MY CULINARY SECRETS…

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

 

 

SOME RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY…

This is a delicious recipe, which can be accompanied with a fine glass of Amontillado Spanish sherry, or a hot cup of camomile tea, sweetened with honey.

PECORINO AND WALNUT PIE (from the time of Pius II)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey, mixed with strawberry homemade syrup

1/4 teaspoon fine vanilla extract

8 ounces of  Pecorino Cheese

1 cup ricotta (preferably sheep’s milk ricotta, if you can find it)

3/4 cup potato flour

2 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (preferably organic flour)

1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, finely chopped

12 egg whites, whipped to meringue consistency

Pastry shell (preferably homemade)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Whisk together the eggs, sugar and honey and vanilla extract.  Add slowly the pecorino cheese, ricotta, potato flour, all-purpose flour and chopped walnuts.  Blend well and then add the egg whites to add volume and density to the mixture.   Turn out this dough into a buttered pastry dish.  Spread evenly and bake  at  325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  Serve the pie sprinkled with powdered sugar.   BUON APPETITO!

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 COUNCIL EGGS  (a traditional recipe from the Dominican nuns in Lerma, Spain)

Ingredients for six: 

6 eggs

a pinch of salt

4 teaspoons flour

12 slices of the finest Spanish sausage (send me an e-mail at ContactTRCW@aol.com and I’ll tell you where to find it)

3 tablespoons olive oil

a handful of capers (preferably from Spain)

Separate the eggs, keeping the yolks in half of the shells.  Add salt.  Whisk the reserved egg whites until stiff, add the flour and blend with a wooden spoon.  In a frying pan, saute the sausage slices until light brown and cooked.  Drain.  Set aside.  In the same frying pan, heat the oil and add the capers (it will give the olive oil a great flavor!).   Drop in a spoonful of egg white, then place a slice of sausage on top, then, another spoonful of egg white.

Proceed in this fashion rapidly and with care for each egg.  Arrange the eggs in a warmed serving dish.  Take a little of the olive oil left in the pan and pour it over the eggs.  Serve immediately.  Arrange the capers on top of each egg.   ENJOY!

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DATES WRAPPED WITH BACON

Ingredients:

 

20 pitted dates

10 slices of bacon, cut into halves crosswise

sliced almonds (preferably Spanish Marcona almonds)

Olive Oil

20 toothpicks

 

This recipe serves 10 people (2 per person)

Instructions: 

Fill the pit hole of each date with Marcona almond slices. Wrap a strip of bacon tightly around each date. Insert a toothpick through the bacon.  Make sure that you see both ends of the toothpick, for easier handling. 

 Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot. Use enough oil to almost cover the dates.  Place the wrapped dates in the skillet.  Fry until bacon is golden (usually 2-3 minutes) and turn dates to brown on the other side. Once brown on both sides, remove wrapped dates and place on paper towels to drain. They taste better if served hot, but you may also eat them at room temperature.  ENJOY!

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ANGELORUM DE SANTA PAULA

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup super fine sugar
1 vanilla pod
3/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tsp gelatin
3 tbsp water
1/2 cup ground almonds

Place the cream and the sugar in a saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod into 2 pieces and add to the cream. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and take out the vanilla pod.  Stir in the creme fraiche.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small heatproof bowl and leave until it reaches a spongy consistency, then place over a pan of hot water and stir until dissolved.  Stir into the cream mixture.  Add the ground almonds.  Heat everything gently until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency. Serve chilled.  ENJOY!
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SPANISH CHORIZO WITH CHESTNUTS

Serves 3 to 6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

4  Spanish chorizos, cut in slices  (e-mail me and I’ll tell you where to find excellent Spanish chorizo)

1 1/4 cups peeled chestnuts

1 tbsp Spanish paprika  (I like to use smoked paprika, for a more intense flavor)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Crusty bread

Heat olive oil in a wide frying pan and put in the chorizo slices in a single layer.   Cook the chorizo for 3 to 4 minutes, turning frequently until it starts to give off its oil.

Add the peeled chestnuts and toss until warm and covered with the chorizo oil. 

Add the smoked paprika and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.   Serve hot with crusty bread.  ENJOY!