Olé for Cooking

The Hog’s Back Hotel & Spa’s Head Chef, Albert, shares his greatest cooking hack and his must-have recipes for sumptuous Spanish soups – perfect for a hot summer’s day.

cooking! Olé for

‘MY SECRET TO A PERFECT PAELLA!’

What are your earliest memories of cooking? When I was 17 years old, my mother became ill and was unable to cook for me as she used to, so I had to learn to cook for myself. When did you first realise you wanted to become a chef? I did not really know what I wanted to do when I was younger, but when I was 20 years old my father encouraged me to go to college to become a chef and this is what I did. How would you describe your cooking style? A fusion of Mediterranean and modern English. What inspires you in the kitchen? Preparing dishes for customers that they will enjoy and appreciate the level of the creativity and care that has been taken – and receiving compliments from happy guests. Who is your culinary hero? Ferran Adria, formerly the Head Chef of the 3-Michelin Star El Bulli in Roses on the Costa Brava, once one of the best restaurants in the world. Which one ingredient would you take to a desert island? Sugar – I have a very sweet tooth! Which starter, main course and dessert is your favourite? Three textures of artichoke with seared foie gras, Perigueux Sauce and a foie gras foam; slow-cooked beef cheeks, black truffle mashed potato, sauteed ceps and spring onions, port velal jus; cheese ice cream, tomato and vanilla marmalade, black olive tapenade, courgettes coulis and a citrus tuile. What would be your ultimate menu showstopper? Slow-cooked beef cheeks, black truffle mashed potato, sauteed ceps and spring onions, port velal jus. Which is your greatest cooking hack? To make the perfect paella, first you need to make a very concentrated base of chopped onions, garlic, red peppers, and tomato puree, and caramelise well. What’s your recipe for being a successful chef? Have passion for your work and enjoy what you do.

Ajo Blanco

Ingredients

200g whole blanched almonds 75g white bread, crusts removed (halved) 600ml iced water 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped ½ cucumber, peeled and de-seeded 75ml olive oil 1-2 tablespoons sherry or white wine vinegar Salt and pepper

To Serve

1 tbs flaked almonds 24 seedless white grapes (halved) 100g cooked octopus (optional) 1 tbs cayenne pepper 50g watermelon (cubed)

Method

Place the almonds in a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat until they start to colour. Repeat this step with the flaked almonds and reserve them for the garnish. Cover the white bread with the iced water and soak for 10 minutes until soft. Drain and squeeze out the water. Reserve the water for the next stage. Place the whole almonds in a food processor and the bread, and process until fairly finely ground. Add the garlic and cucumber and continue to blitz. Drizzle in the rest of the water, the olive oil and half of the white wine vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper, adding a little more vinegar if you think it needs it. The soup should be very smooth. If it still feels grainy, pass it through a fine sieve. Transfer to a serving bowl or jug, cover and chill for 2 hours.

To serve, pour/ladle into bowls and top with the flaked almonds, octopus, watermelon, grapes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Salmorejo

Ingredients

2 slices white bread 8 large ripe tomatoes (chopped) 1 green pepper (chopped) 3 garlic cloves (roughly chopped) 75ml olive oil 2-3 tbs sherry or cider vinegar

To Serve

1 hard-boiled egg (chopped & crumbled) ½ red onion (diced) Serrano ham (cubed) ½ green pepper (diced)

Method

Soak the bread in a shallow dish of water for 30 seconds.

Transfer the bread to a food processor, add the chopped tomatoes, green pepper, garlic and olive oil, and blend to a smooth consistency. Add 2 tbs of the cider vinegar, a pinch of salt and 100ml of water, and blend again adding a little more water if the consistency is too thick. Check the seasoning and add a little more salt, vinegar or olive oil to taste.

Chill the soup for at least 2 hours.

To serve drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, ground black pepper, topped with the hard-boiled egg, red onion, Serrano ham and green pepper.