Spanish Seafood

SPANISH cuisine consists mostly of seafood because it is surrounded with the Mediterranean Sea. Other influences that have inspired Spanish cuisine is its Moorish connections thus delicious lamb-based food abound although one important fact remains – Spaniards always use olive oil in sautéing food. Olive oil is the healthiest cooking oil known to man and the Spaniards have one of the longest life expectancies in the planet. Also note that the Spaniards hate frozen fish. Seafood served in the restaurants are really fresh ones plucked from the Mediterranean sea and directly into the restaurants’ kitchens to be cooked in various forms. I’ll now mention to you some of the dishes and how they are cooked.
The first one that I’ll tell you about is shrimp and chorizo skewers. First things first. Devein the shrimp. Never ever serve shrimp which hasn’t been deveined yet. It’s a mortal sin among culinary circles. For this particular dish, you’ll need 12 large shrimps. That’s why you need to devein them. It’s okay not to devein small shrimps by the way. But make sure that after deveining the shrimps, leave the tails attached. This makes serving the cooked dish later attractive. Next, place chorizo slices in the crooks of the shrimps. Refrigerate the whole thing as desired. When you’re ready to cook, brush a little olive oil in your sautéing pan. Sautee until shrimps are crispy. The combined juices of the chorizo and the shrimp will make the dish very yummy. Hmm…
For paella españa, the real bulk of the dish is chicken but then again, squid, shrimps and mussels are also included so this can still be classified as seafood, right? For this recipe, you really need one whole fried chicken. I must admit that this dish cost some but if you’re planning a blowout for your daughter’s birthday, this can be one. Cut the fried chicken into 12 pieces, rinse them and pat them dry. Season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Heat the whole thing until the chicken becomes golden brown. Also include heating two Spanish chorizos until they turn golden brown too. Slice the sausages and separate from the chicken. Sautee garlic, onion and tomatoes separately. Season with salt, black pepper and paprika. Slowly add two cups Spanish rice into the mixture. Add ¼ cup water and let it simmer for five minutes. Add shellfish, the chicken and the sausage. After it’s cooked, let it rest for five minutes before being served. Garnish with peas and lemon on top. This particular paella can serve up to eight persons.
For ceviche, you need one whole fish. Cut the deboned fish into ½ inch squares and place in a bowl. Mix onion, garlic, pepper, salt and lemon juice into the bowl. Refrigerate for eight hours. Serve as an appetizer.
For the fish and clams in garlic wine sauce, there are two essential ingredients in this one – the garlic sauce (called alioli) and the white wine. Alioli is made by mixing garlic, two egg yolks, 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice and one cup of olive oil to make a garlic paste. This is then added to the sautéed fish and clams along with the other condiments like wine, crushed red pepper and thyme.

