Cooking Paella for 1,300!

I had one of the most incredible experiences of my life yesterday. Tomas (left, friend) asked me and Cam (right, brother) if we could help cook Paella for the Town of Comares. Er... YEAH! Cam and I share a passion for food, I love cooking it, Cam loves eating it, nah, we both love eating it. 

Comares is the most beautiful white washed town high up on the mountain top, overlooking lush green hills down to the sea. Every Janurary they celebrate their Patron Saint, San Hilario with a sombre mass, a procession through the town, music, beers, dancing, rum and cokes and PAELLA! 

Cooking for 1,300 people struck a little fear into my heart. We met the team at a road side cafe, and although I felt we didn't have much time to prepare, we sat and had breakfast in the sunshine. Eating well is important in Andalucia, you don't miss breakfast because you have a busy morning ahead, you set yourself up properly, with pitufos and coffee. I'll be honest here and tell you I felt a little apprehensive being the English girl in a group of macho Spanish men. Turns out any friend of Tomas is a friend of his friends and when I raised my eyebrows at the steep snaking roads up the mountain, one chef dug a mint out his pocket and told me it would sort me out.

I couldn't believe the size of the paellera, Cam is over 6ft and was swamped by sheer size of it!

First things first, man make fire. Surround in sand.

Get all ingredients and prep out. That's over 100 kilos of rice!

Bread

Lemons!

The locals take a seat near the square, bringing sherry, bread and cured pork fat from home.

Set up of the bar, drinks and paella 1 euro each, 3 for a Rum and Coke

Views from the cemetery, a short walk from the square.

Cleaning the pan. A little grease is left on the pan, year to year to maintain its non stick. So now we have to get it hot, pour a litre of vinegar in and scrub away. Really gets up your nose.

Firs thing in is the olive oil and chicken, then garlic. It's already smelling good at this point.

We had to use oars to stir the paella. It's hard work and we took turns, the generosity and hospitality of the locals was overwhelming and if I didn't have an oar in my hand, I had a beer, a sweet wine or some tapas!

What is hard to describe is how much hard work it was. We had such a laugh but my god, your legs got so hot, one chef singed all the hair on his arm, and the SMOKE. The smoke in the eyes was unbearable and with one gust of wind you would be temporarily blinded, my eyes still sting a little today, from yesterday.

Eyes stinging...beer break.

The crowds gather! Check out one chef's son, in his little whites. This boy is going to be doing this for years to come, I just know it.

He got hot and weary too.

It took nearly an hour to serve the whole town and we were working at an incredible speed. I can't tell you how good it was to serve up the last bowls amongst the team and have a cold beer in the sunshine. As soon as I felt tipsy and the dancing began, we were whisked off to a nearby house for coffee and doughnuts before heading into the bars for a heroes welcome ;) and drinks on the house with Verdiales performing in the bar and in the square. Old and young, dancing, singing.. the Spanish know how to have a good time.

One more drink before home time. What a memorable day, we've been asked back next year, so couldn't have done a bad job. Thank you Tomas, and the team we're still on a high.

Milli's Kitchen Spanish Supper Club

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas! The treats don't stop until the tree comes down, and when it does we can start celebrating the New Year! I'm going to pop over to Spain mid January, but before I do, I thought I would cook up another Spanish feast in London. My brother kindly bought me home some cracking cheese and Jamon from Malaga for my Supper Club.

Here are some pics from my instagram to whet your appetite, if you fancy coming along, alone or with friends, book here and I look forward to meeting you! 

 tortilla

 Roast pepper salad

Jamon Iberico de Bellota

Gaspacho and ajo blanco

 Quails egg and lomo
Croquetas
Cheese and membrillo

 Chorizo and chickpea stew

 Octopus!

 Pimientos de Padron, mushrooms

PAELLA!!!!!!

 

(Above, Helen Cathcart's beaut pic I pinched)

Flan

Chocolate mousse, with Malaga wine macerated prunes

Fig and almond tart

Burnt Butter and Hazelnut Cake

Happy Birthday Mum! I took the day off on Friday, to cook a special lunch for my mum and the fam. We had fresh crab rolls and a Mexican seafood feast, it felt good splurging at the fishmonger knowing that lunch would still be less than eating out, so I picked up massive tiger prawns and juicy monkfish.
I wanted to make Mum a cake, but she's not keen on buttercream or sponge much so I had a flick through April's new book 'Decorated' and had my eyes fixed on her Burnt Butter Hazelnut cake with FRANGELICO, only my favourite liqueur.

Mum thought I had made her a massive cinnamon bun, as I didn't have a bundt tin, well I love cinnamon buns so, no offense taken. The cake is simply delicious, rich and nutty. I served it with creme fraiche, berries and or stewed pear. Thumbs up from us. I was lukcy enough to win April's book on instagram, but it's over on Amazon, and if you want to try your hand at some beautifully decorated cakes, it's a must have and everything is broken down in simple steps. Next on my list of things to try is her crystalised rosemary.

