THE SUN-SOAKED PLATE...Mediterranean recipes for family and friends

At the restaurant we always offer a refreshing chilled soup during the summer months, and it’s invariably some form of Gazpacho. They are light and fresh, very healthy and utterly delicious!   From humble beginnings, Gazpacho has gone on to be the most revered and well-travelled chilled soup in the world. This refreshing soup has provided nourishment, quenched thirst, and sustained a body working in the hot sun for centuries. It even got a mention in the classic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes when it was first published in 1605 and Gazpacho has been part of the fabric of Spanish culture ever since. Apparently, Cervantes completed his masterpiece in prison due to irregularities in his accounts while working for the government so he was probably starving at the time and longing for some fresh, tasty food.   Long before tourism, Andalucía was the poorest region of Spain.   Gazpacho, like most of the regions dishes, was considered “food of peasants” and was...

While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact globally, few industries have been as hard hit as restaurants and hospitality. Our restaurant is closed for the foreseeable future, our events industry has been shut down, corporate events cancelled, and any type of mass gatherings are no longer able to take place leaving thousands of small catering businesses struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve spoken to so many of my fellow chefs and colleagues over the last couple of weeks and we are all trying to remain positive in the knowledge that we will have a huge fight on our hands to survive this after the lockdown. But I’m sure the hospitality industry will eventually bounce back from this and, if I’ve learnt one thing from my recent conversations, it is that our business is full of warm, kind-hearted people who love nothing more than bringing people together sitting around a table sharing great food, wine and conversation and r...

As the winter starts to kick in and the chilly weather begins to bite, it’s a time to indulge in a few heart-warming dishes designed to keep out the cold and to revive flagging spirits and jaded palates when there’s a little chill in the air. If i’m cooking at home, I love to throw everything into one pot and place it in the middle of the table for serving. It not only saves on the washing-up but it also helps to stimulate and heighten your senses so you can enjoy your meal even more. One-pot dishes are real comfort food at this time of the year, winter warmers that really sooth the soul. The Spanish have invented a great variety of one pot dishes called “potajes”.   One of the most revered is known as “Fabada”. This is a traditional and hearty white bean stew from the northern Spanish region of Asturias. Particularly popular during the colder months, it is traditionally eaten with crusty bread and a glass of Asturian cider. Good quality chorizo and morcilla (black...

Like many busy people, when I’m cooking at home I don’t really want to spend hours slaving over complicated recipes. My philosophy on cooking for friends and family is to keep it simple, fresh and Mediterranean. Above all, I want it to be the type of food that draws people together, to sit around a table sharing food, wine and conversation. Food is, after all, a communal experience – for all of us in the Mediterranean, it’s one of the biggest pleasures in life. At home I love to cook one-pot dishes with big flavours that you can bring straight to the table and just tuck in. This months recipe, Iberian pork meatballs with spiced pumpkins and chickpeas, is one of those delicious, simple dishes that I often cook for family & friends. It’s real comfort food and the perfect winter warmer! Pumpkins have a wonderful flavour and a smooth, silky texture that combines perfectly with chickpeas and Iberian pork. Warm spices also have a particular affinity with pu...

Earlier this year I travelled to the coast of Andalucía on a pilgrimage to find the best tuna in the world at the festival of Almadraba bluefin tuna. After the first full moon in May, the fishermen set up a complicated labyrinth of nets, which catch the tuna as they migrate from the Atlantic to warmer Mediterranean waters to spawn. Apparently, their fat reserves keep them warm through the winter meaning the fish are succulent and full-flavoured. The fish swim through different compartments of the nets until they reach the final area, locked in by the fisherman’s boats, which form a ring around the net. Next comes the most dramatic and breathtaking part of the process, ‘la levanta’, in which the burly fishermen hoist up the net and select the biggest fish, with some weighing more than 500 kilos. The Almadraba fishing system – meaning ‘to strike’ in Arabic – has been praised for its sustainability as there is no overfishing with a strict quota that the fishermen cannot exceed. This an...

Zucchini Time A courgette tastes of the sun and makes for a perfectly simple summer supper. They are their best from June to September, so we should be making the most of them right now. I love courgettes just simply sautéed in olive oil but they are extremely versatile and can be cooked in so many different ways. Choose small courgettes that are firm to touch with a glossy, unblemished skin. Avoid soft, squishy courgettes. They do not need peeling. Slice off each end and prepare as recipe directs. It's best not to boil, as they will become mushy and lose their flavour. Try courgettes sliced thinly and eaten raw, cooked on a griddle, in a stir-fry, Stuffed or fried in a light batter as chips.

Many years ago I lived in the south of France. After a long day in the kitchen I would literally have to survive on Gauloises , café noir and Pastis , but on the occasions the sulky, sullen French Chef would let me escape the hot, steamy kitchen for an hour or so in the afternoons, I’d head straight to a tiny, little food stand down the road that served the most amazing sandwiches I’d ever tasted…the “Pan bagnat”.   Literally meaning wet bread, all you have to do is cut a small, round loaf or a ciabatta in half and scrape out most of the inside. Fill this with chopped tomatoes, spring onions, peppers, olives, capers and anchovies and drizzle with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. Replace the top and serve. It's basically a Nicoise salad in a roll and it was utterly delicious. A simple salad Nicoise is still one of my favourite summer recipes. Even today there still seems to be so much debate about what actually constitutes a true Nicoise salad. According to Niço...

They might look intimidating, but artichokes are simple and delicious. Ok, I know they can be a little fiddly and they do need a lot of care and attention to prepare, but once you’ve got the hang of it becomes easy and you’ll wonder why you never bothered to prepare and cook them before. The artichoke has a long and interesting history. For many years, although it was cultivated and eaten in Italy, it was unknown in France. During the 17th century it was thought to be an aphrodisiac and women were not allowed to eat them! Fortunately,

--> I spent a little time in the company of Silvia Anglada recently. Her restaurant, Es Tast de na Silvia is the certified epicentre of Slow Food in the Balearic Islands, located in Cuitadella (Menorca). As I watched her cooking and explaining her philosophy, I soon realised that Silvia is incredibly passionate about the food we eat, where it comes from and how it is grown. She has been at the forefront of the slow food movement in Spain over the last few years and her restaurant promotes the use of locally produced, seasonal, biodynamic foods. She believes deeply in a reconnection with the lost rhythms of nature, the traditions of the past and working the land. She also believes in producing and eating great, local food in a relaxed, sociable way and wastes absolutely nothing from any of her ingredients in the kitchen…her delicious dessert was flavoured with juice from the “inedible” skins of broad beans!

              Wild asparagus or “Ttrigueros” as they are known here in Spain, grow all over the Island of Mallorca in March and April.  The locals spend hours scouring the fields and roadsides filling their baskets with them.  Growing wild throughout the Mediterranean, the Romans are believed to have been the first to domesticate asparagus . After the fall of the Roman Empire, asparagus was cultivated in their monastery gardens, along with medicinal herbs. Cultivated for more the 2000 years, asparagus will grow wherever it can find a good footing. Wild Asparagus loves secluded hedgerows and undisturbed country roads. When choosing asparagus , look for firm, brightly- coloured spears with tight, crisp tips. (Very large stalks tend to come from older plants and can be tough.). If the stalks bend without breaking it’s a good sign that they have definitely seen better days. Asparagus is usually boiled or steamed, but can...