Spanish Tapas
I was reading Jose Pizarro's beautifully photographed book 'Spanish Flavors' and began craving the robust flavors of a perfectly cooked Spanish meal heady with garlic, paprika, and a drizzle of fruity olive oil. I drooled as I flipped through the pages imagining myself sitting at a tapas bar sipping on a glass of Cava or perhaps Txacoli with plates of charred octopus and crispy Flamenquin waiting in front of me.
Or maybe digging into a real Paella with its socarrat, the crispy, crunchy, caramelized rice stuck to the bottom of a pan that anyone who truly understands the virtues of Paella fights for. I managed to maintain enough presence of mind to mentally write a list of dishes I wanted to tackle later that night as I hopped into the car and headed off to the market.
I do this all the time. I attempt to plan a 'menu' and never manage to come home with any of the correct ingredients. I get caught in the moment by the richness and diversity of offerings and change plans mid-course. I guess I just love food too much to be constrained in that way or maybe it's just not the way I think.
Smoked Secreto
1 tablespoon smoked flake salt
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon harissa powder
3 pounds pork secreto
Mix all the salts and spices together. Dry rub the pork and let it sit for 30 minutes while you prepare your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Smoke at about 250 degrees for 5 hours, or until you've "trimmed" off enough pieces that your wife suspects there may not be enough for her and the child.
Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Croqueta
Crunchy, Crispy Croquettes that are super easy to make
3 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
5 ounces shrimp or chicken stock
4 ounces Dungeness crabmeat
8 ounces bay shrimp
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Breading and Frying the Croquetas
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs beaten
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil
Melt butter in a heavy gauged stainless steel pot over medium heat until foamy. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon over low heat for 3 minutes. The mixture should be well mixed and cooked but not browned. Mix the milk and stock then slowly add to the flour/butter mixture whisking all the time. Cook 10 minutes, adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper.
Off heat, add the crab, shrimp, and parsley. Cool in the refrigerator overnight.
Roll into golf ball sized balls. Roll in flour, then the eggs, and finally the panko.
Heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Drop croquetas in 1 by 1 being very careful not to splatter yourself with hot oil. Fry till golden brown.