BREADED SCALLOPS

We will go to the sea today. Scallops. Easy to make. Easy to eat. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

½ pound scallops

2 tablespoons very fine breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon paprika or Spanish smoked pimentón

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 tablespoon corn meal

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Some extra virgin olive oil

This is going to be very easy. First, make sure the scallops are fresh. Then prepare the breadcrumbs, the smoked pimentón, the corn flour and the corn meal. Mix well and add the salt ant the black pepper too. Let the scallops get into this powdered mix.

Heat some oil in a pan. Do not use much, just two or three tablespoons. When it is hot, fry the scallops. Do it gently so that the scallops do not lose the breading. Cook them for about four minutes. Then, they will be ready.

A perfect tapa. A perfect appetizer. It can go well with almost everything. You choose. Enjoy!

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MARLIN PRESERVE

Let’s make a fish preserve. We will use marlin today. But you can do it with tuna. And with bonito, if you can find it. Marlin will do. Let’s make it.

Ingredients:

12 black peppercorns

12 ounce marlin

Some extra virgin olive oil

Some salt

Some red wine vinegar (optional)

First a warning. To make preserves it is very important to sterilize the jars and all the tools you will be using. Otherwise it could be even dangerous for your health. So make sure you boil the jars and the tools properly before using them to make the preserve. Wash your hands properly but, anyway, do not touch the jars with them. Use a pair of tongs to handle them.

This is a recipe for preserving marlin. Of course it will be good for other kind of fish. Tuna, bonito or similar fish will be also good. In fact, tuna and bonito preserves are really traditional in my country. And almost everywhere.

Once you have sterilized everything well, you can start with the preserving. First put the peppercorns in the glass jars. Next thing, prepare and clean the fish. Remove skin and bones. The marlin must be neat.

Try to cut the marlin in pieces that will fit the jars. If you can get a piece that will fit a jar, the better. That is better that putting several pieces of marlin in a jar.

Put a good piece of marlin in every jar. Fill the jars with olive oil seasoned with a bit of salt. You can add some vinegar if you want. I like it with vinegar but it is up to you. Besides, if you use some vinegar, the preserve will be safer. Fill the jars to the rim, making sure you do not leave any air inside the jar. Then close the jars with their lids.

Put the jars in a big pan and cover with water. Make sure the water covers the jars and then add more water. We want the jars to be covered by water through the whole process. Now you will have to sure you boil the jars for at least one hour.

Let the jars cool. You are not in a hurry to remove the jars from the water.

When they are cold enough, remove from the water and let them cool completely before storing them in a dark and dry place. That is if you are not tempted already to try them. You can, you should, store them for one month at least. The taste will be better then.

You can serve it as a side. It is also good as an ingredient for a salad. It is really good. Once you are comfortable making preserves, you will find it very rewarding. I have to admit that the preserves are so good that they do not last too long in my pantry. I should be more patient. It does not matter. Whenever you eat it, enjoy it!

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CRAB AND CREAM CHEESE WONTONS

Asian wontons. They are so good. You can get the wonton wrappers in good supermarkets or Asian stores, fresh or frozen. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

A packet of wonton wrappers, fresh or frozen

A packet of cream cheese

1 green onion

1 can of crab meat

1 tablespoon crab paste with bean oil

Some vegetable oil

If you use frozen wonton wrappers, let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Protect them with a wet kitchen paper towel.

Chop the green onion. The cream cheese should be at room temperature. Mix the cream cheese with the crab meat and the crab paste with bean oil. Add the green onion and mix. Once you have the filling, you will have to fill the wontons.

Put a wrapper in front of you with one point towards you. Then put some filling in the middle of it. About a spoonful. Brush with water or beaten egg the rims of the wrapper. Then close the wrapper from one side to the other. Now press the wider side to the more narrow side to get two pointed parts that will have to be moved so that they get together. Repeat this with the rest of wrappers. You can also prepare the wontons in different shapes: like dumplings, like triangles... It is up to you.

You can fry them in a pan with hot oil. But you can also bake them in an oven. In this case, first brush them with oil. If you fry them, heat the oil and they fry them on every side. If you bake them, the oven must not be too hot. Bake them for over 10-15 minutes.

