Food & Drink
Anne Manson’s Spanish tastes, plus Rose Murray Brown’s dessert wines
Winter brings a sort of sigh of relief to the south west corner of Andalucia where I live. The searing heat has passed, the Atlantic beaches return to their almost empty state and the busiest time of the year is over. It marks a return to work for me after summer holidays (back home to Aberdeenshire and to beautiful Corfu this year) and I’m always excited to meet the new guests who will visit my cook school in Vejer de la Frontera or join me on food and wine tours to Jerez, Cadiz, Menorca and Morocco.
There is a whole different feel to the dishes that we enjoy here later in the year. True, the sun continues to shine and I’ll head to my favourite local beach, but I love the new season’s produce and the different flavours it brings. Nights can be chilly so there’s always a place for a hearty soup or stew – living so close to the coast I continue to take my pick from the fresh fish in the local market.
I’ll enjoy my beloved sherry all year round too – I love using it in my cooking and showing guests just how delicious it is as a wine to enjoy with food. I’ve used sherry in each of these recipes, finishing with a tart that’s rich with dried fruit and nuts and perfect alongside a glass of chilled cream sherry. n
Chestnut and chorizo soup
Who said chestnuts were just for Christmas? They work wonderfully with the spicy chorizo and smoky paprika to give you a really hearty winter warmer of a soup. On the table in less than 30 minutes, this really a meal in itself.
Serves four
150g cooking chorizo, skinned and diced
1 medium onion, peeled
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 stick celery
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 1 tsp ground cumin pinch of saffron generous splash of dry sherry 2 tomatoes, peeled and roughly diced
250g roasted, cooked and peeled chestnuts
750ml chicken or vegetable stock, hot
60ml natural yogurt
1 Sauté the chorizo in a large saucepan for a couple of minutes. Remove, leaving the oil in the pan.
2 Dice the onion and finely slice the carrot and celery. Sauté in the chorizo oil for 5 minutes and allow to soften. Add the garlic, cumin and saffron. Cook for 2 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
3 Pour in a splash of sherry to deglaze the pan. Roughly dice the tomatoes and chestnuts, then add them to the pan with the stock and all but a few bits of chorizo (save them for the garnish). Bring this mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4 Use a stick blender to blend in the pan, then season to taste. Add a splash of boiling water to loosen the consistency if required.
5 Pour into bowls and garnish with a spoonful of yogurt. Sprinkle the remaining cooked chorizo on top and serve.
Andalucian fish stew
This is inspired by a typical Spanish caldereta de pescado – a simple recipe, but the depth of flavour is incredible. Use any firm white fish for this – monkfish is perfect but it would also be wonderful with hake. Make sure you have plenty of good bread on the side to mop up all the sherryinfused juices.
Serves four
60ml olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped 1 large red pepper, thinly sliced 2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 star anise
2 tsp sweet Pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika) 1 bay leaf
350ml dry sherry 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained 350ml water or fish stock
¼ tsp saffron threads crumbled into 2 tbsp hot water
750g potatoes, peeled and diced – use a waxy potato such as Charlotte 700g monkfish, cut into 1in pieces salt and pepper a handful of chopped parsley
1 Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and pepper, then cook over a moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to brown.
2 Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the star anise, paprika and bay leaf and cook for a further minute. Add the sherry and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced (about 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes, water or stock, and saffron in water and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes.
3 Place the lid on the pan and cook over a moderate heat until the potatoes are ready.
4 Add the fish and season with salt and pepper – don’t stir, just place it among the potatoes and push gently into the liquid. Cover and simmer until fish is cooked through (2-3 minutes). Discard the bay leaf, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Oasis tart
A dream of a dessert – serve it warm with a blob of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s perfect with a glass of chilled cream sherry or moscatel wine. If you don’t fancy making your own pastry, you can use a good-quality shop-bought sweet pastry case.
Serves eight
200g dates
200g dried figs
100g raisins
100ml Pedro Ximénez Sherry
140g butter
140g icing sugar
6 eggs and 1 egg white
280g plain flour
200g crème fraîche (and extra, if you like, to serve)
50g caster sugar
50g flaked almonds
½ tsp ground cinnamon (and extra for dusting) a handful of pomegranate seeds
1 Marinade the dried fruits overnight in the sherry.
2 Next, make the pastry. Cut the butter into cubes and add them to a food processor with the icing sugar and cinnamon. Pulse to a cream-like texture then add 2 whole eggs and pulse again. Gradually add in the flour until the mix comes together. Scrape it out and pat into a rough rectangle, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 150C/gas Mark 2.
3 Remove the mixture from the fridge and tip it into a 20cm fluted tart tin. Using the heel of your hand, push the pastry evenly into the tin and up the sides. Trim off any excess and use it to patch any cracks later. Rest in the fridge, then prick it all over with a fork.
4 Cover the pastry with baking paper and pour in ceramic baking beans. Bake for 20 mins, then brush all over with egg white to seal it, and bake again for a further minute. Remove from the oven.
5 Turn the oven up to 170C/gas Mark 3.5.
6 Place the remaining eggs, crème fraîche and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Fold through the dried fruits and flaked almonds. Pour into the pre-baked pastry case and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with a scoop of crème fraîche, a dusting of cinnamon and a scattering of pomegranate seeds. Based in Vejer in Andalucia, Anne Manson, trading as Annie B, offers cooking classes, sherry and food tours in Jerez and Cadiz, as well as trips to Morocco and Menorca. Easyjet flies direct from Edinburgh to Seville. Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen Calle Viñas, 11 Vejer de la Frontera, Cadiz, 11150, tel: +34 620 560 649, anniebspain.com