Barcelona
- Recipes - Vegetables
Catalan Bean Stew
Serving Size: 4
2 country-style
white bread
2 red or brown dried chile peppers (such as Pasilla or New Mexico
Reds) or 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (Spanish or Hungarian)
2 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4 ripe tomatoes
3 parsnips (or carrots), diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 cups fava beans, cooked or 4 cups cooked lima beans
1 cup corn kernels, cooked
3 cups vegetable broth
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons sherry, or to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tear the chiles in half and remove the stems and seeds. Soak the
chiles in the stock for 1 hour or until soft. If using paprika,
dissolve it in the stock. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the onions and tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil
and roast them for 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue roasting
for 20 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and the onions are golden
brown. Darkly toast the bread in a toaster.
Transfer the chiles to a blender with a slotted spoon, reserving
the stock. Add the onions, tomatoes, garlic, and toast and puree
until smooth, adding stock as necessary to obtain a thick paste.
Note: A blender works better than a food processor for this purpose.
Transfer the chile mixture to a large, nonstick frying pan and cook
over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in the reserved stock, parsnips, and potatoes and half the
parsley and cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes,
or until the vegetables are just tender. The recipe can be prepared
ahead to this stage.
Stir in the fava beans, corn, sherry, and vinegar and simmer for
5 minutes, or until the beans and corn are thoroughly heated. Correct
the seasoning, adding salt, sherry, or vinegar to taste. The mixture
should be highly seasoned. If the stew is too thick, add a little
more stock. If too thin, simmer the stew, uncovered, to evaporate
the excess liquid.
Transfer the stew to a bowl or platter and sprinkle with the remaining
parsley. Rice or polenta would make a nice accompaniment.
Catalan
Gratin
Serving Size: 4
3 medium eggplants
6 peppers (red and green)
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 drop oregano
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons tiny capers
6 anchovies
2 large whole pimientos, cut into strips
1/2 cup black olives, pitted
White pepper, freshly ground
Salt
Preheat the broiler. Cut the unpeeled eggplants into 1/4" thick
slices. Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander over a bowl for
1 hour. Brush the peppers with olive oil. Place them in the broiler
and broil on all sides. They should be well scorched but do not
burn them. Run them under cold water and remove the skins. Slice
the peppers in half, remove the seeds, then cut the pepper into
thick strips. Reserve. In a small skillet heat 2 tablespoons of
olive oil. Add the pine nuts and cook them until they are lightly
browned.
Add the bread
crumbs. Saute the mixture for a few minutes, then season with a
pinch of salt and pepper. Add the oregano and parsley. Drain the
eggplant slices and dry well on paper towels. In a large skillet
heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the eggplant slices, adding
more oil as you need it, until they are nicely browned. In an oval
baking dish make a layer of eggplant. Top with a layer of peppers.
Sprinkle with a few capers and repeat the layers. Top with bread-crumb
mixture. Make a lacing of anchovies and optional pimiento strips
with the black olives in between in a decorative pattern. Dribble
olive oil over the vegetables and bread crumbs. Bake the gratin
for 10 to 15 minutes in a 350°F oven. Serve warm or at room
temperature. Note: If the anchovies are too salty, soak them in
a little milk for 10 to 15 minutes. Dry on paper towels and add
to the dish.
Catalan
Potatoes
Serving Size: 4
2 large idaho
potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and sliced
4 plum tomatoes, diced, peeled and seeded
1 large onion, diced
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil (1/3 cup for nonstick pan's)
Salt, to taste
black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Heat an 8 or
9-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the
whole garlice cloves. Cook the garlic until browned, about 8 minutes.
Discard the cloves. Add the diced onion to the pan. Saute in the
oil util light brown, about 12 minutes.
Remove the onions
from the pan with a slotted spoon. Add half the potato slices to
the oil. Top them with an even layer of the onions, chopped garlic,
tomatoes, salt and pepper. Top with the remaining potato slices.
Cook the potatoes until browned, about 15 minutes, and then turn
the potatoes over, pressing down on them with a spatula (you do
not have to turn all the potatoes at once; the potato cake will
still keep its shape).
Continue cooking
until the underside is brown and the potatoes are tender throughout,
about another 15 minutes. Slide from the pan onto a serving platter
and serve immediately.
Catalan
Salad with Cilantro Cream Dressing
Serving Size: 6
2 heads Boston
lettuce
1/4 cup toasted almonds, sliced
2 navel oranges, peeled, sectioned
2 green onions, thinly sliced
For dressing:
1 green onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 large lemon, juice of
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons light cream
Wash and dry
the lettuce and arrange on a platter or individual serving plates.
Sprinkle with almonds, green onion and orange slices (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.
Chorizo
and Mushroom Fideua
Serving Size: 4
5 oz Spanish
chorizo or other garlic sausage (cut into1/2-inch-thick rounds)
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
3/4 lb fideo or angel hair pasta
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3/4 lb onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 drop cayenne pepper
3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven
to 400°F. Heat olive oil in heavy deep paella pan skillet over
medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender, stirring
frequently, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 4 minutes.
