Elite life
Gibraltar (Gibraltarian Recipes)
Soups are generally based on fish and seafood and one of the most famous soups is the fishermans chowder, with mussels, shrimp, crab, calamari and fresh fish. Seafood is also used for the cold recipes, like the tuna sushi roll or the iced selfish platter, which includes clams, shrimp, lobster, oysters and calamari. The salads are very fresh and exotic, like the aragula and endive salad, with roasted pears, gorgonzola, walnuts and honey lemon vinaigrette. The most famous pastas are the fettuccine with crab (with smoked salmon and spinach) and the potatoes gnocchi (with mushroom, mascarpone and Parmigiano). A very popular meat dish is the sautéed salmon filet, with sweet potatoes, poppy seeds, verts and lemon butter sauce.
Ingredients:
250 g chick pea flour
750 ml cold water
Salt and freshly ground FairTrade black pepper
250 ml Equal Exchange Palestinian Fair Trade olive oil
Cooking Instructions:
If chick pea flour is not available, grind dry chick peas in a coffee grinder. Mix the flour and water to a smooth paste. Pour the oil into an oven proof dish and heat through in the oven at Gas Mark 5. Carefully add the paste. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour until the centre is set and the sides are crisp.
Ingredients:
1/4 lb Bacon cut in small pieces
1 t Paprika
1/2 c Chopped onion
1 c Diced raw potato
1 cn (6.5-oz) chopped clams
1/4 c White wine
1 c Crab legs/imitation crab
1 c Shrimp
1 c Scallops halved/quartered
1 t Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
1 Bay leaf
1/2 ts Thyme
2 1/2 c Skim milk
1/2 c Instant mashed potatoes to thicken
Any other shellfish you like
Cooking Instructions:
In a heavy soup pot or kettle, brown the bacon with the paprika, onion and potato, sauteing until potato and onions are soft and bacon is cooked. Add the clams, wine, crab legs, shrimp, scallops and nay other seafood or fish. Season with salt and pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Stir in the milk and heat over low flame, stirring constantly. Do not allow mixture to boil. When seafood and fish are thoroughly heated through, thicken chowder by adding instant potatoes. Remove bay leaf and serve. Chowder may be prepared ahead, refrigerated, then re-heated in a crock pot or over very low heat.
Ingredients:
Four 6- to 8-ounce salmon fillets with the skin on or off, steaks, or medallions for main course
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or clarified butter
Cooking Instructions:
Season the salmon liberally on both sides with salt and pepper and let sit in the refrigerator for between 30 minutes and 4 hours, or soak it in brine in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, depending on its thickness. Place a plate on top of the salmon to keep it submerged. In either case, pat the salmon dry just before sautéing. If you've used brine, season it only with pepper.
Heat the oil or butter in heavy-bottomed (preferably nonstick) sauté pan just large enough to hold the salmon, until the oil forms ripples and barely begins to smoke. If you're sautéing skin-on fillet, place them in the pan skin side down and press on them firmly for the first 2 minutes with the back of a spatula to keep the fillet from curling.
If you're sautéing skin-off fillets, put the most attractive side down -the side that was facing the inside of the salmon, not the side that once had the skin attached- in the pan first (so that it will be facing up when you turn the fillets over). For inch-thick fillets or steaks, sauté over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes on the first side, turn then over with a spatula and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.
If the salmon starts to brown or the oil or butter smokes, turn the heat down to medium. Keep in mind that the total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes per inch of total thickness (depending on how you like your salmon done) and that the salmon should spend more time sautéing on the first side (the eventual presentation side) so that you're sure to end up with a savory golden crust or crisp skin. Adjust the cooking times according to the salmon's thickness.
Remove the salmon from the pan with a spatula and pat it dry on both sides with a paper towel to get rid of any taste of burned fat. Serve immediately on hot plates.
