Octopus, galician style

Whenever I'm in Barcelona, as I am now, I always try to eat and buy the things I cannot or it's almost inpossible to find in London, like one of my favourite ingredients ever: octopus. I have even brought it along with me to London (in the suitcase). I love the texture, the flavour and the fact that it's so healthy. It's sad to think that this creature is one of the cleverest in nature, but it's so tasty! I know this dish can be considered a rarity, but if you ever have the chance, and dare to cook it, dont hesitate, it's one of the most delicious things...

Ingredients:
Cooked octopus (to cook it, just pop it into a pressure cooker filled with boiling water and cook for 20mins/half hour, or cook for an hour in a normal pan)

cayenne pepper

smoked paprika

sea salt

extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Heat the octopus, cut into not very big slices, use a wooden plate if you have one, which is the authentic way of serving it, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and sea salt and serve inmediately. Enjoy...

Fried quail egg with sobrasada montadito

I read this recipe somewhere, and since then I have been thinking about the flavours. "Montadito" is spanish for a piece of bread with something yummy on top, we have warm and cold "montaditos", filling and light, fishy, meaty or veggie, you name it. They are part of the "Tapas" culture. One of the main ingredients of this one is "Sobrasada", which is a kind of chorizo pate, but its flavour it's more delicate to the palate. If you live in London you can easily find "sobrasada" at the spanish shop in Borough market. I prefer this "montadito" to be made with "sobrasada" but if you can't find it you can also use a slice of chorizo instead. These "montaditos" are bite size and the flavours explote in your mouth followed by a smile...

Method:

First thing is to get the toasts ready. Spread the "sobrasada" quite thinly or put the slice of chorizo on top. Then for frying the eggs, cut open them very carefully with a sharp knife, and fry in olive oil, just for 5 or 6 seconds, dry in kitchen paper for a minute, and then very carefully put on top of the "sobrasada" or chorizo. Add salt and finely chopped parsley.

Cocochas de bacalao in a pil pil sauce

This is a sublime dish, a delicacy from the north of Spain, Cococha is the vasc term for fish cheeks, and it's usually from cod or hake. I learnt this recipe at my cookery school in Barcelona, from my teacher Mr Ceres, the funniest teacher ever, so, here's to you, Ceres!

Ingredients:

eight cod or hake cocochas

three garlic cloves, finely sliced

three of four dried chillies

a good splash of virgin olive oil

Method:

In an earthenware pot or casserole, pour the olive oil, in a medium heat and add the garlic cloves and the chillies, when they start dancing around take off the garlic and chillies, and reserve, then add the cocochas with the skin up in the oil, and leave to cook for three minutes, turn them around and cook for another minute. Now, turn off the heat, and with the help of two tea towels or oven gloves, start shaking the casserole, you will start seeing the fish cheeks to leave a green substance in the oil, this is due to the natural gelatin of the fish, carry on shaking the pan, and you will see how the sauce thickens, stop when the sauce has reached the thickness you want. Scatter the garlic and chillies back on top of the fish, and serve inmediately, don't forget to dunk a piece of crusty bread in the lovely sauce...

Tofu steak with a japanese glazing

Tofu is a perfect substitute for a beef steak or chicken fillet, so, if you are a vegetarian, or have a vegetarian around you, like me, this tofu will satisfy them and they will love it. I am not a vegetarian myself, but I love this tofu recipe, because tofu on its own has no much flavour, but with this sauce it becomes succulent and delicious. You can buy the ingredients at any oriental supermarket.

Ingredients:

One block of firm tofu

cornflour

sesame oil (2 or 3 spoonfuls)

For the sauce:

Four spoonfuls mirin

Four spoonfuls sake

Two spoonfuls soy sauce

One spoonful sugar

Method:

Cut the tofu in thick slices, coat with the cornflour and fry in the sesame oil for two minutes. Turn it over, very carefully, and brown for another minute, then mix the ingredients of the sauce, making sure that the sugar has dissolved, and pour it over the tofu, shake the pan slightly, and leave the sauce to thicken, when it has become a syrup, turn off the heat, and put the tofu in a serving dish, pour over the sauce, and sprinkle with chives, or the green part of spring onions.

Lentil salad with caramelised onion and goats cheese

This is my lentil salad, which I made up the other day and I've already made three times, I was thinking of something filling and healthy and came out with this, it can be served as a main dish.

Ingredients:
One sachet of ready made black lentils (I used Merchant gourmet puy lentils) or one tin of cooked lentils.
one portion of goats cheese (they serve 250gr, discs)
one jar of roasted red peppers (about 300gr drained)
one red onion
2 or 3 finely sliced spring onion (only the green part)
splash of balsamic vinegar
splash of olive oil
handful of capers
10 sliced cherry tomatoes
handful fresh chopped coriander
handful fresh chopped parsley
10-15 sliced black olives

Method:
First, we need to caramelise the onion, so, slice it and fry it in olive oil until it becomes translucid. Add a good splash of balsamic vinegar, and leave it to reduce at a low heat, until it becomes a syrupy mix. Reserve.In a salad bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, you can stick the lentils in the microwave for 30 seconds, so they are a little warm, add the caramelised onion and crumble the goats cheese on the top. Add a splash of liquid gold (olive oil), and salt and pepper.

Mangosteen, I love this fruit!

This is one of the sweetest and refreshing fruits I've tried. It's also known as Queen of the fruits. It has lots of nutritional porperties, it's antiinflamatoty, antifatigue, its good for the arthritis and rich in antioxidants, and it belongs to the group of the superfruits. It comes from Asia, and you can easily find it in chinatown in the european cities, like this one from the photos which I bought this morning in chinatown, here in London. I always buy them whenever I see them, because they are not in the shops all year round, so if you ever see them in the shops, don't hesitate, and get some of them, give them a try, you will love them. They have a very hard shell, and segments inside, with a cartilaginous bone. Mangosteen fruit fills your mouth with a lovely and delicious exotic flavour.

Milk jelly cake

This is a typical mexican pudding, there are lots of varieties and flavours. This one is made with evaporated milk. It's very tasty and the kids love it!

Ingredients:

One packet of orange jelly, one packet of lemon or lime jelly, or whatever flavour you prefer. I chose lime for the color, one can of evaporated milk, ice.

Method:

Prepare the lime or lemon jelly according to the packet, the day before. Pour in a square tin and keep in the fridge overnight. The next day, cut the jelly into squares and leave in the fridge whilst you prepare the rest. Mix the orange jelly with half of the water , make sure its dissolved then add the evaporated milk and the ice, making sure that the ice melts. Put a little water in a tin, or jelly mould and get rid of the excess, pour in the mixture and quickly scatter the lemon jelly squares all over, so it has a mosaic effect when set. Keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 hours to set.