Marinated Mussel Salad

One of my favorite dishes is marinated mussels. The method is very simple and quick. At certain times of the year mussels are fat and juicy and then they make an excellent meal.

First of all, clean the mussels and then open them in a hot pan. I just cook them in the pan without placing any liquid in it. This seems to keep the mussels plumper than if they were cooked in wine, for example. Simply heat the pan until it is hot and then add the cleaned mussels. Put on a lid and shake the pan from time to time. The mussels will cook in 2 or 3 minutes. Meanwhile prepare a suitable marinade. After the mussels are opened, remove the mussels from the shells and cool them slightly. Allow the cooking liquid drain off them. Then add the mussels to the marinade. The mussels may be eaten warm or cooled in the refrigerator. I prefer the mussels served still warm  served with a green salad. However, if you like, they make a great stand-alone 'tapas' dish.

You need:
1kg of opened and shelled mussels

For the marinade
3 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 clove of garlic, minced
6 sprigs of parsley, chopped finely
2 tsp chopped oregano or other chopped hebs
1/4 tsp chilli flakes

Garlic Prawns

This is one of my favourite dishes. A Spanish-style dish, it combines the seafood taste of prawns with the a sauce based on garlic and paprika.

a good "glug" of olive oil
3/4 - 1 kg prawns
3-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped - add more if you like garlic
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of white wine
1 tsp smoked paprika
1⁄2 tsp chilli pepper (to taste)
4 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper

• Peel and devein the prawns.
• In a wide, shallow pan over high heat, heat the olive oil; add the prawns, then add the garlic and sauté quickly for about 2-3 minutes.Add the garlic at a point when the prawns are half cooked so they garlic doesn't blacken.
• Add the lemon juice, paprika, chilli pepper, wine and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust all of these to your liking.
• Finally, transfer the garlic prawns to a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve at once.

Baked Hake in Yogurt, Mustard and Herbs

In Australia since Hake is unavilable use Blue Grenadier or Blue-eye.This is an easily prepared and quick dish which is delicious. It is not necessary to skin the filets but if you wish you can do this. Which herbs you use depends on your taste and what is available in your garden. If you wish, you can use 1/2 a teaspoon of dried herbs as a replacement for fresh herbs.

To serve 2:

500g hake fillets

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp fresh chopped herbs

1/4 tsp ground ginger

3 tbsp yoghurt

Spanish paprika

Method:

Place the fillets into a baking dish. I like to use an earthenware dish which can then be used to serve the fish

Mix the other ingredients except the paprika in a small bowl and then spoon over fish. Now sprinkle some paprika over the top and bake in a very hot oven at  about 220°C for about 20 minutes.

Mussels in Tomato Sauce

 I recently spent some time in Sydney. At a café there I had a delicious plate of what the restaurant called Italian Mussels. This is my attempt at something similar. I have used oregano as flavouring which may make this dish more like a Greek Mussels dish. On the other hand, the smoked paprika gives it a Spanish feel.


1 kg mussels
1 large onion
2 large garlic cloves, sliced finely
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (450g)
200 ml white wine
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp paprika
1 pinch dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
black pepper
1 bay leaf
olive oil

First find a large pan or pot with a heavy base. Heat some olive oil in the pan, then add the onions and garlic and let them fry gently until they are translucent. Add the paprika, chilli flakes and chopped tomatoes. Now add the white wine, oregano and bay leaf. Simmer the sauce gently until it thickens.
Meanwhile clean the mussels. Remove the beards and clean the outside of the shells Throw out any mussels that are broken or that don't close when you touch them.
Open the mussels in a saucepan. Then add the opened mussels to the tomato sauce together with a little of the mussel juice. Mix the mussels into the sauceso that the flavours of the sauce assimilate with the mussels.
Serve in large bowls.