Once cooked, leave them on kitchen paper towel for a while.

They are wonderful. You can serve them as an appetizer with your favourite dip. Enjoy!

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TUNA SALAD

A wonderful salad. Very popular in the USA. One of those simple dishes that I love from the cooking in the USA. Simple but delicious. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

3 5 oz cans of tuna in water, drained

A little piece of a green apple, the part with the skin

3 tablespoons chopped celery

3 tablespoons chopped onion

1 clove or garlic, chopped

Some mayonnaise sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

First open the tuna cans and drain them. With a fork “break” the tuna, but not too much. Put it in a bowl. Add the apple, diced. Add the celery, the onion and the garlic too. Mix well and add mayonnaise little by little till you get exactly the tuna salad you want. Do not add too much. Add salt and pepper to taste and then put the bowl in the fridge.

If you like it, you can add some mustard.

Serve cold. Perfect as a side. Enjoy!

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FRIED SMELTS

Some fish for today. Smelts. Small and delicious fish. Easy to cook. And so rewarding! Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

20 smelts

1 egg

Some breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon ground garlic

½ teaspoon dry parsley

Some salt and freshly ground black pepper

Some extra virgin olive oil

I like cleaning the smelts well. You have to remove the head and the guts. Do not remove the bone of the fish. It is not that heavy and it is good for you. Anyway, you can do it if you want. Remove the tail and the fins too, if you want.

Once you have the fish cleaned, heat some oil in a pan.

Take the smelts and put them in a container with a beaten egg. Then pass them to a container with breadcrumbs mixed with garlic, pepper and parsley. And then to the pan with hot oil. The smelts do not need too much frying. A couple of minutes on both sides. Or less. Do not overcook them.

And then you will have your smelts ready. They are really delicious. Enjoy!

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VATAPÁ

A delicious seafood dish from Brazil. One with Portuguese and African influence in the Brazilian cuisine. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried tiny shrimp (They are really small shrimp. You can get them in Asian stores or in good supermarkets. They have a very strong flavor. If you cannot get them, you can make your Vatapá without them. With the dried shrimp you will get a strong Vatapá; without them, a lighter one)

½ chopped onion

1 cayenne chili pepper, chopped (with the seeds if you want a hot Vatapá, and without seeds if you want something lighter)

1 clove of garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon pimentón

Some extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated coconut

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup crushed tomato

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 tablespoons peanut butter

15 big shrimp, peeled

1 desalted cod filet, chopped

Some cilantro, dried or fresh

Some salt to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

You should start soaking the dried shrimp in hot water. Soak them for about 20 minutes. Then rinse them well and chop them. Reserve them.

Heat some oil in a pan. Not too much, just a couple of tablespoons. Then, when it is hot, sauté the onion. Add the chili pepper and the garlic one minute later. Add the pimentón, but be careful so that it does not get burned. Next add the dried shrimp. Then add the grated coconut, the coconut milk and the tomato. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about ten minutes.

In the meantime, using another pan, sauté the shrimp in some hot oil, just one tablespoon of oil.

Once the shrimp are done, reserve them and sauté the cod in the same way. Just a couple of minutes.

Now we will add the bread crumbs and the peanut butter to the pan. Mix well and keep on simmering it.

Finally, add the shrimp and the cod to the pan. Mix well and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. The last touch is adding the cilantro. If you have it fresth, the better. It can be served with cooked rice.

A delicious recipe, different but really good. Cook it! Enjoy!

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POMFRET RACHEADO

More fish for today. And a recipe from India, from Goa. Delicious. Very easy to make, too. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

2 pomfrets

3 tablespoons Racheado masala

Some salt to taste

Some flour

Some drops of extra virgin olive oil

2 papadums

To start with our recipe you will have to prepare the fish. Pomfrets are easy to clean. Remove the insides of the pomfrets. The fins and the tail too. You can leave the head if you want.

Once the pomfrets are clean, make some cuts on the sides.

The next thing is using that wonderful masala. Racheado masala. You can find it easily in Asian stores. Put the masala inside the pomfrets and through the cuts you made to the sides.

