Category Archives: Sherry

Dec31

End of a decade.

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How did that happen, whoosh and the teens be gone, hello roaring Twenties .

Two Drakies have flown the nest, graduated, Passed out, now striving and ambitiously setting out at the start of their careers. Baby Drakie (aka Bright Shining One.) now studying hard and down off the mountain in the city of Malaga. Subjects above my head, Latin, Ancient Greek amongst others, philosophy that battles my brain, but I’m fascinated to hear about and give my point of view.

Hard to imagine when we packed up our bags 16 years ago, with 3 young blondies in tow, for a rural life in a different country, back of beyond second on the right, that they could have such a protected, idylisitc childhood, building dens, climbing trees, dancing flamenco, playing golf yet still are go getters, hard workers and wanting to rock the world. Did I say opinionated ? Yes very, all very different, that makes life even more colourful, and our rare reunions, boisterous, hectic and crazy but I wouldn’t have any other way.

  • Mini Chef.
  • Sunday best.
  • Always work to do.

Life on the mountain continues to evolve, challenges of rural living still test us. The season and weather patterns are becoming more muddled, first almond blossom spotted this week, so, so early, we pray for no extreme overnight low tempertaures to protect the blooms and promise a healthy harvest in the Autumn. Olives too were picked by most earlier than norm, we were not prepared, or should I say too busy, earning a crust & cooking paella to harvest ours. Our olives are still hanging precariously to the trees and we hope for a little while longer until we can plan the time and the mill to harvest.

Beuracracy has been bewildering with the much debated, argued and distressing Brexit that looms over us, I won’t get political, but will just say we were grateful that we and our children could make the choice to live and work with open European borders. We hope we have done all that is necessary to safeguard ourselves against the impending future and long may we live at La Rosilla.

I”m absolutely overwhelmed and delighted at the amount of intrepid travellers that have visited us at La Rosilla, to cook with us, dine with and make happy memories. Never have I ever cooked so many Arroces (Paella to you and me, but have to be PC), poured so much sherry, chatted over tapas, nor shared so many anecdotal tales of our life on a mountain.

I achieved my goal to trek down at sunrise from the temple in the foothills of the Himalayas through the jungle in India, down to Rishikesh, which was the end of my Indian adventure with friends. An expedition that will be etched in my mind forever. I achieved my 1000 mile challenge for the 3rd year and I’m ready and eager for my 4th year at the challenge, I recommend to anyone, get your boots on, get walking, feel the difference, one step at a time.

Taj Mahal at Sunrise

So as I embark on a new decade I will continue to chase sunrises, sunsets, walk and walk some more and encourage others to build bigger tables not fences.

Much love, happy cooking, & remember stop, stand and stare, and from my family to yours, hope your Twenties are fantastic.

Our family
Feb16

Poco hecho, for me !

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Poco hecho, for me !

How do you like your steak cooked? I won’t judge, well maybe only a little 😉 Are you from the cremated side or just off mooing? For me, it’s rare or poco hecho as they call it here in Spain, plump, rested and juicy.

It took me years to master the perfect steak, always looked and seemed so easy, I think it boiled down to the quality of the meat and spending just a little more to get well-aged beef, and not being afraid to crank up the heat under my griddle pan, and smoke the house out for a few minutes.  Now yes I can cook one, and I love it simply with fresh asparagus and oven roasted tomatoes, salt flakes and a good grinding of black pepper, enjoyed with a rich full-bodied red, or my favourite, a powerful, well rounded Oloroso sherry.

There is one restaurant not too far from us though, whose steaks are legendary, and if the opportunity arises and I’m feeling in the need for a meat-fest and my OH is paying 😉 I’m there.  El Charco is a family run restaurant in a small village, Los Romanes in the Axarquia, that looks down over the stunning Lake Vinuela.  This venta does typical Spanish and Andaluz dishes very well, and the steaks are to die for.  Cooked in a wood oven, served on the hottest terracotta platters, served to choice, perfectly every time.  Fresh sauces to accompany them mine always a blue cheese, OH’s peppercorn.

Fillet steak rare. Poco Hecho Fillet steak

Starters too are always en point, last nights special was ‘Sopa de Ajo‘  Garlic soup, with asparagus and poached egg, soothing for the soul, and laced with aphrodisiac properties.

Sopa de ajo

As long as both lovers consume the earthy cloves the magical powers of romance manifest, that was all good as I just knew that my OH would have Gambas Ajillo, hot, bubbling, garlic prawns.  Valentines was going great guns, and bless the restaurant they presented each lady with a Red Carnation (not my favourite) and the men got a look in too, with a miniature DICK sorry DYC and some choccies.

Valentines gift.

So going Out, Out on a school night was a win, and we were tucked up in bed with a cuppa at 10.30pm, seems the garlic had worn off, and our resolutions of knowing when to stop on the alcohol front, were working and they say romance isn’t dead 😉 !!

 

Nov7

Pour & Pair!

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‘Is it sherry ‘o’ clock’ I would hear on a Sunday as the hand passed the yard arm.

A phrase I would cherish and recognise as a sign of relaxation, comfort, families, and feasting. Steamy windows as the roast and veg cooked away, mum in her pinny, with flushed cheeks.

Even from a young age, I loved the sound of that cork pop, and the first glug into the schooner, because yes back then it would’ve been a cream sherry. I have by coincidence my children’s long lost great, great, great ……Grandfather 😉 Sir Francis, to thank for that after he and his crew famously stole 2,900 barrels of Sherry and delivered it up to the British Court after the Spanish Armada. Soon after in late 1500’s, it became the most fashionable drink in England.

