WHEN ONE considers that Spain was the first European power to establish an empire in the New World and to impose its language, religion and customs on the people there, it is surprising we are not more aware of the de- scendants of those great explorers. The dishes that Spanish im- migrants brought to America re- main very close to those you siill find in Spain. Tne Spanish tortilla is not a fried corn or wheat pan- cake, but an omelet. The paellas of rice and seafood rank, in my estimation, among the great dishes of the world. So chill the drv sherry and set out the tapas. A Spanish dinner * party will be a delight! SPANISH CALDO GALLEGO (Makes about 3 quarts or 12 servings) There are many versions of this wonderful soup, but its roots seem to be in Spain itself. It is a classic combination of beans, meats and vegetables. % ib. dried white beans, soaked ia water overnight and drained 1 Ib. chicken thighs : ; ¥2 tb. Spanish chorizo sausage or. Mexican chorizo from a good market, cut into 12-inch pieces" _ ¥ tb. smoked ham, cut into %- inch dice Ya Ib. salt pork, chopped 1 medium yellow onion, Peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Few shots Tabasce 2% quarts water In an 8-quart stoeckpot simmer all the ingredients, covered, for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the pot. De-bone the chicken, chop the meat and reserve. Add to the pot: ¥2 tb. potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced VY Ib. green cabbage, thin’y :jiced 2-3 c. kale (tough stems removed), thinly, sliced Yo Yb. turnips, peeled, quartered and sliced Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes longer. Return the boned chicken to the pot and add: Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Simmer a few more minutes un- til all is hot, and serve. The soup keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator. TORTILLA OF POTATO AND ONIONS (Serves 4 as a light dinner, : 8 as tapas) » THE FRUGAL GOURMET In Spain a tortilla is an omelet, turned once in the pan, then serv- ed in ‘wedges like a pie. Any number of fillings can be used once you master the trick of turn- ing the tortilla. 2 Ib. red-skinned potatoes, cook- ed but still firm, unpeeled and sliced 1 medium yellow onion, pecied and sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chop- ped 3 tbsp. olive oil eggs Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Heat a 10-inch non-stick frying pan and saute the potatoes, onion and garlic in the oil. Beat the eggs with a bit of salt. and pepper and pour over the hot vegetables. Using, a wooden ‘spatula, raise the edge of the omelet so the un- cooked top can flow under the omelet. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Place a plate over the top of the pan and invert both plate and pan so the omelet comes out upside down. Slide it back into the hot pan to cook the second side. Cook for about 2 more minutes. PAELLA VALENCIA (Serves 6-8) This name . ‘‘paella’’ simply sefers to the big round pan in which this dish is cooked. This particular recipe is done in the style of Valencia and it contains a liule bit of everything. 1 1b. mussels, in the shell 1 Jb. smail clams, in the shell Ya c. olive oil, or more if needed 2 ib. chicken thighs % th. boneless pork butt, cut into ¥1-inch cubes 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed 1c. cubed smoked ham (%-inch cubes) 1c. sliced Spanish chorizo sausage or Mexican chorizo from a good market 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and thinly sliced 2c. Arborio-style rice 3c. fresh or canned chicken stock Ye tsp. crushed saffron . threads (optional) 2 tbsp. annatto oif (recipe below) ltsp. paprika | Salt to taste ¥: c. peas, defrosted if frozen ¥% ib, large shrimp, peeled le. dry white wine GARNISH: Lemon slices With a paring knife or a pair of pliers, trim or pull off the fuzzy beards from the mussels. Rinse the clams and mussels well and soak them in cold water for 1 hour. Drain, leaving any sand behind. Heat a 1{S-inch round paella pan or a large frying pan. Add the % cup olive oil and brown the chicken until brown on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Brown and cook the pork in the same way. Remove the pork to the chicken plate, leaving the oil in the pan. Wednesday, July 1, 1992 ~ North Shore News —- 45 Reheat the pan and add the © onion, garlic, ham cubes and chorizo