Foodie Thursday - Streetfood Special

by Jose Pizarro from Basque (Hardie Grant)

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

24 chicken wings

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp pimento (paprika)

good pinch of chilli flakes

10 sprigs of oregano, leaves stripped

olive oil

750g floury potatoes, cut into smallish chunks

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

· Put the chicken wings in a dish. Mix half of the chopped garlic cloves with the pimento (paprika), chilli flakes, half the oregano and a good glug of olive oil. Spread all over the wings and leave to marinate for at least 12 hrs.

· Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

· Put the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of mins. Drain, return to the pan over a low heat and toss to fluff up the edges

· Heat a good glug of oil in a roasting tin in the oven, then toss in the potatoes. Put the chicken wings on top and roast for 45– 50 mins until it is all crispy and golden. Season with lots of salt and pepper and add the rest of the garlic and oregano.

Slow-cooked Broad Beans with Poached Egg

by Jose Pizarro from Basque (Hardie Grant)

Makes 6 as a starter

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

In Spain we love to cook broad beans for a long time until they become really soft and nutty. Buy the broad beans as young as you can because then you will not need to double pod the beans; or use frozen beans and keep the recipe up your sleeve for last-minute dinner parties. You can serve this as a starter or as a side dish for grilled fish or meat.

Ingredients

3kg broad beans

100ml olive oil

3 medium shallots, finely chopped

150ml dry white wine

750ml fresh vegetable stock

6 free-range eggs

150g pecorino, roncal or idiazabal cheese, shaved

small handful finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

freshly ground black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Method

· Pod the broad beans.

· In a saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat, add the shallots and cook for 10 mins until lightly golden and soft. Add the broad beans and mix together well, cooking for another 5 mins, then add the wine, bubbling for a minute or two to reduce the alcohol. Add two-thirds of the stock, cover and cook for a further 30 mins, adding more stock if the broad beans start to get too dry.

· Meanwhile, poach the eggs in a medium saucepan of salted simmering water for 3 mins or until just cooked and ready to serve.

· Spoon the beans into six warmed bowls, top with a poached egg and scatter with the cheese, parsley, black pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Aubergine, Honey and Blue Cheese Tortilla (Omelette)

by Jose Pizarro from Basque (Hardie Grant)

This is proof of how versatile an omelette can be. We cooked this at my little tapas bar José.

Serve hot or cold, it really doesn’t matter. It’s delicious.

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

500ml olive oil

300g aubergines, sliced

200g waxy potatoes, sliced

8 free-range eggs

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

75g blue cheese

2-4 tbsp honey (Nigel used 3!)

Method

· Heat the oil in large pan and very gently fry the aubergine and potatoes for2 5–30 mins until the potatoes are tender. Drain well (reserve the oil to use later). Break up the potatoes into smaller pieces with a spoon.

· Beat the eggs with plenty of seasoning in a large bowl. Add the cheese and honey to the vegetables and mix well. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of beaten egg and gently mix.

· Heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a 23 cm non-stick frying pan. When the oil is hot, pour in the omelette mixture. Swirl the pan over a high heat until the mixture starts to set around the edges, then reduce the heat and cook for 4–5 mins until it just starts to set and the bottom and sides are golden, but it is still quite loose in the middle.

· Cover the pan with a flat lid or board and turn the tortilla carefully onto it. Don’t worry that it is still quite runny – it will all come back together when you continue to cook it. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, then put the pan back on a low heat. Use a spatula to tuck the edges of the tortilla under to give it its characteristic curved look. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn onto a board and serve. It should still be lovely and juicy in the middle when you cut into it.