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Super Salads Galore

Poster: Gillaine Hathaway 14/12/2007

MAGNIFICENT JULY IS A MONTH BLESSED WITH THE BEST WEATHER AND - AS GILLAINE HATHAWAY SUGGESTS - THE IDEAL TIME TO ENJOY SUMMER EATING AND WONDERFUL LOCAL PRODUCE AT ITS FINEST AND FRESHEST.

Salads are the stars of this month's recipes. There are so many magnificent Andalucian vegetables in season as present, apart from the basic lettuce and other green leaf ingredients, which we all know how to turn into a salad, but this part of the world offers so much more - using a versatile and varied selection of vegetables. Vegetables such as the basic potato, which last month we included in the ever-popular "ensaladilla rusa" salad featured in our special tapas selection. But there are so many more delights, and none of them are boring. Have you ever tried the typical "ensalada malagueña"? If not you are in for a treat.

MALAGA SALAD

Ingredients
(serves 4 to 6)

300 gr cured cod fish (bacalao salado)
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 oranges, peeled and finely sliced
A handful of green olives, stones removed and chopped
8 tablespoons virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Parsley, approx. 1 tablespoon finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

• Roast the cod in a medium oven and then place it in a bowl and cover with water for 12 to 24 hours as this removes the salt.
• Drain off the water and crumble the fish into pieces.
• Boil the potatoes in unsalted water until tender then remove and drain well.
• When cool, mix the fish and potatoes together (I find it best to use one's hands for this), add the spring onions, eggs, olives and oranges, and season with vinegar and oil and stir.
• Carefully arrange on a serving dish and sprinkle the parsley over the top.

Rice, of course, is another staple of the Spanish diet and makes a delicious salad...

ANDALUCIAN RICE SALAD

Ingredients
(serves 4 to 6)

1 cup of cooked Spanish rice
8 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
I jar of whole pimientos (peppers)
Green and black olives to garnish

• Drain the peppers, cut six narrow strips and set them aside, and finely chop the rest.
• Make the vinaigrette sauce by mixing the oil, vinegar, garlic and onions, and seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Stir into the cold rice and add the chopped peppers and parsley.
• Spoon the rice mixture into a serving bowl, cover and chill thoroughly before serving.

But back to those all important vegetables. What better than a pipirrana salad made with ripe Andalucian tomatoes, preferable vine ones, green peppers and a Spanish onion simply dressed with oil and vinegar. It is easy to make and so fresh, and apart from serving it as a basic salad it can be combined with many other ingredients from prawns and mussels to a can of tuna or even some potatoes.

PIPIRRANA

Ingredients
(serves 4 to 6)

8 tomatoes
4 green peppers
2 medium-sized onions
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

• Make the vinaigrette with the vinegar and oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Finely chop all the vegetables and place in another bowl.
• Pour over the vinaigrette and stir in.
• Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge for at least two to three hours before serving.
• Better still, leave it overnight and it will taste even better!

Spanish peppers are great in any salad, but have you ever tried making an "ensalada de pimientos asados"? It is so often served as an accompaniment to fried fish, but anchovies or tuna can be added to the recipe to make a more substantial snack on its own or as a tapa. And remember: this dish keeps in the fridge for around a week so it can be made well in advance and brought out when required.

ROASTED PEPPER SALAD

Ingredients
(serves 4)

1 kg red peppers
4 large ripe tomatoes
Approx. 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar

• Heat the oven to 180º.
• Wipe the peppers with a damp cloth and place them on a baking tray.
• Prick each one once with a fork.
• Add the tomatoes to the tray and drizzle all the vegetables with the olive oil.
• Cook in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, checking occasionally and turning if necessary so all sides cook evenly until they are tender.
• Pour the whole mixture, including the juices, into a bowl and cover with cling film (or a plate) and leave to cool.
• Then remove the skin and seeds from the peppers, cut into strips and place in another bowl with the baking juices.
• Remove the skin from the tomatoes and mash them together in a pestle and mortar with the garlic, salt and pepper.
• Stir in the virgin olive oil and vinegar and mix well.
• Add this mixture to the peppers, stir well, cover and leave to rest in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.
  (Check the seasoning before you serve in case the salad needs more salt and pepper.)

For a really simple salad that takes just minutes to prepare and can be made in advance, as it gives it time to "mature", try this "ensalada de tomate y cebolla".

TOMATO AND ONION SALAD

Ingredients
(serves 4)

8 ripe tomatoes, cut into strips
2 medium-sized onions cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
8 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• Put the tomatoes and onions into a serving bowl.
• Add the vinegars and oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir well and set aside (not in the fridge) for an hour or two to mature before serving with fried fish, a potato omelette or whatever you fancy.

Time for some Andalucian luxury - and one of the finest salads in the world in my opinion which makes a magnificent starter for a special dinner party and a wonderful dish served with crusty bread for a light lunch or supper...

"Salpicon de mariscos" is a dish served all along the Andalucian coastline, but it is a speciality in the Cádiz and Huelva areas - where they are famed for this dish as they prepare it so well. This is probably due to the fact that this is a place where the quality of the shellfish has always been the best. It is also important that the shellfish is properly cooked, so buy the freshest you can find in your supermarket or market and take note of the following cooking instructions...

SEAFOOD SALAD

Ingredients
(serves 6)

I kg langostinos (or 1/2 kg langostinos and 1/2 kg gambas - prawns)
I green pepper, finely chopped
3 ripe salad tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
8 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

• Half fill a large saucepan with water and a handful of salt and bring to the boil.
• When the water is really bubbling hard, tip in the shellfish and leave for a few minutes until the water comes back to the boil.
• Then remove and drain and put into a large bowl of water with plenty of ice and more salt, and leave for a few minutes.
• Remove, drain and remove the shells, except for the tails.
• Cut into approximately half-centimetre pieces and place into a bowl.
• Stir in the chopped pepper, tomato and onion.
• In a separate bowl mix the oil, vinegar and salt to "vinaigrette" consistency, pour over the shellfish and vegetables, and stir well.
• Place the salad onto a shallow serving dish, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge for around an hour before serving... and enjoy!

Don't throw away those prawn shells. Cook them in water for around 20 to 30 minutes and you have some excellent stock which can be frozen or kept in the fridge to be used later in a fish soup.

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