Lola shares recipes with TheTaste.ie Food & Wine Magazine, May 2016

www.thetaste.ie is one of Ireland's most popular online food and wine magazines. We were delighted to be asked to share some of our recipes with their subscribers. Check them out and send us some photos too if you try them!

Esqueixada

Catalan salted cod salad with black olives, tomato, peppers & onion

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 450gr salted cod (desalted) and finely chopped
• 1 red pepper finely chopped
• 1 green pepper finely chopped
• ½ onion finely sliced
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 100gr black olives finely chopped
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 slices toasted bread

Dressing (salad)

• 10ml sherry vinegar
• 5gr salt for dressing
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil – how much for salad?

Parsely oil

• 100ml extra virgin olive oil – how much for parsley oil?
• 100gr flat parsley

Method

1. To desalt the cod, soak in water for 24-48 hours (dependent on the size and quality of the cod). Change the water every 6-8 hours. Taste to check it is to your liking.
2. Mix all the ingredients for dressing.
3. Mix ¼ of the cod with the peppers, onion, tomatoes and dressing ingredients.
4. Place the mixture in a round or square mold (do individual small ones or one large one for the table); cover the top with the rest of the cod, and place a line of chopped black olives across the top for garnish.
5. Remove the mold.
6. Mix the 100ml oil and 100gr flat parsley until fine and smooth.
7. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of the parsley oil on top and around the bottom of the salad on your dish.
8. Serve with finely sliced toasted bread.

http://thetaste.ie/wp/catalan-esqueixada-salted-cod-salad-recipe-from-las-tapas-de-lola/

Gazpacho

Traditional tomato soup from Andalucía served cold

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 1 kilo ripe tomatoes
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic (dependent on how much you love garlic)
• 80gr cucumber
• 40gr onion
• 250ml cold water
• 50ml sherry vinegar
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil

Garnish

• 1 small red onion finely diced
• 1 small green pepper finely diced
• Croutons

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender (but not the oil).
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the oil and blend again for a few seconds.
4. Pour the soup through a colander.
5. Serve in bowls topped with a few diced green peppers, red onions, and 3/4 croutons per serving.

Tip: If you prefer a thicker texture to your soup, add bread from the day before to the ingredients in the blender. It will be nice and smooth and won’t change the flavour. 

http://thetaste.ie/wp/gazpacho-recipe-from-las-tapas-de-lola/

Paella

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 80ml olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper & 1 red pepper, finely chopped
• 350grs squid, coarsley chopped
• 300grs tiger prawns, coarsley chopped
• 250grs octopus, cut into small pieces
• 2 peeled & grated tomatoes (or a tin of peeled tomatoes)
• 6-8 shelled prawns
• 250gr clams
• 50gr green peas
• 600grs of bomba rice (typical from Spain) or calasparra rice (you can also use Arborio rice which is more commonly found in supermarkets in Ireland).
• 4gr sweet paprika
• 1.5gr saffron
• 1.65 to 2 litres of fish
• 300gr mussels
• 250gr clams
• 1 langoustine per person (or large prawn in shell)
• salt

Method

1. In the pallea pan (or use a 36cm pan with a 5cm lip), heat the olive oil on a meduim heat and add the onion, garlic, green and red peppers.
2. Once they are nice and golden, add the squid & shelled prawns, mix well with the vegetables.
3. Once the squid starts to take colour, add the octopus and the grated tomatoes. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Then add the rice, saffron and paprika. Mix everything well for 4-5minutes.
5. Add the fish stock to cover the rice and simmer on a medium to low heat (as we say in Spain, let is “yup-yup”) for about 20/25 minutes.
6. Do not use a spoon to mix anymore, use the paellera handles (or the handle of your pan) to gently shake the rice (hip movement very important here).
7. 10 minutes before the rice finishes cooking, place the mussels, clams, whole prawns (langoustines in shell) and peas around the paella dish for decoration.
8. Check your seasoning, add salt if required, and let the stock reduce. Before all the stock has been absorbed, try your rice. Your rice should be slightly al dente, but if still too al dente add a dash more of stock.
9. Traditionally in Spain, this is when we leave the paella to sit for 10 minutes off the heat and covered with newspaper to finish cooking. This is when we head for a swim, or off to the park!

http://thetaste.ie/wp/seafood-paella-recipe-from-las-tapas-de-lola/ 

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