Our cookery classes are as much about learning to cook as they are a sociable experience. We hope you enjoyed your evening and are ready to recreate the dishes again.
We Cooked: Mackerel, Romesco & Salsa; Morcilla, Quail Egg & Pepper Pinchos; Padron Peppers; Pan Con Tomate; Ham Croquettas
Mackerel, Romesco & Salsa
Ingredients – Serves 4:
If Mackerel are out of season – you can replace with Sardines. Allow 2-3 per person. Cook the same method, but leave the fish whole and turn as soon as the skin colours.
- – 4 mackerel fillets, bones removed
For the Romesco sauce:
- – 1 roasted red peppers, seeded and skinned
- – 40g stale bread
- – 30g almonds
- – 10g smoked paprika
- – 30ml red wine vinegar
- – 100ml olive oil
- – Salt and pepper
For the salsa:
- – 1 medium onion
- – 1 red pepper
- – 1 medium fennel bulb
- – 20g capers
- – 20g anchovies
- – 20ml red wine vinegar
- – 50ml olive oil
- – 20g flat leaf parsley
- – 10g tarragon
- – Salt and pepper
Method:
- Place all the Romesco sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust the liquid if needed then season to taste.
- For the salsa, finely chop the vegetables, fish and herbs. Place them in a bowl and mix together. Add the vinegar and oil, and season to taste.
- Place the mackerel skin side up on a tray, then season and drizzle with olive oil.
- Cook under a grill on a medium to high heat for four minutes or until there is a good colour on the skin and the fish is cooked through.
- On a small plate or bowl, add a generous layer of Romesco sauce. Top with the cooked mackerel and serve with a generous spoon of salsa.
Morcilla, Eggs & Pepper Pinchos
Ingredients – Serves 4:
- – 1 whole morcilla de burgos
- – 4 eggs (or you can use 8 quails eggs)
- – 200g tinned piquillo peppers, sliced into thin strips
- – 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced
- – 2 tbsp of olive oil
- – 1 tsp caster sugar
- – Sea salt
Method:
- In a medium size frying pan, gently warm the olive oil and add the garlic slices, cook gently for 1 minute or until lightly brown. Remove from the oil, add the piquillo peppers and slowly cook for five minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar, season with sea salt and return the garlic, cook for a further 10 minutes on low heat and set aside.
- To cook the morcilla, cut the sausage into small cubes or slices and fry in a hot frying pan for a couple of minutes. Drain on some kitchen towels. For the quail eggs, gently crack each egg using the edge of a knife. Drop each egg in a small ramekin or cup and gently slide it into the hot oil. Cook four eggs at a time until they firm up, 1 to 1.5 minutes. Larger eggs will take a little longer.
- On a warm plate, spoon the warm piquillo peppers, place a piece of the morcilla sausage and top with a crispy fried quail egg before serving.
Padron Peppers
Literally the best of the best sides! And always the risk that one of yours might be mind-blowingly spicy….
Ingredients – Serves 4:
- – 4-5 padron peppers per person
- – 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
- – Flaky sea salt
Method:
- Rinse and dry the peppers.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan at high heat until it is very hot (but not yet smoking).
- Add the peppers and cook, tossing occasionally, until the skin starts to blister and soften. Don’t let them burn, but do leave them enough time to completely soften.
- Remove the peppers and place them on a plate.
- Sprinkle generously with sea salt and enjoy!
Pan Con Tomate
Ingredients: Serves 2
- Bread
- One large ripe tomato
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
- Splash of lemon juice
- Olive oil
If you have a decent loaf to use up, cut it thick so that it can be a good, sturdy base for your grated tomatoes. One large tomato will make enough puree for 2 people. If you haven’t got a leftover loaf – the par-baked ciabatta loaves work well.
Method
- Slice the bread loaf in half length-wise then in 2-inch slices, you want 2 slices per person max. Brush the bread generously with good olive oil and arrange on a sheet pan. Toast under the grill until the bread is lightly golden brown.
- Grate the tomatoes over the large holes of your grater – the peel is naturally left in your hand – discard. Season the tomato puree with salt and a splash of lemon juice
- When the bread is ready, rub the garlic cloves over the hot bread, then spread the grated tomatoes over the bread.
- Serve soon after you prepare it. Do not wait too long where the bread can get soggy.
Ham Croquettas
Ingredients – Makes 24:
- – 60g unsalted butter
- – 60ml olive oil
- – 120g flour
- – 1 medium onion very finely diced
- – 1l whole milk at room temperature
- – 1 pinch nutmeg
- – 225g jamón serrano or Parma ham diced into small pieces
- – flour for breading
- – 2 beaten eggs
- – breadcrumbs for breading (try Panko for non-traditional extra crispy croquettes!)
Method:
- Melt the butter and warm the oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes, until it just starts to colour.
- Add a pinch of salt and the nutmeg. Don’t add too much salt as the Serrano ham is already salty.
- Add the diced ham and sauté for 30 seconds more.
- Add the flour and stir continuously, until the flour darkens. You must not stop stirring or the flour will burn!
- When the flour changes colour, add the milk little by little, always stirring until you incorporate the entire amount. It should take about 15 minutes to add it all.
- Turn off the heat and let the dough cool to room temperature.
- Butter the sides of a large bowl and place the croquette dough inside, covered directly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate ideally a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- To make the ham croquettes, shape them into little logs (or use a pastry sleeve if you have one.)
- Next, while heating a pan full of olive oil on the stove, pass the croquettes through the three-step breading process. First, cover them in flour, then in egg, and, finally, in the breadcrumbs.
- Fry the ham croquettes in the hot oil for about five minutes (making sure to turn halfway so they brown evenly) and then let them cool for a few minutes before enjoying!
We Hope You Enjoyed The Class
If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef please do get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
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