Thursday Night Tapas

I felt like some picky things tonight so opted for my own version of tapas. I had Chilli Prawns, Chorizo in Wine with Shallots and Prawns with Garlic and Lime juice.

Chorizo in Wine

• Slice the chorizo into half inch thick slices.
• Finely slice a shallot and a garlic clove.
• Fry the chorizo until crispy and slightly blackened at the edges. Remove from the pan.
• Add the shallot and garlic to the pan and fry until slightly golden but not browned.
• Add the chorizo back to the pan and throw in a big splash of red wine.  Allow it bubble down to half its original quantity.
• Then add some finely chopped black pepper, flat-leaf parsley and fresh thyme. Give the whole thing a stir and place into a small dish and place in the oven at the same time as the prawns.

Prawns with Garlic & Lime
This one's easy. For this and the next prawn recipe, used cooked and peeled king prawns.
Mix the prawns well with a couple of teaspoons each of olive oil and lime juice, a finely chopped garlic clove, some seasoning and chopped flat-leaf parsley.  Heat gently in the oven for approximately 15mins.

Chilli Prawns

Mix the prawns well with chilli flakes, smoked paprika, finely chopped garlic clove, some seasoning and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley. As with the other prawn dish, heat gently in the oven for approximately 15mins.


These dishes are nice served with a crusty roll.

Any of these dishes would also make a nice starter or lunch dish.

Prawn Cocktail

Everyone loves prawn cocktail, it may be very 1980s but it has had a renaissance in recent years if TV chefs are anything to go by.  I didn't put mine in a fancy glass as its intended purpose is to be part of a buffet. I also don't go to the bother of making mayonnaise so purists might get offended.

I mix mayonnaise with tomato ketchup, some pepper, pinch of paprika and some lemon juice.  Then you add prawns and stir ensuring that every prawn is completely coated with the sauce. Spoon a little of the prawn mix onto a Little Gem lettuce leaf which doubles as the serving plate.  I also chopped up a shallot very finely and sprinkled a little on each leaf before I added the prawns.  You can then sprinkle a dusting of paprika on top of each little mound of prawns to make it pretty.

Bruschetta

I love tomato bruschetta and I'd be lying if I said mine was an authentic version. I base it on a similar dish that was served in a restaurant now long gone from Limerick city 'La Romana'. It was a lovely little place that served delicious pizzas and pasta dishes and it was here that I tasted chorizo for the first time.

What I do is chop up large tomatoes in medium-sized chunks, mix them with some crushed garlic, olive oil, salt & black pepper, some balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sugar. I let this warm gently in the oven and spread it over toaste ciabatta loaf. This is nice for lunch, with salad for dinner or as a dinner party starter.

For Jackie: Stuffed Mushrooms

I had a party at a flat I lived in a few years ago and Jackie was staying with me for a few days. We decided to share the cooking between us. I remember I did some Indian chicken skewers but the thing that stands out is that Jackie did stuffed mushrooms with a rocket salad and I think I recall there was a balsamic dressing on the salad. I could be wrong but that doesn't happen too often!

Tonight I've had the house to myself and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do some mushrooms. Mr. Chops hates them and everything about them.

• I dry fried 2 rashers and when really crispy I broke them up into little pieces.
• Meanwhile, I'd roasted some red pepper until blackened to remove the skin, then sliced it into thin strips.
• In the meantime, I crushed a small clove of garlic and mixed it into some light cream cheese.
• I removed the stalks from some medium sized mushrooms and placed them on a baking tray.
• I then sprinkled the bacon bits into the mushrooms.
• Spooned on the cream cheese.
• Sprinkled on lashings of black pepper, a pinch of dried parsley and covered with a couple of slices of red pepper.

They were cooked in the oven for approximately 30mins at moderate heat. Leave them sit for a minute before you eat them it gives the cheese a chance to tighten up. These are nice served with a mixed salad or some rocket like the beautiful Jackie would do.

The First Bite

Smoked Salmon Mousse

This is my simplified version of what I have discovered can be a complicated dish. There's versions of it with gelatine and creme fraiche etc. I decided to make it more suitable for my needs, that is, a bit healthier.

Line a ramekin with a few slices of smoked salmon.

Mix the following together vigorously:
- A couple of tablespoons of light mayonnaise
- A couple of tablespoons of light cream cheese
- A couple of slices of finely chopped smoked salmon
- Finely chopped capers
- Tablespoon of lemon juice
- Pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper

Spoon the mixture onto the salmon slices, pressing it down firmly as you go. Then cover with the overlapping salmon.

Put in the fridge for a couple of hours and hey presto! A fairly decent, quick and easy Smoked Salmon Mousse.

This would be nice served as a lunch or light dinner with homemade melba toast or Irish soda bread.  This would also make a really nice starter for a fancy pantsy dinner party, if you serve it with some peppery rocket salad and a couple of pieces of granary toast.