Many people still have this stereotypical idea, that Sherry is what ‘Old ladies’ drink, maybe they do, but that’s because they have taste ;). To dive deeper into this world of Sherry Wines, to share the love and tastes and versatility of a wine for every dish and occasion, is a joy. Thanks to Sherry.wines.com the renaissance is alive, Sherry is being enjoyed all over the world, the ancient, historical and natural process to create these wines with complexity is spellbinding.

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I have been a great follower and promoter of International Sherry Day and Week from the start, each year wherever I have been in the world, either on my mountain with a group for supper club and tasting of a flight of sherries, or enjoying privately with my ‘Charge’ or virtually with my Mama. Just introducing friends and visitors to a new taste sensation, something out of the box for them.

 

It is with great delight that I have been chosen out of many bloggers, to create a ‘Pour and pair’ recipe and hopefully a winning dish for the competition, to celebrate this years #Sherryweek 2017. I have been given a wonderful bottle of Cruz Vieja, Palo Cortado en Rama, from Bodegas Faustino Gonzalez . This special sherry has got my culinary juices flowing for the dish I think compliments this wine perfectly.

 

My thoughts and a little about the sherry: CRUZ VIEJA, Palo Cortado en Rama.

Palo Cortados have legends written about them. This sherry wine is fermented in the cask and bottled ‘En Rama’(raw). A wine of complexity and a rare variety, starting life and aging under a veil of flor to become a Fino and then mysteriously losing its veil, thus starting aging oxidatively.

The result is a wine with the delicate bouquet (on the nose) of an Amontillado and the velvety pallet ( in the mouth ) and body of Oloroso. Only a very small percentage of grapes naturally process into a Palo Cortado. The name ‘Palo Cortado’ (cut stick) comes from the markings on the sherry casks, as the sherry was originally destined to be a Fino or Amontialldo, It would have a single line marking /, later when the sherry maker was testing the wine and notices the change, they would mark a cross or strike the line.

This Palo Cortado is definitely to be enjoyed with food, perfect with a main dish so it can be appreciated slowly. The dark amber colour with copper lights, has strong aromas of caramel and vanilla, tastes of Autumn roasted chestnuts, and bitter Seville orange.

My recipe …

Cruz Vieja can take deep flavours, so taking both the attributes of Amontillados and Olorosos my dish is a feast of the Montes de Malaga where I live and harvest of Autumn. Rich earthy ingredients from locally made embutidos, comforting flavours, a hug on a plate, together with the Sherry wine, this dish should be enjoyed with friends around the table, sharing tales, anecdotes and making memories.

sherrywines-sherryweek-2017-ifitswims-ifitflies-ifitruns-horizontal

 

Huerta, Granja y Montes

Roast Quail with braised lentils, chorizo & butternut squash with a  morcilla scotch quails egg.

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INGREDIENTS: Serves 4

FOR THE SCOTCH EGGS

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Quails Eggs
100 g Sausage Meat
50 g Morcilla
Fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp Plain flour

Bring a small pan of water to the boil, and add quails eggs for exactly 1 minute 50 seconds. Then immediately put the eggs in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process for 5 minutes.
Mix the sausage meat and morcilla together, I used a hand blender.
Put the Breadcrumbs, egg, and flour in 3 separate bowls.
Carefully peel the quails eggs.
Take a spoon of morcilla mix and carefully wrap around the quail’s eggs.
Dip the covered quail’s egg in flour, egg wash then breadcrumbs.
Refrigerate until later.

FOR THE LENTILS

 

Glug of Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 red onion diced
2 sticks of celery finely chopped
100g Chorizo diced
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary leaves finely chopped
1/4 small Butternut squash diced
200g cooked Pardina lentils
Sploosh of Palo Cortado

In a pan add olive oil and gently saute the onion, celery, and butternut squash until tender.
Add the chorizo, rosemary, and garlic – saute for 5 minutes
Add the sherry and bubble down for 1 minute.
Add cooked lentils and stir through to combine all ingredients.
Keep warm and set aside.

FOR THE BUTTERNUT PUREE

1/4 Butternut squash in chunks no need to peel.
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Sherry Vinegar

Place the butternut on a baking tray and drizzle with Olive oil and season.
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until tender.
Place in a bowl and blend to a puree add sherry vinegar and glug of olive oil.
Keep warm.

FOR THE QUAILS

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4 Quails
Olive oil
Butter
Salt & Pepper

Season the quails, inside and out.
In a pan melt the butter and olive oil and heat to high.
Add the quails and brown on all sides.
Roast in the oven 180c for 15 minutes.
Leave to rest in warm place.

 

Whilst the quails are resting, the lentils are being kept warm, time to fry the scotch eggs.

Heat a small pan of vegetable oil to 180C, then gently lower the eggs in and fry for 3 minutes.
Take out of oil and place on a plate with kitchen paper to absorb the oil.

NOW TO PLATE

Spoon the lentils onto a warm plate, place the roasted quail on top & drizzle with Olive oil.

Spoon on some puree and add the scotch egg cut in half to allow the oozy yolk to be seen.

NOW TO POUR

Cruz Vieja, Palo Cortado en Rama.

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Buen provecho todos y Salud !

I hope you all enjoy my recipe and fingers crossed it’s a winner.

 

Viva Jerez !

 

 

 

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