I love to relax at home with a great meal and wine. The other night we had Spanish empanada filled with tuna, green olives, roasted piquillo peppers and slices of hard-boiled egg. And we had migas – a dish that marries day-old bread, scraps of meat, garlic and olive oil. These are typical tapas dishes served all over Spain that come together quickly, and pair wonderfully with Spanish red Riojas such as Viña Alberdi Reserva 2016 ($21.99) which is available at Paris-Madrid Grocery. Migas also makes a fantastic breakfast dish when topped with a fried egg. See recipe below.
We now stock Paleta Ibérica de Bellota from Córdoba ($28.75 per 1/4 lb). Paleta Ibérica is made from the front shoulder of the Ibérico pig which has been fed acorns. The flavor is intensely nutty, sweeter than Jamón which is made from the hind leg, and Paleta is less salty. As the shoulder cut is smaller than the whole leg, slices are more petite and even easier to eat.
A pallet of French food arrived this week, bring replenishments and some new delicious items:
Groix & Nature Crab Rillettes and Trout Rillets – Produced on Brittany’s island of Groix where fishing is a main occupation. The gastronomic heritage and top quality local ingredients give rise to products such as handcrafted rillettes. The trout rillettes are 62% trout, with cream, spices, flour. Crab rillettes are 45% crab with pollock, spices, butter, flour. Take these on a hike or road trip and enjoy a fabulous appetizer!
Other new products:
White truffle oil
Jams: Apricot-Rhubarb, Bitter Orange, Cassis, Corsican Orange
Andre Laurent Choucroute (sauerkraut) with lardons and champagne
WINE CORNER:
Justin Girardin Bourgogne Blanc 2019 ($19.99) A beautifully balanced 100% Chardonnay made from grapes grown in Santenay. Fermented with native yeast, 50% aged in used oak barrels. Aromatic and fresh, it offers rich elegance and pleasurable drinking. Drink this with Choucroute & Lardons.
RhoneA Côtes du Rhône Villages 2020 ($22.99) 57% Grenache, 43% Syrah from Visan, an AOC known for its pebble-strewn vineyards. Grown organically with only natural plant treatments. Offers up aromas of violets with nuances of smoke and dust on the palate. Beautifully structured with mineral notes, this is a medium-bodied red with dark fruit flavors and spices. Excellent with charcuterie or cassoulet.
MIGAS RECIPE – from The Spanish Table cookbook by Steve Winston
Migas sustain the soul. It is the food of peasants, fashioned from what is left as the larder becomes threadbare. Crusts of stale bread, scraps of cured meats, some onion and garlic, a spoonful of pimentón, moistened with well water and fried all together in olive oil.
Preheat oven to 350º
¼ cup Spanish olive oil*
2 cloves Garlic, minced
½ cup Butifarra sausage, diced*
½ cup Chorizo Bilbao, diced*
1 Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Bittersweet smoked pimentón*
4 cups Stale bread, cubed (1 torpedo roll)*
1 cup Aneto Chicken stock (or water)*
* Products available at Paris-Madrid Grocery
In Spain, this is a dish made of leftovers. So don’t worry too much about the measurements or ingredients.
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a 10 inch cazuela con tapa and fry garlic until just golden.
Add the chorizo and butifarra; cook until fat is rendered.
When the meat is sizzling hot, add onion, cook until translucent.
Stir in pimentón and cook for a minute.
Add bread cubes and toss.
Add ½ cup chicken stock and toss.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup chicken stock over cubes and cover (if using a regular cazuela without a top, cover with foil).
Bake in 350º oven for ten minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional ten minutes.