From 'Decorated' by April Carter (Hardie Grant, £20.00) Photography: Danielle Wood 

Burnt Butter Hazelnut Cake
The burnt butter in this cake contributes to the nutty flavour of the
toasted hazelnuts. Toasting nuts before baking with them is a great way to bring out their flavour. The rounded top that the bundt tin gives this cake is perfect for drizzling icing over and the pretty details mean that you don’t need to do too much in the way of decorating.
for the cake:
––
250 g (9 oz) unsalted butter
225 g (8 oz/scant 21⁄2 cups) soft light brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for grinding the nuts
125 g (41⁄2 oz/scant cup) blanched hazelnuts
175 g (6 oz/scant 11⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 31⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
5 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the candied hazelnuts:
150 g (5 oz/2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 300 ml (10 fl oz) water
50 g (2 oz/1/3 cup) blanched hazelnuts
––
for the icing:
––
250 g (9 oz/2 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar 2–3 tablespoons Frangelico hazelnut liqueur (optional) 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
equipment \ 20 cm (8 inch) bundt tin or round, deep cake tin \ sugar thermometer
 
 
preheat the oven to 170°C (335°F/Gas 3) and grease the bundt or cake tin. Melt the butter over a medium heat and simmer until it turns a deep golden brown and starts to smell nutty. Pass the melted butter through a sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the sugar. Set aside to cool.
Spread the hazelnuts for the cake out on to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5–8 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly. Using a
food processor, finely grind the hazelnuts with
2 tablespoons of the soft light brown sugar – avoid over-processing as the mixture will become greasy.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a clean bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the cooled butter mixture and beat to combine. Gradually add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Finally, gently fold in the ground hazelnuts.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the oven on for the candied hazelnuts. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, make the candied hazelnuts and the icing. To make the candied hazelnuts, gently heat the sugar and water in a medium pan with a
sugar thermometer attached and swirl until the
sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to 121°C (250°F) (this will take up to 10 minutes; remember to keep
an eye on the temperature as it will increase quite quickly towards the end). Meanwhile, spread the hazelnuts out on to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5–8 minutes until golden brown. Line another baking tray with baking parchment. As soon the sugar syrup has reached 121°C (250°F), turn off the heat and stir in the warm hazelnuts. Keep stirring until the clear syrup coats the nuts and turns crunchy and white.
Tip the hazelnuts onto the prepared baking tray and separate with fork.
To make the icing, beat the icing sugar, hazelnut liqueur or 2–3 tablespoons of water and butter in a bowl until smooth. The icing should be opaque but thin enough to run down the sides of the cake.
To assemble the cake, beat the icing until smooth again. With the cake on the wire rack, drizzle a generous amount of icing over the top. Decorate with the candied hazelnuts and transfer to a cake stand
or plate.

Rich Chocolate and Almond Torte

There is so much more to this torte than meets the eye. Yes, it's seriously tasty and rich, it's also gluten free. It is easy to make and keeps well, so you can make it a few days in advance.

You don't taste almonds, they are there more for texture, it's truffle like inside and squidgy.

Recipe below. I couldn't recommend cooking with Lindt 70% chocolate enough.

250g dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter
6 large eggs, separated
125g caster sugar
50g ground almonds
pinch of salt
1 tsp of vanilla paste

Ganache (if required)
150g dark chocolate
150g double cream

Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale and fluffy.
Pour into cooled melted chocolate and butter.  Add ground almonds, a pinch of salt and vanilla and stir through.
Whisk egg whites until soft peak stage and stir in a third thoroughly.  Now use a large metal spoon to lightly fold in the rest of the egg whites until just combined.
Pour into a lined and greased 23cm tin and bake for 25 minutes on 170C fan.It can have a slight wobble in the middle as it will continue to cook in the tin after you take it out of the oven.
Leave to cool in tin, then, dust with cocoa or cover in ganache.

Ganache
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a large bowl.
Gently heat the cream on the hob to the slightest simmer and take it off just before it bubbles/boils.
Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds. Whisk with a balloon whisk until combined and glossy. At this stage, pour over the cake for a smooth finish, or leave to cool and thicken and spread on later. 

I like mine with Kirsch cherries or with warm berry compote, both with creme fraiche.

Crab, chilli and Kale wholemeal pasta

 

Crab, chilli and kale pasta

My family have been staying with me. They came over for my book launch, stayed a little while and then flew back off to sunny Spain, yesterday. I miss their company already, and I miss cooking for a crowd.

 

Making a speech at my book launch, being heckled by my dad

I've been putting proper meals, (unassisted), on the table since I was 10 and pre-internet would find my inspiration from the bookshelf or the telly. I found one of the first books my Mum bought me when I was a child, called 'Lemons' it's a funny little book that I cooked from often, because it was mine. Lemons are always in my fruit bowl, and find their way into most of my cooking. 

I enjoyed this pasta dish I made last week immensely, so jotted down quantities to pop it on here. I think everyone else did, we had just had a family row so it was hard to tell if we were all so lost in the deliciousness of our pasta or all needed a break from talking, but there was a brief moment of silence. One of the many reasons I like cooking for my family is that everyone eats everything. No one asks what's for dinner, they sit, they comment, they mumble, they eat.

Serves 4

5 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

25g flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

150g cavalo nero/kale

50g parmesan, freshly grated

300g fresh, white crab meat

500g wholemeal spaghetti 

spoon of creme fraiche or cream 

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Time it, checking after 9 minutes but it will need a couple longer.

In a small frying pan, add 3tbsp of the oil, chilli, lemon zest and cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Add the juice and the crab meat and turn off the heat. 

In a separate, larger frying pan, on a pretty high heat add the kale and a big splash of water. Cook for 5 minutes of so, and when the water has evaporated, add 2 tbsp of olive oil to crisp up the kale. It will brown in places, that's what you want,it will taste like crispy seaweed!

Drain your pasta, add the flavoured oil and crab, stir in most of the Parmesan and then the kale. Finish with extra Parmesan, a dollop of creme fraiche, and pepper.