Preserved Lemons and Chicken

Preserving the lemons

A nostalgic leftover from the reign of the Moors in Andalusia, preserved lemons are sometimes found even now in the kitchens of southern Spain and are wonderful combined with tender roasted or casseroled meat such as chicken, rabbit or lamb. It is only the skin and the juice from the pulp that is used and the flavour is absolutely unique.

To prepare:

1. Scrub your lemons clean

2. Place in a large glass, stainless steel, plastic or earthenware container

3. cover with cold water

4. Allow to soak for 3-5 days – change the water each day

5. Drain the lemons

6. Make 4 lengthways cuts ½ an inch from the top to ½ an inch from the bottom so the lemon is cut right through and held together at each end.

7. Squeeze the lemons open and insert ¼ teaspoon of coarse sea salt into the centre of each

8. Pack the lemons into sterilized screw-top jars together with one tablespoon of sea salt and the strained juice of one lemon

9. Pour in enough boiling water to cover the lemons

10. Seal the jars and leave for at least 3 weeks before use. They will keep indefinitely if stored in a dry place

11. To use remove each lemon you need from the jar and rinse well under cold water. Cut into quarters and remove (and squeeze) the pulp – using only the peel.

Tagine of Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon


Ingredients

Cloves of garlic x 2 – finely chopped
Ground ginger x 1 tsp
Ground cumin x 0.5 tsp
Ground paprika x 0.5 tsp
Saffron filaments x 2 pinches - crushed
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Chicken pieces x 3kg
Medium sized onions x 4 – thinly sliced
Parsley x 1 bunch – stalks discarded and finely chopped
Coriander x 1 bunch - stalks discarded and finely chopped
Cinnamon sticks x 2
Olive oil x 2 tbs
Butter x 2 oz
Juice of 1 lemon
Preserved lemons x 2 large – peel only, cut into lengthways strips
Green olives x 300gms

Method

Put garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, saffron, a little salt and pepper in a large flame proof casserole.

Mix together.

Add chicken and rub it well inside and out with the spice mixture

Add onions and herbs

Half cover with water and drop in the cinnamon stick.

Bring to the boil over a medium heat.

Add oil and butter.

Cover and let it boil gently for a further 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Transfer the chicken to a plate to keep warm. Discard the cinnamon stick

Boil broth uncovered for a further 10 minutes stirring regularly until concentrated.

Add lemon juice, preserved peel and olives and simmer a few more minutes

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, turning them carefully in the sauce.

Adjust seasoning according to taste

Transfer to serving dish and serve very hot.

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Remojón (savoury orange salad)

Ideal as tapas, as a snack with chunks of fresh bread or to accompany grilled fish or meat

Ingredients

4 oranges – with all pith and peel removed and cut into slices, retaining any juice created in the process
1 small onion – peeled and finely sliced
1 clove garlic – very finely chopped
100gms black olives – preferably stoned
100 gms salt cod – boiled in fresh water to remove the salt, drained, skinned and flaked
and/or
2 eggs – hard boiled and quartered
2-3 tbsp virgin olive oil
Parsley - chopped

Method

Carefully mix the orange slices, juice, onion, garlic, olives, cod flakes and olive oil.

Place in a serving dish and decorate with egg quarters (if using) and chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6.

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Spanish Almonds

These make a quick but delicious snack or tapas dish. They will last for ages stored in a well sealed jar, that is if you aren't tempted to nibble them.

Ingredients

400g whole blanched almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin, ground
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp rock salt

Method

Place the oil in a saucepan and place it over a moderate-high heat. When the oil is hot stir in the almonds and cook them for a couple of minutes until they are golden brown. Make sure you stir them regularly so that all sides cook. Drain the almond son kitchen paper. Place the almonds in a bowl with the salt, cumin and paprika, toss them together until the almonds are well coated.

Serve them hot or store them in a well sealed jar.

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Marron Glace (Chestnuts)

Ingredients

225g/8oz Chestnuts, blanched
1/4 Vanilla Pod
270ml/8fl.oz. Water
450g/1lb. Loaf Sugar

Method

1. Peel the chestnuts (keeping whole), place in a saucepan , cover with fresh boiling water and a little sugar and cook until tender but not broken.

2. Meanwhile, place the sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and continue to boil rapidly without stirring, until the syrup just begins to discolor, at hard crack stage 150C/300F. Remove from the heat.

3. Drain the chestnuts well then dip them into the syrup. Leave for 5 minutes, remove them very carefully and place in a sieve in warm place (reserving the syrup).

4. The next day reheat the syrup and repeat the dipping and drying process.

5. The next day prepare the jars (see notes below)

6. Reheat the syrup once more, adding the vanilla pod and bring to the boil.

7. Pack the warm jars with the chestnuts, pour over the boiling syrup, cover seal and label (see notes below).

Jars - Use jars which are free from cracks, chips or flaws. Prepare the jars by washing well in warm soapy water and rinsing thoroughly. Dry the jars in a cool oven (140C, 275F, Gas Mark 1). Fill whilst still warm.

