ROPA VIEJA

Ropa vieja is the national dish of Cuba, a hearty stew made with shredded beef, tomato sauce, onions, and peppers. The stew is traditionally served with yellow rice and a glass of cold beer on the side. Like many Cuban dishes, this one also originated in Spain and was brought over to Cuba and the Caribbean territory by the Spaniards.

It is believed that the Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula invented the dish because they could not cook on the Sabbath, so they prepared this hearty stew a day in advance. Ropa vieja means old clothes, referring to an unusual story saying that a poor man once shredded and cooked his clothes because he could not afford to buy food.

As he prayed over the pot, a miracle happened and turned his clothes into a flavorful meat stew. Today, ropa vieja is a staple across the Caribbean and Cuba, with tweaks and modifications in the recipes throughout the regions.

INGREDIETS

0.91 kg beef chuck. Ask your butcher to cut it taller than wider, so you get long strands of beef along the grain. Oo you can use flank steak (see discussion in this post about cuts of beef and why we recommend chuck over flank)

1 large yellow onion thinly sliced

1 of each large green, red and yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

0.13 teaspoon ground allspice

0.13 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

120 ml dry white wine

235 ml chicken broth

482 g can crushed tomatoes

198 g can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 large carrot cut in half

1 large stalk celery cut in half

135 g green olives , rinsed and drained (you can slice them if you prefer)

70 g roasted red peppers drained

48 g pimientos drained

2 tablespoons capers rinsed and drained

20 g chopped fresh parsley

METHOD

1. Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Once very hot add the beef and brown generously on all sides. Transfer the beef to a plate. (Do not discard the drippings and blackened bits in the pot, they are key to the flavoUr.)

3. Add the sliced vegetables to the pot and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until caramelised. Add the garlic and spices and cook for another minute. Add the white wine and bring it to a rapid boil, deglazing the bottom of the pan (scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan).

4. Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Return the roast to the pot along with the pieces of carrots and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fork tender and falls apart easily. Discard the celery, carrots and bay leaves.

6. Transfer the beef to a plate and shred it. Return the shredded beef to the pot.

7. Stir in the olives, roasted red peppers, capers and pimientos. Simmer uncovered to thicken the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and add salt and pepper to taste.

Lechon Asado

With its rich mix of African, Spanish, and Indigenous Taíno roots, Puerto Rico has a long history of merging diverse culinary traditions to create new flavors. From plantains brought to the Island by enslaved Africans, to yuca cultivated by the Taíno, to rice brought by the Spaniards, Puerto Rican food has evolved throughout the centuries, and it continues to do so.

The art of pig roasting is taken so seriously in Puerto Rico that lechón asado was declared an official part of the Island’s gastronomic heritage. Cooking lechón is a ritual; the pig roasts for over eight hours before being skillfully carved behind the counters with machetes. Every lechonera has a unique recipe, but one constant is the adobo; a seasoning containing salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, annatto, and sometimes ajíes dulces—a mild sweet pepper which is a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine.

INGREDIENTS

For the mojo

50 peeled cloves garlic

5/8 oz. kosher salt (1-1/2 Tbs. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbs. Morton)

1 Tbs. freshly cracked black pepper

1 Tbs. dried oregano

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. fresh orange juice (from 1 medium)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large)

2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (from 1 small)

For the pork

1 6- to 8-lb. bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1-1/2 lemons)

3 large lemons, cut into wedges

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

METHOD

1. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the juices. Reserve 1/2 cup of the mojo and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Use a paring knife to make 20 deep slits all over the pork. Using your fingers, push the remaining mojo into the slits. Wrap the pork well in plastic wrap, place skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet or platter, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

3. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 1 hour before cooking. Meanwhile, set up a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking between 325°F and 350°F; if using a charcoal grill, bank the lit, ashed-over coals to one side of the grill. Cover the grill, and adjust the vents as needed to reach the temperature range. For a gas grill, cover the grill, turn off one or more of the burners, and adjust the active burner(s) to reach the temperature range.