slices. Saute untit the onion is clear, then add the red tell pepper. Cook for a moment and remove from the pan, leaving the oil behind. Reheat the pan and add the rice. Stir over medium heat until the grains begin to color just a bit. You may need additional oil at this point. Wow add the reserved chicken and pork, along with the cooked vegetable mixture. ’ In a saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the op- tional saffron, the annatto oil, paprika and salt. When ingredients are hot, add . to the paella pan or frying pan. Heat until ail comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and . NEWS photo Paul MeGrath PAELLA VALENCIA contains a little bit of everything. cook the dish, covered, rotating it now and then on the burner, for about § minutes. Stir in the wine. Add the shrimp, clams and mussels to the pan, being sure to push the clams and mussels down into the rice, hinged sides down. Sprinkle ‘the peas on top and continue to cook, covered, until the clams and mussels. are open and the rice is just tender. Garnish with lemon siices and serve. ANNATTO OIL (Makes 2 cups) 2c. vegetable oil 1c. annatto seeds. (find in Latin markets} Place the oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and heat to about 350°F. Add the annatto seeds and remove the pan from heat. Allow to cool and ‘strain the oil into a glass jar. . TAPAS This is the highest form of “grazing” that I know. In Spain tapas bars sell drinks along with little dishes. of everything you can imagine, all seasoned with lots of garlic and fine olive oil. - Cheese slices marinated in garlic and olive oii Mushrooms grilled with gartic and olive oil with thin ham slices Pork steak in small chunks fried with garlic, oil and salt Mussels in tomato sauce with lots of garlic, olive oil and parsiey Simple icings provide grand finishes to cakes Inquisitive Cook SUE WILSON ANNE GARDINER SIMPLE THINGS bring pleasure, even on birthdays. For some, it's the icing, not the cake, that really counts. . The easiest icings are uncooked. They usually begin with icing sugar because of its smooth tex- ture. Also referred to as confec- tioners or powdered sugar, icing sugar is simply granulated sugar. ground until smooth, with about 3% cornstarch added to absorb Moisture and prevent lumping. Glazes are the simplest icings. These semi-transparent coatings consist of icing sugar and a little fiquid mixed to a runny consisten- cy. Since most glazes are very sweet, they’re intended for drizzl- ing thinly over cakes, loaves or breads. Use i c. (250 mL) icing sugar and 1 or 2 tbsp. (15 to 25 mL) boiling water, milk, light cream, lemon or orange juice. Glazes become quite brittle as they harden. They’re less likely to crack when they’re cut if you use cream instead of water, or add a smal! amcunt of honey. A_ butter icing is made by beating solid fat until fluffy, then adding icing sugar, liquid and fla- voring. The type and amount of shortening affects flavor, con- sistency and color. Butter and margarine naturally tint icing a creamy or pale yellow. These icings can be further col- ored yellow, orange or green using food coloring. For other colors or for a true white icing, it’s best to use white hydrogenated shortening so the final color is without yellow undertones. The higher the proportion of fat to icing sugar, the less sweet and more creamy the icing. But redic- ing the fat makes a firmer, drier icing that holds better in hot weather. And a harder icing provides a better barrier to air and helps keep the cake from drying Gut. Chocolate can be tricky as it scorches if overcooked during melting. Use very low heai or a double boiler over hot — no! boil- ing — water. Or melt in the ini- crowave, stirring every [0 seconds. Whichever you choose, remove the chocolate before it’s compilete- ly melted and stir to melt the rest. Use while it’s still warm and if adding other liquids, warm them slightly to prevent lumping. A curdled icing usually relates to differences in temperature. For a butter icing, bring fat and liquid to room temperature before using. Ornamental icing made with egg whites and icing sugar can be piped intd scallops and ribbons before it hardens to a brittle coating. But it tends to crystallize because of its high sugar content. Icings needn’t be lavish, but they do provide a grand finish to a birthday cake that’s appreciated.