Mussels & Sherry Vinaigrette

Another Barrafina tapas idea for Christmas. I've always loved this one, has a nice zing.

150 ml EVOO
50 ml sherry vinegar
4 tblsp chopped fresh chives
1/2 green pepper, seeded, extra finely sliced
1/2 red pepper, seeded, extra finely sliced
1 small onion, peeled, extra finely sliced
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
1 kg best quality mussels

1. put 100 ml of EVOO into a large pan with sherry vinegar and chives and heat gently
2. add diced peppers and onion, season
3. heat remaining EVOO in a saute pan, add mussels
4. get rid of any that don't open
5. put them into the pan with sherry vinaigrette
6. once all mussels are cooked, stir them into the vinaigrette and serve

Marinated Anchovies

For this one, I've learned from past mistakes. Never leave the anchovy in the marinade for too long as the vinegar will cook and turn them to a mush!

500 gr fresh anchovies
200 ml EVOO
4 garlic cloves, peel and finely sliced
chopped parsley
4 bay leaves
50 ml manzanilla sherry
100 ml Moscatel vinegar
150 gr tinned or jarred piquillo peppers, finely sliced

salad
EVOO
sherry vinegar
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
1/2 red onion peeled and sliced into thin half moons
mint
parsley
frisee

1. gut & butterfly anchovies, leaving tips of the tails intact
2. put EVOO, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, sherry and Moscatel vinegar into a large bowl and mix well
3. add anchovies to marinade, covering them completely
4. put in fridge for two hours
5. remove anchovies from marinade and arrange on a plate
6. pour marinade through fine sieve on top of the anchovies
7. season, sprinkle piquillo peppers on top
8. to make salad, make vinaigrette and toss with other ingredients
9. serve with anchovies

Tonight's Dinner

A fun holiday meal with Dilip, Devendren, Laure and Cyrille. Spanish theme.

• quartet of crudités (grated carrots, cucumber, celeriac, potato salad)
• buffalo mozzarella with chili oil anchovy
• tata's roasted potatoes with Moro cilantro sauce
• tomato, chorizo & scallion salad
• black paella with squid & monkfish, with side of aioli & green pepper salad
• pan con tomate, lomo
• manchego, quince & grapes
• nougat 

Hake, Fresh Peas & Cecina

A barrafina favorite and something that will be on our Christmas table this year. Cecina is the Spanish bresaola, hoping I can find some.

5 tblsp EVOO
maldon sea salt
ground black pepper
800 gr of hake, 4x3 cm medallions
2 large shallots, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
200 ml chicken stock
20 gr unsalted butter
8 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
400 gr fresh peas, shelled and blanched
60 gr cecina, finely sliced
chervil (or other herb)

1. heat 2 tblsp of EVOO in a non-stick pan over medium heat
2. sprinkle salt into pan
3. dry the hake with kitchen paper, add to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side
4. heat 2 tblsp of EVOO in a separate pan, cook shallots and garlic 2-3 minutes
5. add stock, bring to boil (if using frozen peas, add them now and bring to boil again)
6. reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the liquid almost completely disappears
7. add butter, mint, fresh peas
8. season with salt and pepper, cook 2 more minutes
9. put cecina into small pan with remaining EVOO and warm through
10. put peas on plates with hake on top, and cecina on the fish
11. garnish with chervil

The Copenhagen List

There are so many wonderful culinary developments coming out of this City that have gone way beyond Noma. Definitely worth making note of Rene Redzepi's favorite haunts.

• The Coffee Collective: excellent espresso
• Torvehallerne market: best produce
• Meyer's Bakery: best pastries
• Det Vide Hus: or the "wise house", for great breakfast and coffee
• Slagteren ved Kultorvet: great butchers
• Manfreds: veggie restaurant with a cool vibe
• Bror: also a cool vibe, with comfort food
• Ved Stranden: wine bar by the canal
• Mikkeller: great beer bar

Haloumi & Mushroom

An enticing recipe from Rowley Leigh; taking particular note of the mushroom pickle that could go with anything. His recipe suggests breading some mozzarella and frying it up, I've opted for a simpler fried haloumi, perhaps with some Ricard?

250 mushrooms, more interesting sorts

maldon sea salt

1 stick of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

6 cloves

150 ml vinegar

350 ml EVOO

2 heads of little gem lettuce

2 tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sherry vinegar

3 tbls EVOO

1. sprinkle mushrooms with salt and leave in a colander for an hour; put the cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, vinegar and EVOO in a pan, bring to a simmer and leave to infuse for 30 minutes; rinse off the mushrooms, drain and add to the ingredients in the pan; bring to a boil then remove from the heat and leave to cool.
2. put tomatoes, salt, pepper, vinegar and EVOO in a blender with some sugar; blend until smooth and put through a sieve.
3. slice up the gem lettuce and dress, distribute the mushrooms on top of this, adding a piece of haloumi,

David's French Reds

To be updated regularly with favorite reds (ex-feminin Bordeaux which have a separate entry).

• Cotes du Jura Enfant Terrible Ganevat 2011