4. Pat the pork skin dry with paper towels. Put the pork, skin side up, on the cooler part of the grill and cook, rotating (but not flipping) every couple of hours, until the skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer registers 190°F to 200°F in the centre of the pork, 6 to 8 hours.

5. Toward the end of the pork’s cooking, combine the reserved 1/2 cup mojo, the onion, olive oil, and lemon juice in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat, until the onion softens and the flavours meld, about 8 minutes. (The mojo can sit at room temperature for a few hours.)

Serve the pork

1. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Remove the skin. Tent just the pork with foil and let sit for up to an hour before serving. Scrape off and discard the soft fat underneath the skin, then cut the crispy part (the crackling) into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a small platter, add a few lemon wedges, and serve the chicharrones (cracklings) as an appetiser.

2. Meanwhile, use your hands to break the meat into chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Pour about 1/3 cup of the mojo over it and toss to coat. Transfer to a large platter along with the remaining lemon wedges. Sprinkle with the sea salt and serve, passing the remaining mojo around the table with it.

Lomo Saltado

Lomo saltado is a popular, traditional Peruvian dish, a stir fry that typically combines marinated strips of sirloin (or other beef steak) with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and other ingredients; and is typically served with rice. The dish originated as part of the chifa tradition, the Chinese cuisine of Peru, though its popularity has made it part of the mainstream culture.

In his 2013 article in the Huffington Post UK, British-Peruvian chef Martin Morales called lomo saltado "one of Peru's most loved dishes" and that this dish "shows the rich fusion of old and new worlds. This juicy mixture of beef, onions, tomatoes, aji Amarillo paste and soy sauce sauteed in a large pan (or wok) is one of the many contributions Chinese immigration brought to Peru." He explains, "Lomo Saltado is sometimes known as a Criollo dish but more known as a Peruvian-Chinese dish; a favourite Chifa dish. These are its true roots".

INGREDIENTS

300g fillet steak, cut into large cubes

1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying

½ large red onion, cut into thick wedges

1 tomato, halved, deseeded and cut lengthways into eighths

1 amarillo chilli or medium red chilli, deseeded and sliced lengthways

1 tbsp Pisco (grape brandy) or vodka

2 tbsp ají amarillo chilli paste or Basic chilli paste

small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

rice, to serve (optional)

For the marinade

2 garlic cloves, chopped

75ml soy sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp ground cumin

METHOD

Make the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the meat to the bowl and mix so that it is well covered. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hrs, overnight if you have time.

Drain the meat, reserving the marinade. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat until just smoking, then add the meat – be careful, the oil might splutter. Cook as quickly as possible, tossing it until the meat is browned on all sides. Add the red onion and cook for 1 min.

Add the tomato and chilli, then immediately spoon in the Pisco. Pour over the reserved marinade and chilli paste, stir well, turn off the heat and leave the meat to rest in the sauce for a couple of mins.

Garnish with coriander and serve with steamed rice or chunky chips, if you like.

Arepas

The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Venezuela, Panamá and Colombia. Instruments used to make flour for the arepas, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area. Although it has not been specified in which country an arepa was cooked for the first time, it has been possible to define the oldest dates of the presence of maize in Colombia and in Venezuela.

Throughout its history, the arepa has stayed mainly unchanged from the arepas that pre-Columbian native peoples would have consumed, making the arepa one of the few pre-contact traditions that have remained popular in the years since colonization. The name arepa is said to be derived from erepa, the word for cornbread in the Cumanagoto language.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups arepa flour, (pre-cooked cornmeal)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups warm water

Coconut oil for frying

METHOD

Mix arepa flour and salt. Slowly add warm water and knead to form a dough ball. Rest dough for about 5 minutes.

Divide dough into 6-8 pieces, roll into a ball in the palm of hands. Flatten dough to form a disk about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat Griddle or cast-iron skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Add arepas and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Using a knife cut arepas down the centre but leaving the back ends attached. Stuff with black beans, plantains, guacamole, jackfruit carnitas, scrambled tofu or your favourite stuffing and serve immediately.