And now to the grill. Heat the grill and drop some extra virgin olive oil. Cook the pomfrets for some minutes. Both sides. Make sure they are not overcooked.

You can serve them with pappadums. To prepare the pappadums first you have to heat a pan. When it is really hot, put a pappadum and let it cook. You have to be careful. Be alert so that the papadum does not get burned. When you see the papadum is changing colour, turn it and cook it for some seconds on the other side. Remove it from the pan and let it cool. Repeat the procedure with the other papadum.

And now you will have everything ready to serve. Serve one pomfret per person along with one papadum. Good fish. Enjoy!

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BONITO IN TOMATO AND PEPPER SAUCE

A wonderful fish dish for today. Bonito! I love Bonito. If you cannot find it, you can use regular tuna. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

½ chopped green pepper

½ chopped onion

1 clove of chopped garlic

2 good cuts of Bonito or tuna

Some extra virgin olive oil

1 cup crushed tomato

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

Some salt to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

First, prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion, the green pepper and the garlic. Next prepare the bonito. Cut it in pieces.

Heat some oil in a pan and when it is hot, fry the bonito for a couple of minutes. Remove the bonito from the pan and reserve.

Next, add some olive oil to the pan, heat it and sauté the onion and the green pepper for about two minutes. Then add the garlic. Cook for one minute and then add the tomato. Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for some ten minutes and then add the bonito to the pan. Simmer for two more minutes, till the bonito pieces are warm. When the bonito is warm again, the dish is ready. Ready to eat. Eat it with some good bread and enjoy!

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HAKE PAPILLOTE

Some fish for today. We should eat more fish. Hake is a very popular fish in Spain. It is considered one of the best in my country. I will cook it in a different way today. Papillote. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

2 green onions

½ carrot

1 clove of garlic

¼ red pepper

¼ green pepper

1 pound hake

Some salt to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon parsley

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

First prepare the vegetables. They have to be finely cut. Carrots and peppers in julienne. Garlic and green onions chopped. Then prepare the hake. We want clean fillets  Remove the skins and bones from the hake. Once the fish is clean, put it on a piece of foil and add some salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. On top of it, put the vegetables. Then add the parsley and the oregano. Finish it with the vinegar and the olive oil. Close the foil and take it to the oven, preheated to 350ºF. Bake it for about 25 minutes. After that time, remove from the oven and let it rest for five minutes. Open the foil and serve.

A wonderful papillote. Enjoy!

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ONIONED TUNA

This is lovely. Another recipe from my childhood. Onioned Tuna. I really love it. Tuna is so good. And in this recipe it is really delicious. Let’s cook

Ingredients:

A big cut of fresh tuna

1 onion, julienned

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon oregano

Some salt to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Some extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon sweet pimentón

To start with our recipe, heat a pan with olive oil. When it is hot, add the onion and sauté it. A couple of minutes later add the garlic and the tomato. Add the spices too: the bay leaf, the parsley and the oregano. Then add the vinegar and water if it is necessary. When the tomato and the onion are a bit done, add the tuna to the pan. Cook it about five minutes on one side and then do the same with the other side. Add the pimentón just at the last moment. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. The fire must be very low. You can even turn the fire off. It depends on the piece of tuna. If you cook the tuna in small pieces, it will be faster. But I love those big tuna slices.

Serve hot, though cold it is also delicious. And enjoy!

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MARLIN WITH GRILLED VEGETABLES AND ROMESCO SAUCE

A wonderful fish for today. Not very known but really good. I love this kind of fish. Firm and perfect for grilling. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 tomato

3 green onions

2 cloves or garlic, chopped

Some extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon thyme

¼ teaspoon parsley

Salt to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 good pieces of marlin

First thing is preparing the vegetables. Cut the tomato in stripes. Chop the garlic. Do not chop the green onions. Keep them long.

Heat some oil in a grill pan and when it is hot, sauté the vegetables lightly. Once done, reserve them. Now we will cook the fish. Sauté the pieces of marlin in the same grill pan. Do not cook it too much. But do it on both sides. At the last moment add the vegetables to the pan. And it will be ready to be served.

