Verano

German-Style Salad

Taking advantage of the fact that it’s not too cold yet, though it’s clearly true that Winter is Coming, here’s a simple recipe you can put together for any family gathering, get-together with friends, or just an everyday meal — you can even make it the day before.

What do we need?

(serves 4-6)

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  2-3 large potatoes
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  3-4 sausages
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  1 onion
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  2 tomatoes
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  3-4 pickles
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How do we make it?

Boil the potatoes with the skin on, washed.
Poke the potatoes with a “pincho catador” (a fork or any utensil that lets you check if the potatoes are done). Once they’re ready, take them out, peel, chop into pieces and set aside.
In a frying pan with a splash of oil, cook the sausages and then cut them into chunks. Set aside once done.
Meanwhile, slice an onion into strips and dice the tomatoes.
Mix everything in a large salad bowl and add the mostanesa sauce (mayonnaise and mustard in a 4-to-1 ratio).
Finally, let it chill in the fridge.

Tips:

Palstelera loves sweet-and-sour pickles, so the tip is obvious — go with sweet-and-sour pickles.
The mayo-to-mustard ratio is just a guideline. It depends on the kind of mustard you’re using and whether you like the flavor milder or with more kick.

Salmorejo

Salmorejo is one of my favorite dishes, and I can vouch for the fact that I’m not the only person in my family who, the moment we get back from a long trip abroad, the first thing we ask for at home is a good salmorejo and a proper Spanish potato omelette. This dish is typical of Córdoba and it shares similarities with gazpacho since, at the end of the day, it’s a kind of cold soup or cream with tomato as its base. Needless to say, the better the tomatoes you use, the better the salmorejo will turn out.

What do we need?

(serves 6)

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  1 kg (2.2 lb) ripe red tomatoes
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  1 piece of bread
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  150 ml (2/3 cup) olive oil (or to taste)

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  1-2 cloves of garlic
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  Salt
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  Vinegar
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  4 eggs
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  200 g (7 oz) Serrano ham
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How do we make it?

Wash the tomatoes, cut them into pieces and put them in a bowl.
Add the bread (it can be stale bread that we’ve soaked in water for a few minutes beforehand to soften it), salt, garlic, vinegar and a little olive oil.
Blend with the mixer until you get a smooth cream. Keep adding more olive oil until you get a soft, creamy texture. The amount of olive oil depends on personal taste. The more oil you add, the thicker it will get and the pinker it will look.
Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar to your liking. Set aside in the fridge.
Boil the eggs, peel them and cut them into small cubes.
Chop the Serrano ham into small cubes too.
Serve the salmorejo very cold with ham and egg on top.

Tips:

Some people prefer to peel the tomatoes for a finer result. To make this easier, you can blanch the tomatoes first to remove the skin comfortably.
You can make the salmorejo a bit lighter by skipping the bread and reducing the amount of oil.
As always, garlic is up to personal taste, but don’t go overboard or you’ll kill the flavor.

*[English version] SALMOREJO (Spanish cold tomatoe soup)

**Ingredients (serves 6):- 1 kg ripe red tomatoes

Bread
150 ml olive oil
Vinegar
Salt
1-2 cloves of garlic- 4 eggs- 200 g cured ham
Wash and cut tomatoes into pieces. Place into a large bowl.
Add bread (you can use stale bread so put it before with some water in order to soften it), salt, garlic, vinegar and a bit of olive oil.
Blend all the ingredients with a mixer or blender until you get a smooth cream. Add more olive oil until creamy and soft. (The amount of olive oil is up to you).
Try and add more salt and vinegar if necessary. Place into fridge.
Boil the eggs, peel them and cut into small pieces.
Cut ham into small pieces.
Serve cold salmorejo with some egg and ham in the top.
Tips:- You can peel the tomatoes. For making it easier, scald tomatoes in boiling water.
If you want to prepare a lighter version, avoid adding bread and reduce the amount of olive oil.
Use garlic according to your preferences but don’t add too much or you won’t taste the other flavours!