Seafood Paella

Valencia in Eastern Spain is the undisputed home of paella. It is one of the largest natural ports in the Mediterranean and has been one of the most important rice-producing areas in Spain since rice was introduced by the Moors over 1200 years ago.

Paella was originally farmers' and farm labourers' food, cooked by the workers over a wood fire for the lunchtime meal. It was made with rice, plus whatever was to hand around the rice fields and countryside: tomatoes, onions and snails, with a few beans added for flavour and texture. Rabbit or duck might also have been added, and for special occasions, chicken plus a touch of saffron for an extra special colour and flavour. Paella was also traditionally eaten straight from the pan in which it was cooked with each person using his own wooden spoon.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp each hot smoked paprika and dried thyme

300g paella or risotto rice

3 tbsp dry sherry or white wine (optional)

400g can chopped tomatoes with garlic

900ml chicken stock

400g frozen seafood mix , defrosted / or chicken or both.

1 lemon, ½ juiced, ½ cut into wedges

handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add the onion and soften for 5 mins.

Add the smoked paprika, thyme and paella rice, stir for 1 min, then splash in the sherry, if using. Once evaporated, stir in the chopped tomatoes and chicken stock.

Season and cook, uncovered, for about 15 mins, stirring now and again until the rice is almost tender and still surrounded with some liquid.

Stir in the seafood mix and cover with a lid. Simmer for 5 mins, or until the seafood is cooked through and the rice is tender. Squeeze over the lemon juice, scatter over the parsley and serve with the lemon wedges.

Arroz Chaufa

Arroz chaufa, also known as arroz de chaufa, is a Chinese-Peruvian fried rice dish from the "chifa" culinary tradition. A beautiful example of culinary fusion, it's one of the most popular dishes in Peruvian cuisine.

Chifa is a type of cuisine marrying Chinese-Cantonese elements with traditional Peruvian ingredients and cooking methods. It was created when Chinese immigrants (mainly from Guangdong and Guangzhou) immigrated to Peru, settling along its coast and in its capital city, Lima. Originally a Peruvian cuisine, chifa has since spread to Ecuador, Chile, and Bolivia, and has become one of the most popular types of food throughout all of Peru!

INGREDIENTS

5 eggs scrambled and then roughly chopped

2 ½ cups cold cooked white rice Cook the rice in chicken broth or chicken base like Better than Bouillon instead of water

½ cup onions diced small

2 garlic cloves minced

1 whole red bell pepper diced I diced mine into small pieces

½ cup thinly sliced green onions plus the white parts

salt and pepper for taste

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Soy sauce mix:

⅛ cup soy sauce

¼ tsp sesame oil

2 pinches cumin

¼ tsp ground ginger (only add it if you are not using fresh ginger) if using fresh, use 1 tablespoon and cook it with the fresh veggies

1 pinch of sugar

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the red bell peppers and onions. Sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Right before the pepper and onions are done add the fresh ginger (if using fresh ginger) and green onions. Sauté for a min. carefully mix well.

Add half the rice. Mix well then add the rest of the rice. Mix well. Add the soy sauce mixture. Mix well then add the chopped scrambled eggs. Toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Beef chilli

Ingredients

40ml    Vegetable oil

125g     Diced onions

20g       Crushed Garlic

4g        Cracked Black Pepper

4g        Sea Salt

8g         Cumin Seeds

8g         Coriander Seeds

6g         Smoked Paprika 

500g    Diced Beef Chuck

225g     Grated Carrots

225g     Butternut Squash – Grated

150g     Tinned Haricot Blanc

10g       Red Chillies

100ml   Red Wine

200ml  Orange Juice

10g       Thyme

40g       Veg Bouillion

250ml  Water

300g    Chopped Tinned Tomatoes

 Method:

1. Heat the veg oil and fry the onions, garlic & dry spices until the onions are softened.

2. Add the meat and increase the heat to fry good colour onto the beef and permeate with the spices.

3. Once you have fried the beef, reduce the heat to a medium temperature and add the grated carrot, squash, tinned haricot blanc & cook for 5 minutes until the veg starts to soften and coat the meat.