Serve with Romesco Sauce and good bread. Delicious. Enjoy!

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GRILLED SARDINES

Sardines! So many memories! We should eat more fish. And more kind of fish like Sardines. They are delicious and healthy. If you are not eating them, you do not know what you are missing! Let’s cook them today!

Ingredients:

4 sardines

Some salt

Some extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Some fresh parsley, chopped

½ teaspoon pimentón, sweet or hot, to taste

Some drops of lemon juice

First, clean the sardines. Remove the head and the inner parts. Basically everything. We only want the fillets. You can also cook them without removing anything if the sardines are small. They are good in both ways. But I prefer to have just the fillets.

Then put some extra virgin olive oil in a grill pan. Just some drops. Heat the pan and then put the sardines. Fry them around three minutes and then turn them and cook them for 2-3 more minutes on the other side.

In the meantime, you can prepare a delicious seasoning. Mix three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with the garlic, the parsley and the pimentón. You can use sweet or hot pimentón. It is your choice but I prefer the hot one. Add some drops of lemon juice and mix well.

And everything is ready for our sardines. Serve them along with the seasoning. Use it generously on the sardines. And why not? Serve them with a good white wine. A recommedation: Portuguese Vinho Verde. I love it. You will. Enjoy!

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FISH AND SEAFOOD BISQUE

Soup. Soup. Soup. A Fish and Seafood Bisque for today. This is delicious. And really comforting and rewarding. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

A fillet of amberjack

10 peeled shrimp

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons chopped carrot

3 tablespoons chopped onion

3 tablespoons chopped celery

4 tablespoons chopped tomato

3 tablespoons frozen corn

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

½ liter milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon sherry

Some salt, to taste

Some freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon sweet pimentón

1 teaspoon thyme

Some drops of Tabasco

First we will have to prepare the fish. Clean it and remove the skin. Then cut it in little pieces. Then we will prepare and cut the vegetables.

And now to the pan. Put the butter in a pan and heat it. When it is hot, add the bay leaves, the onion, the carrot and the celery and cook for two minutes. Then add the tomato, the corn and the garlic. Cook for three more minutes. Now we can add the fish and the shrimp. Mix the cornstarch with the milk and then add it to the pan too. Some drops of sherry are perfect too. Add them now. And the following to add to our delicious bisque is the salt and pepper, the pimentón and the thyme. Turn the fire low and cook for some minutes. When the fish is cooked the bisque will be ready. If you want it to be a bit thicker, you can add more corn starch. But be careful.

I like to add some drops of Tabasco. It makes it tastier.

Serve hot and enjoy!

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DRIED SHRIMP CURRY

A different curry for today. Dried Shrimp Curry. Made with my own green curry paste. Rewarding. Delicious. Let’s make this curry.

Ingredients:

1 potato
5 mushrooms
½ squash
½ onion
½ green pepper
½ red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
¼ pound dried shrimp
Some vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon lemon grass
1 can coconut milk

Thai Green Paste:

1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
12 black peppercorns
12 small dried shrimp or 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
20 Thai green chillies
2 shallots
1 lemon grass stalk
3 kaffir lime leaves
Some grated kaffir rind
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh galangal (or ginger, if you cannot get galangal)
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

First we will make our green paste. We will take the cumin and the coriander seeds and we will dry-roast them in a pan. Be careful, do not burn the seeds. Once this is done, put them in a mortar and grind them along with the peppercorns and the dried shrimp.
Prepare the green chillies. You will have to remove the seeds and chop them a bit. Now we will start mixing all the green paste ingredients in a blender. We will chop the shallots and lemon grass and then we will put them in the blender. We will do the same with the kaffir lime leaves, the galangal and the garlic. We will add the grated kaffir rind. Now we can blend a little. After this, we will add the rest of the ingredients for our paste: the green chillies, the mix with cumin, coriander, dried shrimp and peppercorns. We will blend again and then we will add some sugar, some salt to taste and some vegetable oil. We have to use the oil to get a delicious green paste, so use it to get the paste to your taste. And with this we will have our green paste.
Then we will prepare the potato. Peel it and cut it in pieces. Boil it and when it is ready, reserve it. Now cut the vegetables. Not in very big pieces. Chop the garlic and the ginger.
Once the vegetables are ready, we will start by heating two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok. Then we will sauté the onion and the green pepper. Two minutes later, add the squash, the mushrooms, the red pepper, the garlic and the ginger. Then we will add the shrimp and two or three tablespoons of the curry paste. The rest of the paste you can freeze for the future. Add the fish sauce and the lemon grass, fresh or packaged, as it is more conveniente for you. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the coconut milk and keep on cooking for two more minutes. Add the boiled potatoes now. Cook for five more minutes. You can add some fresh cilantro if you want.
Serve hot with rice. Enjoy!

