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Rabo de Toro con Rioja

The Spanish have got a bit of a bull fixation so perhaps it’s not surprising that Rabo de Toro [oxtail] is very popular there. Technically, I believe, “anything de Toro” should be from a fighting bull – clearly one that…

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Pulled Pork

Some friends of ours made this for us and it was great. I haven’t tried cooking it yet but when I see a suitable joint of pork and a few friends are coming round, I must remember it. The recipe…

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Pollo al Ajillo

Said to be the most popular way to cook chicken in Spain, as the name implies this is something of a garlic fest. As usual, variations abound. This is my most successful execution which, typically, was my first attempt. It…

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Beef Rendang

Researching this recipe was a very educational process in that it added weight to three features that I generally hold to be true. Firstly, for any given recipe there are as many variations as there are cooks/chefs. Secondly, many commentators…

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Suquet de Peix

This is like a Spanish Bouillabaise, a fish stew, from the Catalan region. (Fish stew doesn’t sound nearly as appealing, does it?) Driven by my having an octopus in the freezer that needed using, I got this idea from Culinaria…

Posted in Fish

Roast Duck

I prefer to roast duck slowly at first to make the fat run out, then crisp it under a higher temperature towards the end. Well, actually I prefer to cook it via indirect heat in a Weber grill but this’ll…

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Cod with Leek & Potato Sauce

I have never understood the popularity of cod, other than as fish and chips. To me, it is a rather bland, uninspiring fish. So, when a cod recipe has me searching for superlatives, I know it must be something special.…

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Moules Marinières

This is one of those absolute classics, and deservedly so. This is so classic that I really can’t see any reason to cook mussels any other way (except as an ingredient to another dish such as Paella , of course).…

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Grilled Squid Salad

If I had a pound for every time I’d heard somebody say, “I don’t like squid ‘cos it’s rubbery”, I’d be a rich man. It isn’t!! Especially if it’s cooked correctly, i.e. hot and fast. This marinated squid makes the…

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Sea Bass with a Black Olive Crust

This recipe is based upon one in Nico by Nico Ladenis. My main change is to use wholemeal breadcrumbs instead of white and, rather than pressing and refrigerating the crust mixture before use, just to press it roughly straight onto…

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