4. Add the chillies, red wine, orange juice, thyme, veg bouillon, water & tinned chopped tomatoes. 

5. Cook slowly until the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced to a thick creamy consistency. 

Note.

Adjust seasoning and spice levels to taste (you can even finish by melting in a couple of cubes of dark chocolate once removed from the heat to round the flavours off).

Creamy Chalk Stream Farm Trout Pasta

Ingredients

2 Chalk Stream Farm Trout fillets

120g Smoked Salmon belly trimmings

1 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp if roasting

175g penne

2 shallots or 1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

100ml white wine

200ml double cream or crème fraîche

¼ lemon, zested and juiced

½ small bunch dill, finely chopped

Method

Step 1

You can either steam or roast the trout, depending if you want to turn the oven on or not. To roast, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, place on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast for 12mins until opaque and the flesh starts to flake when pressed. To steam, place the fillets skin-side down in a steamer, and steam over a pan of simmering water for 8-10 mins until cooked.

Step 2

While the trout is cooking, boil the pasta for 10 mins until aldente, then drain, reserving 100ml of the pasta water.

Step 3

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a wide frying pan and fry the shallot for 6 minutes until softened, but not turning golden. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more until fragrant. Add the wine, bubble for a few minutes until reduced by half, then add the cream and season well. Bring to a very gentle simmer.

Step 4

Flake the cooked trout into big chunky pieces, leaving the skin behind. Add to the sauce with the cooked pasta. Add the lemon zest, a squeeze of the juice and most of the dill. Add a splash of the pasta water to the sauce to coat the pasta if you need to. Toss gently to keep the trout in big pieces. Check the seasoning, infusing double cream you may need a squeeze more lemon juice. Grind over some black pepper and scatter over the remaining dill. Serve with a green salad.

Beetroot relish

Ingredients

1kg raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely shredded (thin julienne strips are ideal if you have a mandolin or food processor)

750g red or white onions, finely sliced

750g apples, peeled, cored and grated

500ml red wine vinegar or cider vinegar (at least 5% acidity)

500g soft light brown sugar

2 tbsp peeled and freshly grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cinnamon sticks

1 heaped tsp of turmeric

2 tsp of paprika or cayenne

1 level tsp of ground cloves

zest and juice of 2 oranges

a splash of port (optional)

Method

Prep time: 15 min

Cooking time: 1h 15 min

Step 1

Put all the ingredients in a large stainless steel preserving or heavy-based pan, or use a large enamelled cast-iron casserole dish. Don't use any other metal pan, as the vinegar may react with it.

Step 2

Heat the mixture until boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the beetroot is tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Step 3

Remove the cinnamon sticks. Pot the relish into warm, sterilised jars; fill almost to the brim and seal immediately (we used a kilner jar for our front cover photo, but you should use vinegar-proof lids). Once cooled, label and store in a cool, dark place; it should keep for a few months.

Step 4

Once opened, keep in the fridge and eat within a week.

Venus rice & charred broccoli “tabBouleh”

Ingredients:

200gr Venus rice, cooked according to packet instructions

350gr Broccoli, quartered and blanched for 1 minute in boiling water

2 red chillies, seeded and chopped

35ml Pomegranate molasses

½ Bunch of basil, picked and roughly chopped

½ Bunch chives, roughly cut

½ Bunch Parsley, roughly chopped

40ml Verdemanda olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Seasoning

Pickled Onions

250gr Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced

100ml Riesling vinegar

100gr Caster sugar

100ml Water

Seasoning

Method:

1. Grill the broccoli on an open flame till well charred and then chop finely

2. For the pickled onions, mix the water, sugar, vinegar and seasoning together and bring to the boil. Pour over the onions and allow to pickle for a few hours

3. Mix the rice, 100gr of the pickled onions, broccoli, chilli. pomegranate molasses, chopped herbs, olive oil, garlic and lemon well and serve at room temperature