Papas Arrugadas

Papas Arrugadas or Canary Potatoes as we also know them. Cooked in so much salt they have a salty crust on them. Originally they would have used sea water, but these days you use tap water with tons of salt.

The pic here on my ipod doesn't quite do them justice - they were really crusted all over with salt. 

My grandparents found Tenerife back in the early 80's. Back then you played cards in the library, dressed up for dinner and repaired to the drawing for brandy or liqueurs. Going back twice a year (November and the whole of February) they met up with a social scene of fellow English holidaymakers of the same age who kept going back to - a home from home.

Every night it would be a different restaurant - there were lots to choose from, many of which now have sadly closed as the younger generations tastes have moved on, and the owners of the restaurants have retired. Most of the restaurateurs knew their regular customers, even though they came out only twice a year - that's how to keep people coming back!

One of the must have accompaniments for every main course was the papas arrugadas served with mojo sauce which comes as either green or red, based on green or red chilli peppers. We've always tried to reprocate the sauce, but never quite got it as nice. A work in progress. Green seems to go better with fish, red with meat.

Up to last year I had also never quite ventured into trying those potatoes, but they were the ideal accompaniment for whatever Spanish theme menu I was doing that night.

You say Papas, I say Patatas

The Spanish word for potatoes is Patatas as you know from patatas bravas. Papas is the word they use in Latin America. It was the Incas who brought potatoes over from Latin America in the 1500's, at first as a plant, nobody really wanted to eat them.

In truth we don't have quite the right potatoes in this country. In Tenerife it's Papa Negra. The nearest I could find was Jersey Royals because of the hard earthy skin.

This is more salt than you can think is humanly possible, but hang in there- they're going to be amazing potatoes!


Ingredients

750g Jersey Royal Potatoes (if out of season small King Edwards might work well)
150g Sea salt
Water to cover

How to

Put the Potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add the salt. Bring to the boil and boil for about 20 minutes till soft. Drain the water and put the potatoes back in the pan on a low heat to boil dry. This is what makes the dry salt crust on the outside.

If you're cooking these in advance I found you could reheat them in the oven on a tray with foil over for about 15 minutes @ 180 oC.

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2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge - Q is for Quinoa and sesame crusted squid

Nothing like this for a late night snack!

Quinoa and sesame crusted squiddly diddly  with soy and lime

Ever since I discovered the salt and pepper squid I've been hooked - such a simple & quick way to cook squid and it tastes fresh rather than covering it in batter as some do.
If people have heard of quinoa most people aren't sure what to do with it. It's nice to use like cous cous as a side or salad. But you can also use it as a crust like this - you can also sprinkle uncooked quinoa on top of fish before grilling/ baking - it goes crispy.

Almost one for hen parties...... the tentacles of this one went on for miles

Quinoa crusted squid - for 1 portion I used:

1 squid, prepared, cleaned and dried
handful flour
1 egg
20g quinoa
20g sesame seeds
20g black sesame seeds
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed sea salt

1. In a mixing bowl mix together the quinoa, sesame, salt & pepper.
2. Cut the squid into rings (leave the tentacle part whole).
3. Dip the squid rings and tentacles into the flour, then egg, then in the quinoa and seed mix.
4. Shake off excess and place on a tray. It is best to refrigerate them for an hour or so before use - helps the quinoa/ seed crust to stay on while cooking. Although if you are in a rush you could just go ahead and fry them anyway.
5. Heat oil in a wok to 180 oC - you can test the temperature with a temperature probe. If you are using gas to cook on be very careful - hot oil can start fires.
6. Fry till golden - probably only 1 minute.
7. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon on to a tray with kitchen paper to mop up any excess grease and serve straight away!

Wok fried - sitting next to the aubergine cooking for the next but one #AtoZChallenge entry

Soy and lime dip

Light soy sauce (has to be light - dark soy is too strong)
Freshly squeezed lime juice
Rice wine
Chilli
Coriander


You can read fascinating facts about quinoa here - there's also a link to 25 quinoa recipes.

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1001 Kitchen Tips #1 - Season your frying pan/ How to salt a frying pan

Any help in the kitchen is generally gratefully received. Last year I had someone washing up. He seemed to be doing such a good job I left him to it. A few minues later he was still scubbing away ".... almost got rid of this" he said "it was really tough to get off...." I looked more closely. He had indeed got rid of most of it - the non-stick on my best baking tray that is.

FAQ

How do you season a frying pan?
Is there something you must do to a new stainless steel pan before using it?
What does it mean to season a pan?

When it comes to frying pans, you can't beat stainless steel - brilliant heat distribution, and so easy to clean afterwards.

The trick to make sure what you're cooking doesn't stick is to season the pan - sprinkle a thin layer of salt in and let it heat up.

Then with a cloth wipe it around - as if you were polishing it. Watch out as the salt gets very hot, and will burn if you come into contact with it.
After this, empty the salt into a metal container to cool down before discarding (the heat in the salt will burn throuh plastic, especially bin bags!). Rub the pan again to remove the last grains of salt and you are ready to fry.
Related posts:

Other 1001 Kitchen tips

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