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Posts Tagged ‘Manchego’

Crab Canelones

Posted in Food, Pasta, Shellfish, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 July 2025| Leave a Comment »

A beautiful Spanish pasta dish made with fantastic Lambay crab. The crab is a bit pricy but it’s worth it for this luxurious dish. Our fishmonger fortunately sells both prepared brown and white crab meat and also shellfish stock which makes this a tad easier.

Wine Suggestion: The richness of this dish demands a fuller-richer white and while this means that Chardonnay was our original thought, we wanted to keep it Spanish given the origin of the dish. Initially we thought a good white Rioja, like the Urbina Blanco Crianza (currently 2016 and 9 years old) which would have been excellent. Instead we stepped sideways and opened the Dominio de Tares Cepas Viejas Godello, an old-vine gem that is fermented in cask and aged on it’s lees to give richness and depth over a lemon, grapefruit and apple fruit flavours, a creamy texture and refined fresh structure.

Crab Canelones – serves 6

  • 45ml olive oil
  • 45g plain flour
  • 500ml fresh shellfish stock (or you could use chicken stock)
  • 300ml double cream
  • a good grating of nutmeg
  • 80g finely grated Manchego, plus extra for the top

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 60ml olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 red chillies, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 50g brown crab meat
  • 500g ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 150ml shellfish stock (or chicken stock)
  • 500g white crab meat
  • 15g tarragon, finely chopped
  • 250g dried cannelloni tubes

Make the bechamel first. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute, then gradually add the stock, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Add the cream, nutmeg and cheese and season, then set aside.

Heat the olive oil for the filling in a separate saucepan over a very low heat. Add the shallot, chillies and garlic and cook over a very low heat for 15 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the brown crab meat and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and the stock. Season and cook for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in the white crab meat and chopped tarragon.

Blanch the pasta tubes in boiling water for 3 minutes, then gently drain and cool under cold running water.

Fill each pasta tube with the crab mixture and fit them snugly into an ovenproof dish, then pour over the bechamel. Scatter over a little more grated cheese, then bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Serve with a green salad.

(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant, 2022.)

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Roast Potatoes with Mushrooms, Chestnuts & Sherry

Posted in Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 11 December 2023| Leave a Comment »

You can’t capture the autumn sliding into winter better than in this dish. It’s perfect for a weeknight main or a side dish at the weekend.

Wine Suggestion: We think Nebbiolo is such a natural pairing with mushrooms, but thought opening a Barolo or Barbaresco was a bit extravagant, so Luigi Pira’s Langhe Nebbiolo was chosen and the gentle leather, spice and tea leaf characters were a delight.

Roast potatoes with mushrooms, chestnuts & sherry – serves 4

  • 1kg waxy potatoes
  • 7 cloves of garlic, 4 unpeeled and smashed, 3 peeled and finely sliced
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
  • 500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tbsp dry or medium sherry
  • 75g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
  • a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 100g manchego or Parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Spread the potatoes over the lined tray alongwith the smashed garlic, olive oil and thyme. Season and toss, then roast for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened but not cooked through.

Add the mushrooms, sliced garlic and sherry to the potatoes and toss again. Cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms and potatoes are cooked. Remove from the oven and add the chestnuts and parsley. Mix well and check the seasoning.

Shave the cheese over the top to serve.

(Original recipe by Claire Thompson in Olive Magazine, October 2020.)

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Pork & Chorizo Burgers with Sherry Onions & Manchego

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 10 December 2023| 1 Comment »

It’s getting colder but we’re determined to keep barbecueing anyway. These burgers are worth making for the onions alone, and the burger is something else too!

Wine Suggestion: a lighter, fruit forward red with a bit of tannin structure. We love some of the still wines from the Douro in Portugal and Quinta de la Rosa’s DouRosa red is a gem. Just 12.5%abv but full of flavour and with lovely depth, length and fine tannins.

Pork & chorizo burgers with sherry onions & manchego – serves 4

  • 500g pork mince
  • 250g fresh chorizo, skinned and finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 75ml dry sherry e.g. Oloroso
  • 175g manchego cheese, sliced
  • 4 x burger buns
  • rocket, to serve

Put the pork, chorizo, garlic, parsley, and paprika into a large bowl. Season with a salt (not too much) and plenty of black pepper then pound with your hands until well combined. Shape into 4 balls, then press these down to make burgers about 1 cm thick. Put the burgers into the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.

Next, make the onions. Put a large deep saucepan over a low heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter has melted, tip in the onions and a little salt and pepper. Cook very gently for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the sherry and allow to reduce for another 15 minutes or so.

