Madrid Observations

From our May 2008 trip:

• Prawn salad, onions, red peppers celery, EVOO. So simple.
• Shittake shrooms, Bocaito style
• Almond macaroon, saffron cream & blood orange ice cream
• Fried aubergine, with hummus and honey
• Foie gras with candied carrot
• Restos: Pan de Lujo, La Trainera, La Broche, El Chaflan
• Tapas: Taberna Dolores, Bocaito, Juan La Loca, Jose Luis

Milano Observations

Notes from October 2008 Milano visit:

• Boil entire vegetable in one piece ie cauliflower head, carrot, courgette
  Foie gras in aspic
  Raviolini: beautiful, tiny ravioli
  Papardelle with peppers
  Vitello tonnato: put layer of sauce on bottom with small slices of pork folded on top.
  Veal tartare with truffle
  Slow-cooked oxtail in Barroso with mash
  Spritzer: white wine, campari and soda water and/or prosecco, or aperol, white wine and soda water
• Raddiccio, rucola, bibb cut very finely!! White wine vinegar and oil
• Tomato sauce with funghi

Tapas Ideas

Some ideas for future tapas dinners

• Pig cheek, trotter gear & lentils, mustardy aioli, citrusy & shalloty rucola & watercress salad
• Baby chorizo, aioli & rucola sandwiches
• Scallops, morcilla & jerusalem artichoke mash
• Scallops, morcilla & pea & parmesan mash
• Bibb quarters & mustardy/herby vinaigrette
• Leek vinaigrette David
• Tuna tartare & wasabi ice cream
• Home-made beet cured gravalax & celeri remoulade
• Braised smoked bacon & prune on foie gras toast
• Beetroot gazpacho & advocado lime sorbet
• Carrot & lemongrass shot
• Mac & truffle cheese
• Tuna ribbons, radish, advocado & chili oil
• Hake & capers, potato & green pepper fry-up & saffron aioli
• Lime-marinated red mullet & chanterelles
• Baby green bean salad, winter beaufort & hazelnut oil, lemon & chive vinaigrette
• Gorgonzola & avocado on toast
• Bottarga with avocado & dill salad
• Morcilla & caramelized apples
• Carrot puree, feta & mint
• Slow cooked fennel & dill
• Scallop & miso-mustard & parmesan
• White fish & mozzarella salad
• Beet tartare
• Broad bean, pancetta & mint
• Piadina & tellagio with dill vinaigrette salad

Tapas Menu Ideas

Reference for tapas ideas

• Baby chorizo, home-made aioli & rucola sandwiches


• Scallops, jerusalem artichoke mash and crumbled morcilla


• Scallops, pea & parmesan & mint mash, crumbled morcilla


• Bibb lettuce quarters


• Braised smoked bacon and prunes, trotter gear on foie gras toast


• Pig cheek, trotter gear lentils, mustardy aioli, citrusy/shalloty rucola & watercress salad


• Lime-marinated red mullet filets with chanterelles


• Carrot & lemongrass shot


• Hake steaks, capers, potato & green pepper, saffron aioli


• Baby green beans, winter beaufort with hazelnut, lemon & chive vinaigrette


• Leek vinaigrette David


• Beet gazpacho with advocado & lime sorbet


• Squid in harrisa, Bangkok Metropolitan style


• Cherry tomatoes & chorizo, Fino style


• Morcilla with apples & watercress, Moro style


• Macaroni, cream & truffle


• Stingray with walnut oil & capers


• Shittake shrooms, Bocaito style


• Scallops Nobu style in their shell (soy, butter, parmesan & garlic)


• Tuna tartare with wasabi ice cream


• Gazpacho, Pan de Lujo style


• Tuna ribbons with advocado, radish & chili oil


• Home-made beet cured salmon gravalax with celeri remoulade


• Truffled Bacalao
  Fresh Bibb Quarters

Skate Cheeks Tangiers Style

A cool tapa! Got it over a chat with the Moroccan fish monger on my sidewalk. One of the very few perks of having a fishmonger on your sidewalk, not far from your front door, and your open living room window.

12 skate cheeks--all of similar medium size if possible
EVOO
chili
S&P
parsley
garlic
cumin

1. Heat EVOO, high heat 4 minutes for smallish cheeks, 5 mins for biggish ones, along with chili, garlic, cumin
2. Blitz for 80% of above time without moving, then flip over/shake around for remaining time
3. Deglaze with white wine, or dry vermouth
4. Add tad of butter at end, followed by squeeze of lemon, parsley, s&p

Carrot Rapee Grand Mere

One of my first dishes, learned from my grandmother.

Organic carrots

Shallots

Parsley/Chives

Vinaigrette (Maille mustard, EVOO, S&P, sherry vinegar, lemon juice)

Grate carrots quite finely--try to avoid grating little pellets and go for longer strands. Make vinaigrette and lets shallots infuse; then add to grated carrots with herbs. Add S&P to taste.