Spanish Special Recipes from Jose Pizarro

Crab Canelones

Serves 4

Ingredients

Bechamel sauce

• 45 ml (1½ fl oz/3 tablespoons) olive oil
• 45g (1% oz/generous ½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) fresh shellfish or chicken stock
• 300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) double (heavy) cream
• Good grating of fresh nutmeg
• 80 g (3 oz) finely grated Manchego, plus extra to top

Filling

• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) olive oil
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 50 g (2 oz) brown crab meat
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ripe tomatoes, diced
• 150 ml (5 fl oz/scant 2/3 cup) fresh shellfish or chicken stock
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) white crab meat
• 15 g (½/ oz) tarragon, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) dried canelloni pasta tubes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas 5.
2. To make the bechamel:
   • Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
   • Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
   • Gradually stir in stock until smooth and thick.
   • Add cream, nutmeg, and cheese. Season to taste. Set aside.
3. For the filling:
   • Heat oil over very low heat in a separate pan.
   • Gently cook shallot, chillies, and garlic for 15 minutes.
   • Increase heat to medium-high, add brown crab meat and fry for 1 minute.
   • Add tomatoes and stock, season, and cook for 12-15 minutes.
   • Remove from heat, stir in white crab meat and tarragon.
4. Blanch pasta tubes in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, and cool under running water.
5. Fill pasta tubes with crab mixture and place in an ovenproof dish.
6. Pour bechamel over filled tubes, scatter extra cheese on top.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.
8. Serve with a green salad.

Creamy Milk and Roast Garlic Soup with Manchego and Green Olive Toast

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 100 g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera
• 1 litre fresh vegetable stock
• 200 ml full-fat (whole) milk
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green olive toast

• 200 g pitted green olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers (baby capers)
• 1 garlic clove
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemon, plus a good squeeze of juice
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 slices of crusty bread
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 75g Manchego, grated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
2. Roast garlic:
   • Rub 1 tablespoon oil over garlic bulbs.
   • Roast for 20-30 minutes until tender.
   • Cool, squeeze out cloves, and mash.
3. Prepare soup:
   • Fry breadcrumbs in remaining oil until golden.
   • Add mashed garlic and pimentón, fry for 1 minute.
   • Add stock, simmer for 20 minutes.
   • Blend until smooth.
4. Make green olive toast:
   • Blend olives, capers, garlic, lemon zest, juice, and olive oil.
   • Toast bread slices, spread with olive mixture.
   • Top with grated Manchego and bake until cheese melts.
5. Finish soup:
   • Add milk and simmer for a few minutes.
   • Serve in bowls with olive toast floating on top.

Mushroom and Truffle-Stuffed Spatchcock Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 800 g floury potatoes, cut into chunks
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 150 g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 4 pancetta rashers, very finely sliced
• 7 g fresh black truffle, shaved (1 truffle)
• 2 heaped tablespoons soft/cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 large free-range chicken (about 2 kg/4 lb 8 oz), spatchcocked
• 3 parsnips, sliced lengthways
• 3 carrots, sliced lengthways
• A few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan.
2. Parboil potatoes for 5 minutes, drain, and fluff.
3. Prepare stuffing:
   • Fry garlic and mushrooms until golden.
   • Mix with pancetta, truffle, cream cheese, and parsley.
4. Stuff chicken:
   • Loosen skin over breast.
   • Spread mushroom mixture under skin.
5. Prepare vegetables:
   • Toss potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and thyme with oil.
6. Roast:
   • Place chicken on rack over vegetable-filled roasting tin.
   • Roast at 220°C for 20 minutes.
   • Reduce heat to 180°C/160°C fan and roast for 40 more minutes.
7. Rest chicken for 10 minutes before carving.
8. Serve with roasted vegetables.

Recipes taken from José Pizarro’s The Spanish Home Kitchen
Photography by Emma Lee