Filling the jars – Fill with the fruit to within 2.5cm/1 inch of the top. Pour over the preserving liquid (vinegar, alcohol etc.) to within 1cm/ ½ inch of the top, making sure the fruit are completely covered with the liquid. Cover with a waxed disc (wax side down), Immediately place a cellophane disc over the top then cover with a screw top lid.

Store in a cool dark place.

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Tarta de Santiago (Almond tarte)

This tart’s popularity reaches beyond the cafe’s of Spain but reaches a peak in popularity in Santiago de Compostela, home of the cathedral of St James which thousands of pilgrims visit each year.

Ingredients (Makes 1 x 25cm tart)

Pastry:
280g plain flour
150g caster sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
Pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small dice
1 medium egg beaten lightly
1 tbsp chilled water

Filling:
175g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs
175g finely ground almonds
2 tsp plain flour
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
0.5 tsp almond essence
Icing sugar to decorate

Method

For the pastry:

Put flour, sugar, lemon rind and salt in a bowl and rub together to form a texture of breadcrumbs.

Mix together the egg and water and pour into the flour mixture until a rough mass forms.

Shape into a ball and chill for 1+ hour.

Roll out the pastry until 3mm thick and use to line a greased 25cm tart tin.

Replace in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

If you have difficulty roll it between sheets of cling film.

Pull off the top sheet invert the pastry into the tin and peel of the second sheet.

Cover the pastry with a sheet of foil and fill the tart with baking beans.

Place in a preheated oven 220°C and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove the foil and beans and return the pastry case to the oven to dry the base for a further 4 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 200°C.

To make the filling:

Beat the butter and sugar until creamy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time and then the almonds, flour, orange rind and almond extract.

Beat well until blended.

Pour into the pastry base and return to the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the tip of a knife when inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool completely on a wire rack and then dust with icing sugar

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Orange and Cinnamon salad (sweet)

Fragrant orange flower water adds a wonderfully exotic flavour to this desert salad which is delicious either eaten on its own, with vanilla ice cream or to accompany a pastry such as almond tart.


Ingredients

1 kg oranges - with all pith and peel removed and cut into slices, retaining any juice created in the process
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Juice of one orange
Ground cinnamon

Method

Arrange the orange slices over the base of a serving platter, overlapping them slightly.
Mix the orange flower water with the orange juice and pour over the orange slices.
Sprinkle the ground cinnamon evenly over the oranges, to taste, just before serving – only a light dusting is necessary.

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Turrón

There is no doubt that Turrón was brought to Spain by the Arab invaders who occupied the country for seven centuries until the Catholic monarchs entered Granada on January 2nd 1492 to capture the Moors´ last stronghold.

The late Mayor of Jijona, Fernando Galiana, wrote a definitive history of Turrón and says the word comes from torrar, meaning to grill – from the latin torrere. Señor Galiana said that Turrón was produced in Jijona before the 14th century especially in Arab and Sephardic Jewish communities. It was then known as halvo and a similar sweet called halva can be found in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. In 1590 a document in Valencia, north of Alicante on the Mediterranean coast, recorded that a hard mixture of almonds and honey sold for two Valenciansous per pound. By the 15th century Turrón from Jijona was being exported to Japan after Antonio Martinez Montijfto, a writer and chef to Felipe 11 (1527-1598) visited Jijona with three Japanese princes in 1585. "All the houses in Jijona smelt of the steam of warm honey" he wrote in his book Conducbos de Navidad.

Now the ancient craft of production of turrón in Jijona is strictly controlled by a regulatory council formed by the representatives of the 30 factories and the regional authorities to ensure content and quality. No other manufacturer outside the region can label its product as Alicante or Jijona Turrón. These Turrónes are characterised by their high content of locally grown sweet Marcona almonds and honey from bees that collect nectar both from orange blossom and wild mountain rosemary.

Turrón has two key forms – soft and pasty (Blando) or hard and brittle (Duro). Turrón de Jijona Blando is made from soft ground almonds, honey and whole eggs while the most well known Turrón de Alicante is made from whole almonds, honey, sugar and egg whites and is cooked until a brittle texture forms which becomes wonderfully chewy once in the mouth. Turrón de Yema tostada is made using egg yolks.

Clearly choosing your favourite Turrón is entirely down to personal taste but if you are laying in a stock for your guests don´t forget to ensure that anyone with false teeth may struggle with Turrón de Alicante!

Recipe for Turrón de Alicante (approx 0.5kg)

Ingredients

0.31 ltr Honey – preferably orange blossom or rosemary
2 Egg whites - whipped to soft peaks
0.34 kg Almonds – blanched, peeled, covered with foil and warmed in an oven at 93.30°C
Edible rice paper

Method

Heat the honey over a medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon.

When it begins to boil remove from the heat.

Continue stirring until the consistency of the honey resembles a thin syrup.

Fold in whipped egg whites and return the mixture to the heat.

Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a toffee-like consistency (hard-ball stage).

Add warm nuts and mix well.

Spoon mixture into baking tins lined with rice paper, cover with a second piece of rice paper and weight the top.

Cool.

Cut into 1-inch squares and store in a cool dry place.

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