Salmorejo a Spanish Delight!

It was 6pm on a sultry Tuesday evening, a clandestine meeting in a professional kitchen in Seville, and Willy Moya became my newest chefcrush.  Just look at this photo - its beautiful (the food or the chef? You decide).  Salmorejo with boiled egg, Serano ham, and dried strawberries - the brainchild of Chef Moya.    



Salmorejo with boiled egg, jamon, and dried strawberries





Chef Willy Moya of Poncio Restaurant

If you look up recipes for Salmorejo, you'll find it often confused with Gazpacho which is a thin, tomato-based, cold soup.  Totally different than Salmorejo which has fewer ingredients and is very thick and silky like a mousse.  Its meant to be more of a sauce used to embellish everything from meats to grilled vegetables.  This recipe is a little imprecise but go with the chaos because you can't go wrong here.

Salmorejo
2-3 very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 small loaf of very dry/stale white bread (as dry as a cracker)

Chop or break the bread into cubes and place in a large bowl.  Set aside.  Place the tomotoes and garlic in a blender or food processor and blend until liquid.  Its important to salt the mixture at this point BEFORE the oil is added so the salt can dissolve.  Make sure this mixture is quite salty, you'll be adding bread later so it will become distributed more evenly as the sauce develops. Blend again to make sure the salt dissolves.  While the mixture is blending add the olive oil and continue blending well.

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and skins.  Strain the sauce over the dry bread so that it soaks the bread.  Stir to coat all the bread.  Cover and set aside or refrigerate for at least 30 min - 1 hour.

Place the sauce back into the food processor or blender and blend until very thick and smooth.

Serve:
There is no end to the ways you could serve this sauce.  We ate it strait from the bowl with a boiled egg, good ham, and dried strawberries.  I can't find dried strawberries in Seattle but I've used dried cherries and cranberries which are equally delicious.  Salmorejo is also fabulous over seared tuna, or as a sauce for any grilled meat or vegetables.  Be creative and share with me your own version!

***Thanks to one of my favorite bloggers Chef Reinvented, Becky Selengut, for coining the word "chefcrush" - I use it freely but she deserves the credit!

Mise en place

Pronounced "Meez-ahn Plahs" this isn't just a clever French phrase meaning "everything in its place" its a cooking philosophy that, if followed, will change your life.  Heck, its a great method for living life, but I digress!  Mise en place at first seems unnecessary and even fussy but it will make you prepared, confident, and effiicient in the kitchen.  Here are a couple of tips specific to the mise en place philosophy: 

1) Read the recipe ALL THE WAY THROUGH before you begin!  Nothing is worse than starting your dinner recipe and realizing the chicken should marinade overnight. 

2) Make sure you have the right tools- a pastry cutter and a potato masher are not the same tool.  Why do I know this?  Dry herbs and fresh herbs aren't as interchangable as you might think.

3) At the heart of mise en place philosophy is the prep work.  Chop everything ahead of time and have your ingredients measured and at your side before you begin cooking. 

     * Put each ingredient on a plate or in a bowl - combine ingredients that will be cooked at the same time 

     * Cover ingredients that need refrigeration and store them there until ready

     * To keep ingredients from drying out while you're prepping, place a damp paper towel over the dish

        you've stored them in

Here's a great example of mise en place in action for the Mushroom Soup recipe:

Soup - The Ultimate Comfort Food

Mushroom & Chestnut Soup

Let's face it, mushroom soup conjures up thoughts of that gelatinous, condensed stuff your mom put in 1980's casseroles. This is NOT that soup!  The leaves are falling, the air is chill, and the ingenious mixture of mushrooms and chestnuts make this a perfect comfort food.  The addition of celeriac, yes - celery root, will blow you away!  Never worked with celeriac?  Never fear!  If you've chopped a potato, you're ready to meet this tuber.  Its ugly, I won't deny it, but it provides the perfect flavoring for this soup without the stringy texture you associate with actual celery.  Simply cut the top and bottom and peel the skin to reveal a lovely firm, white root vegetable. 



Celeriac (Celery Root)

 

Chopped Celeriac



On to the chestnuts.  I use a bottled variety but have also used vacuum-packed in a box.  Both varieties can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores.  They don't taste great by themselves but add a nice richness to this soup.

Recipe Riff:

Alcohol: while this recipe calls for brandy in the soup and a grappa cream on top, I've made this many times without the alcohol and love the sober version.

Pancetta: substitute 4-6 slices of raw bacon, chopped

Shallots: substitute 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Leave this soup a little chunky as the bits give a fabulous texture.

Serving:

Serve ith a sprig of thyme or sage leaf on top as mushroom soup can appear piqued by itself. Serve this soup as a first course to a chicken dinner or with a crusty loaf of bread and a lightly dressed green salad as a winter supper.

Mustard Glazed Tuna with Shallot Cream

Mustard Seared Tuna with Shallot Cream

If you've only tried the packed-in-water-and-canned variety, you've been missing out.  Tuna is delicious fresh or previously frozen and can now be found in most grocery stores. Its such a hearty fish, you only need a portion smaller than the palm of your hand to feel satisfied.  Fresh tuna can be marinaded in anything and really takes on the flavors of the dish.  I prefer it pink through the center as cooking it through can cause it to be dry.

Chinese Spinach - Courtesy of the Edmonds, WA Saturday Market

I paired this tuna dish with a side of wilted greens.  I saw this vibrant green and red spinach at the farmer's market and had to try it.  The end result turns very red but tastes fantastic.  The secret to any great green is bacon fat and vinegar.  The bacon fat adds flavor and the vinegar cuts the bitterness you associate with greens. 

Wilted Greens with Bacon and Vinegar 
2 large bunches of any green - kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc. washed with stems removed.
1/2 lb. thinly sliced bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

Use a deep pan for this recipe as the spinach takes up a lot of room but will cook down quickly.  Fry the chopped bacon until crispy.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a paper towel.  Using the existing bacon grease, saute the onions until soft and slightly caramelized.  The pan will be dark on the bottom.  Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.  Put all the spinach in at once and stir to coat with onions and liquid.  Add the water and cover to steam on low for 2 min.  Once greens are wilted, remove from the heat and add the crispy bacon.  Serve hot or at room temperature.