Restaurant Review - TIME FOR THE THREE KINGS
TIME FOR THE THREE KINGS
TASTES OF SPAIN TIME FOR THE THREE KINGS
CHRISTMAS MIGHT NOW BE OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR BUT – AS GILLAINE HATHAWAY NOTES IN THE LATEST INSTALLMENT OF HER DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SPANISH CUISINE – THERE IS STILL THE GRAND FINALE OF THE FESTIVE SEASON
The all-important Three Kings on 6 January was and still is the time when Christmas presents are handed out to children, just as the Three Kings gave their gifts to Jesus after his birth. Nowadays though most Spanish families give the bulk of their presents on Christmas Day following customs in other countries, and influenced by the fact that school starts again so soon after the arrival of the Three Kings that there is little time for the children to enjoy and play with their presents.
“Los Reyes” is, however, still a very special day. It is the climax of the Christmas and New Year festivities and is also full of culinary specials. The star of this is “Roscon de Reyes”, a delicious bread-style cake which is traditionally eaten with hot chocolate on the night of the Epiphany to celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men bearing their gifts for the children.So if you are feeling full up after all those previous festive parties and perhaps feel it is time to think about losing a little of that weight that may have you gained, wait a while and try this Three Kings special and a few more sweetmeats.
The recipes come to us courtesy of Spanish friends of mine from all parts of Spain who, like me, though no longer children themselves never forget their family specials. All the following recipes make plenty for your family and friends.
Roscon de Reyes Ingredients400 gr. plain flour1 tablespoon baking powder100 gr. caster sugar100 gr. softened butter3 eggs1/4 litre milkzest of 1 lemonpinch of saltdried mix peel for decoration
■ Put 100 gr. of the flour into a bowl. Mix the baking powder in a glass with four tablespoon of the milk and then add this to flour and mix together until it forms dough. Cover with a tea towel and set aside until it doubles in size.
■ Put the remaining 300 grams of flour in another bowl and add the eggs, sugar, salt, lemon zest and rest of the milk. Mix together well and then beat in the butter and continue mixing for a further two minutes.
■ Then add the dough mixture and mix well until both are thoroughly incorporated and a smooth dough is achieved. Cover once again and set aside for a further two hours.
■ Then kneed the mixture a little before forming into a ring and placing it on the baking tray lined with baking parchment.
■ Put some little figures wrapped up in foil inside the mixture and also a broad bean. (Whoever finds the bean, according to tradition, can expect to receive coal rather than presents from the Kings.)
■ Brush with milk, decorate with the mixed peel, lightly sprinkle with sugar and cook in a pre-heated oven at 160ºC for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then serve.
The recipe for this traditional biscuit comes from the Cádiz area. It tastes delicious when served warm from the oven and is so easy to prepare that it is a great dish for the kids to make. It takes me back to the time when my daughter was small and used to enjoy making them and then taking them around to all our neighbours as her own Three Kings present for them. Needless to say she never came back empty-handed! Rosquitos de Anis Ingredients:1 wineglass sunflower oil½ glass anisette (dulce)plain flour
■ Put the wine and sweet anis into a bowl and mix together. Little by little, add enough plain flour to make a soft, doughy mixture.
■ Take small spoons of the mixture and shape into sausage shapes and place on a floured baking tray, curving into a crescent.
■ Bake in a medium hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm to touch and slightly golden in colour. While still hot pass them through sugar mixed with cinnamon. (Though traditionally served while still warm they are still good when cold and keep well in a tin.)
On to Málaga, the home of these delicious and also alcoholic biscuits. Though, like all this month’s recipes, these are sold in all types of shops and supermarkets, they are well worth making at home. Traditionally they were cooked with lard, which gave the biscuits a delicate, crumbly texture, but they can be made with butter.
