad) is "pa amb tomaquet": a large slice of fresh country bread (toasted or not) rubbed with tomato and drizzled with virgin olive oil. It may be topped with Iberian ham, cheese and anchovies or served along with meat, chicken or fish "a la brasa" (cooked over a charcoal fire). We should also give a special mention to tapas: small portions which allow you to combine fish, meat and vegetable dishes. In recent years, tapas have established themselves as a different way of eating a varied light lunch or supper. The essence of Catalan food lies in its sauces for meat and fish. There are five main types: "sofregit" (fried onion, tomato and garlic), "samfaina or chanfaina" (sofregit plus red pepper and aubergine or courgette), "picada" (based on ground almonds, usually with garlic, parsley, pine or hazel nuts, and sometimes breadcrumbs), "allioli" (pounded garlic with olive oil, often with egg yolk added to make more of a mayonnaise) and "romesco" (an almond, tomato, olive oil, garlic and vinegar sauce, also used as a salad dressing). Other typical specialties include "esqueixada" (a salad of raw salt cod with onions and peppers), "butifarra amb mongetes" (a stew of beans with 'butifarra' sausage), "escudella i carn d'olla" (special Catalonian stew), "espinacs a la catalana" (spinach sauteed with raisins and pine nuts) and "bacalla a la llauna" (salt cod with tomato, garlic and parsley). Least, but not last, try the "zarzuela", the local fish stew or the "paella" - the classic rice dish with meat or fish. Then, if you have a sweet tooth, "crema catalana" (a cinnamon and lemon flavored custard) is a must for dessert.
Spanish Nibbles Assortment of olives, Manchego Cheese and at least one other Spanish cheese, Serrano Ham, Marcona Almonds. Flatbread and/or crackers. At Central Market near the Deli and Cheese departments there is an array of Spanish cheeses and olives for you to choose from. Manchego Cheese is a sheep s cheese and very popular. The Serrano Ham (like prociutto) comes packaged with about 6 slices to a package (3.5 oz) and can simply be rolled and placed on a platter with the other items. The Marcona Almonds are to be found right there by the Cheese dept. also. Serve the nibbles with flatbread or crackers. Since this dish is the only appetizer for the evening meal, make sure you have a variety of both cheese and olives. Anything else Spanish you d like to add to the hors d oeurves platter would be great!
Catalan Salad with Cilantro Cream Dressing Serves 4 2 heads Boston (Bibb) lettuce ¼ cup toasted almonds, sliced 2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned 3 green onions, thinly sliced Dressing: 1 green onion, finely minced 2 Tblsp fresh cilantro, minced 2 Tblsp fresh parsley, minced 1 large lemon, juice of 6 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil 6 Tblsp cream Wash and dry the lettuce and arrange on salad plates. Sprinkle with almonds, green onions and orange sections (cut in half). In a small bowl combine onion, cilantro and parsley. Mix in lemon juice and oil and whisk to blend. Let set until ready to serve, up to an hour. At serving time whisk in cream. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad and serve without tossing.
Chicken with Chorizo The addition of chorizo sausage and sherry gives a warm, interesting flavor to this simple Spanish casserole. Serves 4. 8 chicken thighs, bone-in 1 Tblsp ground paprika or more as needed 4 Tblsp olive oil 2 small onions, sliced 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 5 ounces hot Spanish chorizo sausage, casing removed, thickly sliced on angle 14-oz can diced tomatoes 2 bay leaves 5 Tblsp medium sherry Salt and ground black pepper Rice to serve Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat the chicken pieces in paprika, making sure they are evenly covered, then season with salt. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the chicken until brown. Transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Add the onions to the pan and sauté quickly. Add the garlic and chorizo and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the bay leaves and the sherry and bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken and cover with the lid. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and season to taste. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is tender and golden. Serve over rice.
Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts Serves 4 1/3 cup raisins 1 thick slice crusty white bread 3 Tblsp olive oil 1/3 cup pine nuts 1 ¼ lbs. baby spinach, stems removed 2 garlic cloves, crushed Salt and ground black pepper Put the raisins in a small bowl with boiling water and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain. Cut the bread into cubes and discard the crusts. Heat 2 Tblsp of the oil and fry the bread cubes until golden. Drain. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Sauté the pine nuts until beginning to color. Add the spinach and garlic and cook quickly, turning the spinach until it has just wilted. Toss in the raisins and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle croutons on top and serve hot.
Crema Catalana Serves 4 2 cups milk Zest of ½ lemon 1 cinnamon stick 4 egg yolks 7 Tblsp sugar 1 ½ Tblsp cornstarch Ground nutmeg Put the milk in a pan with the lemon zest and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lemon zest and the cinnamon. Place the egg yolks and 3 Tblsp of the sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch and mix well. Add a few Tblsp of the hot milk to the egg yolk/sugar mixture and then add this mixture to the remaining hot milk. Return to the heat and cook gently, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Do not let it boil. There should be no cornstarch taste. Pour into 4 shallow ovenproof dishes about 5 inches in diameter. Let cool, then chill for several hours until firm or overnight if possible. Before serving, sprinkle each custard with a Tblsp of sugar and a little ground nutmeg. Preheat broiler to high. Place the custards under the broiler on the highest shelf and cook until the sugar caramelizes. This will take only a few seconds. Let cool a few minutes before serving. (The caramel will stay hard for only about 30 minutes so this part must be done just before serving.)