Light your barbecue and if you have one put a fireproof hot plate or frying pan on to warm up (if you cook the burgers on a hot plate you won’t lose any bits through the grill). When it is really hot, add the burgers and press down with a fish slice. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn and grill the other side for a minute before turning again. Top with the manchego slices and a good spoon of onions, then shut the lid and cook for another couple of minutes.

Lightly toast the burger buns, and add a handful of rocket to each. Add a burger and serve.

(Original recipe from Seared by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrille, 2022.)

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Pizza on the BBQ!

Posted in Barbecue, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 19 July 2016| 5 Comments »

So we’re back after a brief hiatus due to holidays and a broken laptop. In the absence of a pizza oven, we tried cooking pizza on our gas barbecue instead. The result was pretty good and produced a pizza-oven style crust that we never manage to achieve in the regular oven. Pizza dough is easy to make with a standing mixer and dough hook. You can chill the dough for a couple of days or freeze it.

Pizza Dough – for 4 pizzas

  • 500g ’00’ flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried yeast (not fast-action)
  • 400ml warm water
  • oil, for greasing

Put the flour and salt in the mixer bowl and mix the yeast into the water. Wait 5 minutes to check that the yeast is working – little bits will start rising to the top.

Turn on the motor and pour in the liquid. Keep the speed on medium-high and it should come together in a ball. If the bottom is sticking tip in 1-2 tbsp of flour. Knead for 5-7 minutes until the dough is shiny and springs back when you press your finger into it. Try to avoid adding too much extra flour the dough should be slightly sticky.

Use oiled hands to remove the dough from the bowl and hook. Oil another bowl and put the dough in it. Turn the dough around to lightly coat it in the oil. Cover tightly with cling film and and a tea towel, then place in a warm, draught-free spot until the dough has doubled in size. It will take between 2 and 4 hours to rise depending on how warm a day it is. (If you don’t need the dough for a day or two, put it in the fridge straight away, take out 3-4 hours before using and punch it down before bringing together on a floured surface.)

Divide the dough into 4 pieces, then shape into balls – dusting in flour as they will be sticky. Keep the dough balls covered with a tea towel or cling film while you prep the toppings. (You can also freeze them in sealed bags. Thaw in the fridge and bring to room temperature 3 hours before using.)

Use your fingers to gently stretch out the dough into pizza shapes. When they have stretched to about 16cm, put the disc over the tops of your hands and use them to stretch it to about 25cm. Ours was pretty wonky and ripped a bit but no matter.

Preheat the gas barbecue and turn down to medium-low so the bottom of the pizza doesn’t burn.

Put the pizza onto a floured baking sheet with no edge or a large wooden board. Slide the dough onto the grill, close the lid (if you have one) and cook for 3-4 minutes. The dough will puff up and is ready when the bottom-side has light brown stripes. Use tongs to pull the dough off and turn upside down.

Put the pizza toppings (see our suggestion below) on the cooked side and place the pizza back on the grill, uncooked side down, and shut the lid. Cook for another 3-4 minutes and remove when the cheese is melted and the toppings are hot.

(Pizza dough recipe from BBC Good Food)

Chorizo pizza with peppers & Manchego – enough for 2 pizzas

  • ½ quantity of pizza dough above, divided into 2 balls
  • 4 cooking chorizo sausages
  • 4-6 peeled plum tomatoes from a tin, drained
  • 100g Manchego, shaved
  • 100g mozzarella, cut into 2cm cubes
  • ½ Romero pepper, thinly sliced
  • pinch of chilli flakes
  • 2 handfuls spinach leaves

Prepare the dough as outlined above.

Thickly slice the chorizo and pan-fry until crispy. Remove and set aside. Cook one side of the pizzas.

Crush 2-3 of the tomatoes with your hands and drain in a sieve, then spread on the cooked side of the pizzas. Top with both cheeses, the pepper and chorizo. Season and add chilli flakes.

Grill, covered, until the cheese is melted. Finish with the spinach leaves and a few extra shavings of Manchego.

(Pizza topping recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Snack Attack

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 14 December 2010| 1 Comment »

This is not a recipe – more an idea for something to throw together when you need a snack… like after you’ve had a few pints in the pub or a long day at work in our case (unfortunately).

It’s a bit of an odd combination but scatter some thin slices of Manchego cheese, a few chunks of avocado, and a few sliced jalapenos from a jar over one half of a soft tortilla. Fold the other half over and griddle (or fry) for 1 minute on each side (pushing down hard so you get nice griddle marks and the cheese melts).

Et voila – bit like a posh toastie!

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