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GREEN ASPARAGUS AND SHRIMP SOUP

Some soup for today. Soup with shrimp and asparagus. Something different. Soups are always regarding and this one will not be different. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

Some vegetable or chicken stock
Some green asparagus
½ chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
Some peeled shrimp
Some vegetable oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Salt to taste, if needed
Some freshly ground black pepper
Some cilantro

First we will heat the stock. Cut the asparagus in pieces. When it is boiling, we will add the asparagus. We will cook them for some minutes and then we will reserve them. If you use the whole asparagus, including the hard ends, you will have to cook them for a longer time. Bear that in mind.
The next thing will be to heat some oil in a wok. When it is hot, add the onion and the ginger. Cook for a couple of minutes. Then we will add the asparagus and the shrimp. One minute later, add the stock. Let it cook for five minutes.
In the meantime we will mix the corn starch with some water. Mix well and add to the wok. Stir well.
We will go on cooking for some minutes. Finally, add the fish sauce and pepper. Add some salt to taste and add the last touch, the cilantro.
Serve hot. Enjoy!

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BATTERED SHRIMP

Some shrimp for today. Battered Shrimp, something delicious. A good tapa or appetizer. Very typical of Spain, where I come from, but something that you can find in many countries. Maybe with a different batter. But it is always good. Let’s cook.

Ingredients:

Some peeled shrimp
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
Some flour
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
Some extra virgin olive oil

First of all we will have to prepare the batter. To do this, we will take a container and we will beat an egg in it. Once the egg is ready, we will add the baking powder. And then we will add the turmeric and the chili powder. If it is necessary, we can add some salt to taste. We will mix well and then we will add the flour. We have to do this little by little. The batter has to be smooth but sticky at the same time. We have to avoid lumps.
When we have the batter, we will add the peeled shrimp to the container with the batter. The batter must cling to the shrimp in a perfect way.
Then we will heat some extra virgin olive oil in a pan. We only have to fry our Battered Shrimp and make sure we do not overcook the shrimp. A couple of minutes will be more than enough. When the shrimp are ready, leave them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of some oil.
And your Battered Shrimp are ready. Really good as an appetizer or a tapa. Enjoy!

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SURIMI CAZUELA

Today we will cook something different. Not very expensive and really delicious. To top it off, it is also very easy to make. Let’s go to the kitchen.

Ingredients:

½ pound surimi sticks
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 dried red chili
1 teaspoon curry powder
Some extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

We will start preparing the surimi sticks. Surimi is made of several kinds of fish. In fact Surimi means minced fish. It is something that is very rewarding. Good taste for little money. To prepare it, we will cut the surimi sticks to get a fibrous texture.
Now we will heat some oil, not too much, in a frying pan. Then we will add the surimi, the garlic and the chili, which we will have chopped previously. We will cook for about three minutes. Now we will lower the heat and we will add the curry powder and some salt to taste. We will cook for two more minutes. It is important to be stirring it continuously.
And in a while we will have our Surimi Cazuela ready. Perfect as an appetizer or as a tapa. Perfect to be served with some grilled fish too. You can put your Surimi Cazuela on a dish, and on top of it your favourite fish.
Enjoy!