Chicken with Prawns

This is a recipe inspired by the Catalan region of France

Ingredients
1 small chicken, cut into 8 pieces
12 large green prawns
1 brown onion
1 red pepper
1 eggplant
1 tomato, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
3 cloves of garlic
200 ml of chicken stock
1 lemon
2 cups rice
1 packet powdered saffron
salt, pepper, olive oil
chopped chives

Method
Brown the chicken pieces in olive oil in a quite hot frying pan. Remove when the pieces are browned on each side. Put onions, garlic and vegetables in the pan, cut in small pieces, to soften a few minutes. Add the pieces of chicken, saffron powder, chicken stock, salt, pepper and spice slightly. Gently cook covered for about 20 minutes (add a little water if necessary). During this time, make the rice with water saffroned to give a yellow colour. Before being served, put the prawns on the pieces of chicken, cover, cook for 2 minutes, remove from the flame and let rest for 5 minutes. The prawns should be cooked at that point. Place a little rice, a chicken quarter, and 3 prawns on each plate. Sprinkle with cooking juices and vegetables, squeezed lemon, and some chopped chives. Serve at once.

Paella

There are hundreds of “authentic” recipes for paella. However, a few basic rules are important. The dish must always be made with olive oil. This helps to brown the chicken and meat evenly and to keep each grain of rice separate. Saffron must be added, to give the rice its golden colour and the sauce its special pungency and aroma. The best way to make a paella is to cook everything together in a large shallow paella pan, uncovered.

1 1.2 kg chicken, cut up.
1/2 kg chorizo, sliced and fried
50 - 75 ml olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
2 whole garlic cloves
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 medium onion, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons salt
1 litre chicken stock
300g Spanish Calasparra rice (allow about 80g per person)
1/2 kg prawns, peeled or 2 blue swimmer crabs chopped and cleaned
1/2 kg sliced and cleaned calamari
1 litre mussels or clams (or use both) well scrubbed
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp white wine

1. Remove about 8 pieces of chicken from the body. Use the carcass and the wing tips to make some stock.  If using prawns also, add the prawn shells to the stock
2. Heat the oil in the paella pan over medium heat. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, chorizo, chicken and calamari. Add rice and stir for 1 minute. Stir in stock, saffron and paprika.
3. When the stock is boiling and rice grains begin to swell, add the crab or prawns. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the stock has reduced and the rice has begun to swell. Push the mussels and clams into the rice and cook until the shells open. Finally add the peas, strips of capsicum and parsley and leave it for five more minutes on low heat.
4. Cover and leave standing for about 10 minutes before serving.

Fast Tuna Patties

These patties are easy and fast to make, have a low glycemic load and unlike many similar recipes, do not contain mashed potatoes. If the patties are rolled very firmly, they stay intact during the cooking process. Also, putting them in the fridge if time permits will help this also. Adjust flavorings to taste.

Ingredients

425 g can tuna in springwater, drained
1 onion
handful of parsley
1 egg
3 slices bread
1⁄4 cup sweet chilli sauce, or 1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Oil for shallow-frying
Method
1.Blitz the onion and parsley using a cutting blade. Now blitz the bread slices without removing the onion.
2.Change the blade to a plastic one.
3.Add the tuna, egg and chilli sauce. Blitz until smooth.
4.Firmly roll mixture into balls or patties, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5.Shallow fry until browned and heated through.

Serve with lemon juice.

Zarzuela de Mariscos

Zarzuela de Mariscos is a great Spanish dish. This is a quick and simplified version based on the Marinara Mix which most fishmongers sell. Of course other seafood ingredients may be added to give a better end result such as opened mussels, prawns, clams and scallops.
750g of Marinara Mix from the market, use any other suitable mix from your fishmonger
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp brandy
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, peeled, and sliced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 tomato, peeled and chopped (or just use some tomato from a can)
1 tbsp ground almonds
1/2 sachet of Spanish saffron powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp minced parsley
Sauté the red pepper in the olive oil in a pan. When it is softening add onion, garlic and tomato. Cook until very soft. Add the brandy, almonds and saffron. Cook briefly and then add the wine and marinara mix. Simmer until the seafood is cooked. To serve, add the chopped parsley and serve with either rice or cous cous.