...and a good time was had by all.

There are few joys in life that compare with spending time with good friends and eating good food. We enjoyed such an occasion this afternoon and it was the perfect time to try a fusion of a few cuisines from across the Mediterranean; Spain, Italy and Malta.

We started with a traditional Spanish asparagus stew as featured on this blog back in April 2010 only with chorizo sausage rather than bacon. This was accompanied by Maltese bread and dipping oil made from olive oil, chopped chilli and mixed herbs.

Following this we continued with tagliatelle and a bacon and mushroom creamy sauce along with a mixed leaf salad with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. The recipe for the pasta follows, quantities are sufficient to cater for eight dinner guests.

500g tagliatelle;
200g butter (salted);
400g mixed mushrooms (button, closed cap, porcine);
400g chopped bacon or thickly sliced ham;
300ml cream;
Half a teaspoon of nutmeg;
One clove of garlic;
Salt and pepper; and
100g parmesan cheese.

Actually the execution is really easy. Melt the butter in a large frying pan then slice the mushrooms and add them to the butter along with the bacon. Crush and chop the garlic and add this to the pan. Fry together for about ten minutes then add the cream and pepper to taste then cook for a further two or three minutes.

In the meantime cook the tagliatelle in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente, drain and add the creamy mushroom and bacon sauce. Finally, add the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

For the salad toss together mixed lettuce, tomato, cucumber and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little lemon juice. Sprinkle with some fine sea salt and serve as an accompaniment to the pasta.

We chose a fine French Merlot as a companion to the meal and finished with a choice of sherry trifle and lemon meringue. A fantastic time was enjoyed by all.

Asparagus Stew

We went for a meal a few months back at a restaurant on the way to Casares and for a starter I had this amazing stew. I mentally tried to work out the ingredients while I ate and then messed around at home until I figured out how it was made. I now pass this wisdom on to you. The ingredients, most of which are pictured below are as follows;

Asparagus either fresh in a bundle as pictured or frozen;

1 large onion chopped as small as you can;

4 large mushrooms, sliced;

2 rashers of bacon, chopped into little bits;

4 eggs (or one for each person dining with you);

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped;

1 glass of white wine;

1 pint of chicken stock;

Water;

Fresh (or dried) basil;

Salt and pepper to taste;

Butter, just a knob;

A big handful of grated cheese - I use cheddar;

Olive oil; and

At least 1 gin and tonic with ice and a slice of lemon (not an ingredient but absolutely essential).

Here we go, quick and easy. Heat up the oil in the pan along with the knob of butter then add the onions and fry for about 6 or so minutes until sweet and translucent. Add a litle water to prevent them from drying out and burning. When done, chop up the asparagus and add to the onions along with the mushrooms, garlic, basil, salt and pepper then fry for about 2 minutes. Add the glass of white wine and a splash of water and you should have somnething that resembles this;

Now its time to add the chicken stock and the bacon. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the asparagus is soft (but not too soft - you want a bit of resistence to the tooth but not enough to crunch when you eat it). During this time, make sure there is sufficient liquid to keep the aparagus just (and I mean only just) covered. Now this is where things get a little weird. Crack open your eggs one by one and pore into the broth taking care to ensure that the yolks stay intact. As far as possible, try to keep the eggs separate from each other. See the below photo;

You are basically poaching the eggs within the stew. When the egg whites are cooked with the yolk still runny (please excuse the technical term), the stew is ready to serve. Spoon out the eggs, one per person onto a plate. Share out the stew between the diners (the above should make enough for 4 people) into soup bowls then place one egg on top of each bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve, eat, enjoy and remember where you saw it first.  

A comment or two to say thanks wouldn't hurt either.

Until the next one...

Steve