Comments

zordor (2012-08-21 05:56:31):

Haha I can vouch for it, I can vouch that the first thing we need to see on the table is salmorejo and potato omelette :) Ufff you’ve made me so hungry! Well, not even hungry! Salmorejo is something you can eat even when you’re not hungry!

Marisa (2012-08-21 09:26:34):

Yummmm! I’m making it tomorrow

Chicken and Pineapple Salad

A summer wouldn’t really be summer without this dish. In my family this salad has been around for as long as I can remember, and it feels like an old friend — you might go a while without seeing it, but just thinking about it brings a smile to your face and makes you want to enjoy its company. The first time I offered it to Cesmm, he frowned at the whole pineapple thing, but once he got past those first doubts he became yet another addict of this delicious salad.

What do we need?

(serves 4)

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  1 whole chicken
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  1 can of pineapple, or fresh pineapple (even better)

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  1 head of lettuce
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  Mayonnaise
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How do we make it?

First, boil the chicken in a pot with water and salt. Let it cook for a good while (2 hours) until you can see it’s well done and the meat practically falls off the thigh bone on its own.
Once the chicken is cooked and has cooled down a bit, shred it with your hands into medium-sized pieces (just right for a bite).
Wash the lettuce and slice it into very thin strips (julienne).
Separately, cut the pineapple slices (or fresh pineapple) into small pieces.
Build your salad by laying down a layer of lettuce, then pineapple, then chicken. Repeat the process, pressing down well with your hands so it packs together tightly.
Finally, add a layer of mayonnaise on top and let it rest in the fridge.

Tips:

It doesn’t matter if there are leftovers — once it’s “rested” the salad is just as good, or even better.
Don’t throw away the broth from boiling the chicken; you can use it for rice, soup, etc.
You can sprinkle some chopped walnuts or hazelnuts on top of the mayonnaise. They add the perfect finishing touch.

*[English version] CHICKEN & PINEAPPLE SALAD

**Ingredients:- 1 whole chicken

1 lettuce
Fresh pineapple or canned pineapple
Mayonnaise
Place chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Add some salt, cover pot and bring to boil. Cook for about 2 hours or until chicken meat is falling off the bone.
When chicken is boiled and cooled shred chicken using your fingers.
Wash lettuce and chop finely.
Dice pineapple.
Place the ingredients by layers: lettuce, pineapple and chicken. Repeat the order and press with your hands.
Add some mayonnaise on the top.
Tips:- If there is some salad left, no problem, it will be even better the day after!
Don’t discard the water from boiled chicken, you can use it to cook rice, soup, etc.
You can add some chopped nuts or hazelnuts on the top. Simply delicious!

Comments

Marisa (2012-08-07 08:24:55):

What lovely photos! I know this dish — although I don’t plate it as nicely, I chop the lettuce really, really finely and press the layers down as I go.

silvia (2012-08-07 21:39:01):

I’m getting hungry, and it looks so refreshing!! I tried it at Fuentes and I can confirm it was really tasty… maybe I’ll make it tomorrow for lunch…

zordor (2012-08-10 01:55:25):

Without a doubt this recipe is one of the crown jewels of our family wisdom, hehe. For me the best part is that one chicken yields a tooon of salad, it’s super refreshing, and you can make it the day before, for the next day, or even the day after that — just pull it out of the fridge and eat! A really refreshing dish, one of the best things going for summer.

Ociore (2012-08-30 17:23:25):

Oh, if you only knew that your brother revealed this secret family recipe of yours to me years ago, when I was just starting out with my blog (in London)… XD The truth is, looking at the photos, the salad looks amazing! By the way, congrats on your blog!! :) Greetings from Heidiland. ;)

Antz (2012-08-31 09:54:24):

Like Ces, I was wary of the whole pineapple thing… but after trying it last night, I have to say I’ve been converted to the pineapple world!! A 10/10 combo!!! :D

La Enana (2012-09-14 22:54:08):

Mmmmmmh I love this salad!!!!!!! :) I like to top mine with some lightly crushed hazelnuts!!

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