Add paprika and cayenne and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and green pepper and saute 2 minutes. Add chicken broth,
wine, chorizo. Bring mixture to simmer.
Break pasta
in half and add to pan. Cook until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally,
about 8 minutes. Set pan in oven and bake until all liquid is absorbed
and pasta is crusty, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.
Ensalada
Catalana - Catalan Salad
Serving Size: 1
Romaine or curly
endive lettuce, washed, dried, separated into leaves, and broken
into manageable size (this forms the bed of the salad)
Tomatoes, cut into slices or quarters
Sweet raw onion, cut into thin rings or slices (if the onion is
very strong, it is soaked in vinegar and water for an hour before
serving to reduce sharpness)
Green and red peppers, cut into thin rings
Green and black olives
Optional additions (or winter substitutes) are:
Radishes, whole or sliced
Celery stalk, cubed
Hard-boiled eggs, in rings or quarters
For a more substantial
first dish, the salad may be dotted with bits of canned tuna or
shreds of desalted cod fish. It may be surrounded by slices of sausage
or accompanied by side platters containing a few sliced hams and
sausages. The salad is sprinkled liberally with olive oil; lightly
with vinegar and salt.
Espinacs
a la Catalana - Spinach in Catalan Style
Serving Size: 6-8
1 1/2 lbs fresh
spinach
1/2 cup Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut in 1/2-inch
cubes
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional but use more apple)
2 shallots, finely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
Heat 2 tablespoon
olive oil in a large pot over high heat, add apples and sauté
until golden brown around edges, about 3 minutes, add pine nuts
and sauté 3 minutes. Add rest of oil to each pot and add
shallots and raisins (if you did not use more apple) then stir to
combine. Add spinach between pots, cover and cook just until wilted
(stir occasionally), season with salt and pepper and serve.
Escalivada
Servings Size: 4
1 1/2 lb eggplant,
peeled and sliced
6 cups virgin olive oil for frying
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, peeled, seeded and quartered
8 ripe but firm plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded if desired, cut
in half
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Salt
For the vinaigrette sauce (whisked together):
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Salt
Lay the eggplant slices on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
Leave them to drain of their bitter juices for 30 minutes, then
pat dry with more paper towels.
Preheat the
frying oil in a deep-fryer or an 8-inch diameter saucepan with a
basket insert to 375°F. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until
golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and let cool.
Let the frying oil cool completely, strain, and save for a future
use.
In a large stove-top
and ovenproof casserole, heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
over a medium heat, then cook the onion until translucent, 6 to
7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the eggplant slices, bell
pepper, tomatoes, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix gently.
Pour the remaining 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables
and bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let cool, then serve with the vinaigrette
poured over.
Variation: Prepare
a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on high.
Grill the whole unpeeled and uncored green pepper until its skin
blisters black, about 45 minutes. Slip off the skin, remove the
core and seeds, and cut into quarters. Pat dry the eggplant after
leeching its bitter juices, brush with olive oil, and grill until
the pieces have attractive grid marks, about 10 minutes on each
side. Boil the whole onion in water to cover for 10 minutes. Peel,
split in half, brush with oil, and grill for 30 minutes over a low
or dying fire until it is browned and easily pierced with a fork.
Mix the grilled pepper, eggplant, and onion and serve with the vinaigrette.
Roasted
Catalan-Style Vegetables
Serving Size: 6
1 pound red
bell peppers
1 pound eggplant
1 pound onions, in their skins
1 head garlic, in its skin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Preheat the
oven to 375°F. Place the bell peppers, eggplant, onions, and
garlic on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove
from the oven and cover the vegetables with a dish towel or transfer
the vegetables to a paper bag and keep closed for 10 minutes.
Remove the charred
skin of the peppers, and scrape out the seeds. Cut the flesh into
strips. Remove the skin of the eggplant and but the flesh lengthwise
into strips. Peel and chop the onions.
Arrange the
roasted vegetables in a serving dish. Separate the baked garlic
cloves from the papery skins and place in a food processor. With
the machine running, slowly add the olive oil to make a paste, adding
a pinch of salt. Drizzle the garlic purée on the vegetables
and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Potato
and Chorizo Tortilla
Serving Size: 6
1/3 cup olive
oil
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered or cut in 1/4-inch cubes
5 ounces chorizo, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
10 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the
oven to 400°F. Warm the olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick
saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and potatoes, and
sauté until the potatoes are cooked through and tender (about
15 minutes).
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs together with the salt, pepper,
piment d'Espelette, and parsley. Add the eggs and the chorizo to
the saute pan and bake until the eggs have set and are lightly brown
underneath (about 20 minutes). Run a knife around the edge of the
pan and invert the tortilla onto a plate. It may be served hot,
at room temperature, or cold.