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CRAB AND FISH CAKES

We will cook some Crab Cakes today, but they will have fish too. Crab cakes are quite popular in the United States. When I came to the States I learned to appreciate crab cakes. I will show how I make my Crab and Fish Cakes. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise sauce
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon regular mustard
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon minced onion
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat
5 fish fingers, half cooked
Some flour
More extra virgin olive oil to fry the cakes

Let’s cook our cakes.
The preparation is very easy. We just have to mix the ingredients in a container, all of them except the oil to fry the cakes. We have to get a consistent mixture.
With the help of some flour we will shape the cakes. Then we will heat the oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, we will fry the cakes in batches of three. When they are a bit done on one side, we will turn them over and keep on frying. We will go on till we have all the cakes done.
You can serve your Crab and Fish Cakes with different sauces. Mix some mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco sauce to make a delicious sauce. You can mix some sour cream, garlic powder and parsley or cilantro to make a different sauce. You can make your own sauce, of course. The one you prefer. You can also serve your cakes with fries, chips, vegetables… Just enjoy!

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CRAB & SPAM TERRINE

Cooking with Spam? Why not? It is not the best meat but if you mix it with good ingredients, you can get something delicious. This is what I will try.

Ingredients:

1 can Spam (or similar)
1 can crab soup
Some extra virgin olive oil
1 green onion
¼ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 eggs
12 shrimp
Some freshly ground black pepper

First we will prepare the vegetables. We will chop the celery, the green onion and the garlic. In a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil we will sauté the vegetables, starting with the celery and leaving the green onion and the garlic for the last moment. We will turn the heat off and then we will add the shrimp.
We will pour the crab soup in a container and then we will add the Spam. We will mix it so that we get a paste. Then we will add the vegetables and the shrimp to the container. We will beat the eggs and add them to the container, mixing everything well. You do not need to add any salt. Canned food contains already a lot of salt.
Then we will poor the mix in a terrine mold. And that terrine mold in an oven tray which will contain some water. So we will use a bain-marie to cook our terrine. We will take both the terrine mold and the oven tray to a preheated oven to 350ºF for about 60 minutes. Once it is ready, we will have to let it cool for a while. When it is cool, we will remove our dish from the terrine mold. And you will only have to slice it and serve it. A delicious Spam terrine!

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GUMBO

More from New Orleans. I love that city and its food. This time we will cook one of its masterpieces, despite its humble origins. Gumbo is a delicious soup that can be cooked in many ways and with a great variety of ingredients. You can have seafood gumbo, chicken gumbo or endless combinations of what you have at hand. I will cook a chicken and shrimp gumbo.

Ingredients:

½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup flour
Some salt to taste
2 tablespoons frozen corn
½ cup sliced okra
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove of chopped garlic
¼ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped green pepper
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon thyme
Some file powder
Some hot water, beer or broth
1 small cubed tomato
1 chicken breast
20 small shrimp, peeled
1 green onion
2 cups cooked rice

First we will have to make a sort of roux. We will put the oil in a pan and will heat it. When it is hot, we will add flour little by little, stirring continuously. This is important so that it does not get burned. You have to get a brown colour in your roux.
When the roux is ready, after ten minutes or so, we will add the onions, the celery and the green pepper. We will sauté them for a while. Then we will add the corn, the okra and the garlic. Just a bit later, we will add the chicken, cut in little pieces. We will let the chicken be cooked for a while and then we will add our liquid. You can add a bottle of your favourite beer. Make sure it is not cold. And you have to add some hot water or broth. The quantities depend on your taste. Some people like their gumbo thick, some like it more watery. You decide. But do not add too much liquid at the beginning. If you need it, you can always add it later.
A delicious option is to add an Andouille sausage cut in slices. It is really delicious. If you want to add it, this is the moment.
Now we can add the tomato and the spices. Add salt to taste.
Finally, we will add the shrimp and let it cook for a while, not too long. Add the chopped green onion and our Gumbo will be ready.
You can, you should, serve your Gumbo with some cooked rice. You can add the rice you want to your Gumbo.
If you want your Gumbo thicker, you can add some file powder to your bowl. And, of course, make your Gumbo with your favourite ingredients. You can add crabs, crawfish, the fish you want… You can season it with your favourite Louisiana sauce. I like it with a garlic Louisiana sauce. The possibilities are immense. Yummy!

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