“Polvorones” Ingredients:2 tablespoons icing sugar2 cups flour1 egg yolk½ teaspoon anise seeds (ground)1 teaspoon lemon juice1 teaspoon grated lemon zest2 teaspoons brandy½ teaspoon cinnamon1 pinch of salt,125 gr. unsalted, softened butter
■ Heat the oven to 180º C.
■ Mix together one tablespoon of the icing sugar with the egg yolk, lemon juice and brandy and stir well until smooth.
■ In another bowl cream the butter until smooth and then stir in the egg yolk mixture.
■ Mix the flour, anise seed, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt together well and, using a wooden spoon, beat half of this into the butter and egg yolk mixture. Gradually add in the remaining flour, mixing all the time to keep the mixture smooth.
■ Then roll out onto a floured surface until it is approximately one centimetre thick and, using a five centimetre biscuit cutter, cut into shapes. (This should give you around 10 to 12 polvorones.)
■ Place on a baking tin and cook for around 30 minutes or until the polvorones are lightly toasted and firm to the touch.
■ Remove and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before removing to a sheet of parchment paper sprinkled with some of remaining icing sugar. Sprinkle the rest of the icing sugar on top and enjoy.
Another star is, of course turrón, which is available all over Spain. Legend has it that it was originally an offering to the goddess Bazalat in Asia Minor and was brought to Spain by the Cathaginians a thousand years before Christ was born. Others say it was a Roman New Year custom, but most probably turrón came to Spain with the Arab invasion in the eighth century.There are many different types of turrón but not to be missed are the soft textured Jijona ones and the Alicante variety, which is hard.
Turrón de Jijona Ingredients:1 dessertspoon ground cinnamon250 gr. sugar250 gr. white honey250 gr. each of toasted almonds and toasted hazelnuts5 egg whites
■ Chop the nuts finely and then crush them with a pestle and mortar until they become a smooth paste.
■ Heat the egg whites until stiff and then add in the nuts.
■ In a saucepan heat the honey and sugar and bring to the boil.
■ Add the paste to the honey mixture and stir constantly for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a shallow tin lined with rice paper. Leave to cool and then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
■ All you have to do then is to cut the turrón into squares and enjoy. Turrón de Alicante Ingredients: 1 kg. rosemary honey500 gr. sugar2 egg whites1.500 gr. almonds warmed on a tray in the ovenrind of 1 lemon
■ In a saucepan over a gentle flame, heat the honey until all the water it contains has evaporated. Then add the sugar and mix well with a wooden spoon.
■ Beat the egg whites until stiff and then add to the mixture and stir briskly for eight to 10 minutes. Lower the heat and stir slowly until the mixture turns brown and begins to caramelise.
■ Now stir in the hot almonds and the lemon rind. Keep stirring for a few minutes then pour into a shallow tine lined with rice paper.
■ Leave to cool for around two and a half hours and then cut into pieces. When completely cold the slices can be stored in an airtight container. And last but not least a visit to Mallorca for their own version of turrón, this time made with hazelnuts… Turrón de Avellana Ingredients: 286 gr. hazelnuts55 gr. almonds, also roasted and skinned3 large egg whites170 gr. hard honey170 gr. caster sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamonrice paper and parchment paper
■ Roast the nuts until the skins rub off and the nuts are a pale golden colour. Then grind them in a food processor until fine.
■ Whisk the egg white in a bowl until stiff then carefully fold the nuts.
■ Cover and leave in a cool place while you melt the honey and sugar together in a heavy bottomed pan.
■ Bring to the boil and then immediately lower the heat. Add the nut mixture and continue to cook over a low heat for around 10 to 12 minutes, stirring all the time so the mixture does not become sticky.
■ Then turn out into a shallow tin lined with the rice paper. Cover with another layer of baking parchment and leave overnight to set.
■ Then remove the top paper, sprinkle with cinnamon and cut into squares.
So, sweet alcoholics, how was that? Perhaps now is the time to start thinking about going on that diet!
