Gordon Ramsay protégée Angela Hartnett has earned her restaurant, the Connaught's MENU and The Grill, a Michelin star. Here, she shares favourite tapas recipes
We warmed to Angela Hartnett instantly when she described her usual way of drinking white wine. 'I'm a peasant. I put ice in my wine,' she reveals. 'It totally ruins the wine but I like it really cold.' We figure if the acclaimed chef of Menu at London's Connaught Hotel, protégée of Gordon Ramsay and 'Hell's Kitchen' chef on ITV1 doesn't get uptight about food and drink, neither should we.
So when Hartnett and her sommelier invited us to learn about sherry, we decided we had to keep an open mind. We always thought sherry sounded too sniffy for us, but the range from dry to sharp to sweet makes it versatile and a good alternative to standard tipples of merlot and pinot grigio. Just like sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes from that region in France, sherry is only sherry when it comes from the Jerez region in Spain. The different kinds - from fino, manzanilla, oloroso and amontillado - range in sweetness and colour from light yellow to dark brown. One of the best ways to enjoy sherry is with tapas - a traditional pairing at bars across Spain. Here, we show you how to throw a Spanish party that brings a little bit of Costa del Sol to the UK.
The concept
The menu
The recipes
The concept: Spanish Fly
Keep the mood relaxed and convivial with a Spanish-themed evening that's quick to put together. Small-bite tapas are perfect for hot evenings when you don't feel like stuffing yourself, and sherry is an authentic accompaniment that brings out their flavour. Have olives and almonds in several bowls around the room and hand guests a glass of chilled manzanilla as they arrive. Bring out the ham, salami, Manchego, bread along with a dish of toothpicks for spearing it all as everyone begins their second drink. Then circulate with the warm chorizo dish alongside a tray of short cafe style glasses filled with Palo Cortado. Finish with Pedro Ximenez, blue cheese, and shot glasses of tiramisu (ok, so we usually think of it as Italian, but Angela's version is a top-notch Sherry accompaniment).
Once everyone has had their fill, push back the furniture, turn on some flamenco or salsa music and get dancing. (Don't know how? Buy a video or DVD online or better yet, check one out from the library and have a laugh learning as a group.) You can find the listed sherries at well-stocked wine merchants, or ask a knowledgeable sales clerk for a comparable bottle.
The menu
Marinated Spanish olives
Roasted almonds
Spanish ham
Salami
Manchego cheese
Crusty bread
Roast chorizo sausages with shrimps served with Palo Cortado
Tiramisu served with Pedro Ximenez
Cabrales blue cheese
- Roast chorizo sausages with shrimps
- Tiramisu with Pedro Ximenez
Roast chorizo sausages with shrimps
Drink with Palo Cortado
Angela says, 'Medium dry sherry with a nutty character matches perfectly with food that is not too spicy.'
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
250g of baby chorizo sausages from a butcher or normal chorizo
8 fresh king prawns
200ml red wine
1 banana shallot
some thyme
a couple of bay leaves
handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
1. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil
2. Add the finely sliced shallot and cook until colourless, then remove from the pan and place on a side dish
3. Add the chorizo sausages and cook them lightly
4. Add the red wine, bay leaves and thyme, and place the shallots back in the pan
5. Cook until the wine has reduced
6. When ready allow everything to cool in the liquid
7. In another pan quick fry the prawns in a light chilli oil, and finish with the flat leaf parsley
8. When cooked place prawns and chorizo on skewers and drizzle with the red wine sauce
9. Serve on a warm plate with a glass of Palo Cortado
Tiramisu with Pedro Ximenez
Drink with 20-year Pedro Ximenez. Angela Hartnett says, 'Very sweet PX matches fantastically well with the chocolate and fruit.'
Serves 8
Ingredients
500g mascarpone
80g sugar
12 yolks
80g sugar
12 egg whites
80g sugar
500g whipping cream
1. Whip the mascarpone and sugar together
2. Whip the egg yolks and sugar together (this creates a cold sabayon)
3. Whip the egg whites and add the sugar to make a meringue
4. Lightly whip the whipping cream
5. Fold the sweetened mascarpone with half of the whipping cream. Add the cold sabayon. Add the meringue. Fold in the rest of the whipping cream.
6. Serve with a coffee and sherry reduction, made by mixing espresso with PX sherry together in a tall shot glass. Finish with grated bitter chocolate and biscuits.
For more tapas recipes, visit www.tenstartapas.com.