SPANISH TAPAS CROQUETTES

Every good Spanish tapas bar has its own recipe for croquettes. They may be based on salt cod, prawns, minced chicken or cheese. This recipe comes from my favourite bar in the lovely historic city of Seville and uses prawns and Manchego cheese from La Mancha. The base is made with olive oil rather than butter and any good Andalucian oil will give the right flavour tones to the croquettes. Try San Leandro or Olivar de la Luna.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 level teaspoons plain flour
75ml milk
100g minced cooked prawns
100g grated Manchego cheese
a very little grated nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
dry breadcrumbs
ordinary olive oil for deep frying

Method
Whisk together the olive oil, flour and milk in a saucepan over a low heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken and then boil gently for a further 2-3 minutes.
Allow to cool a little. Add the minced cooked prawns and grated Manchego cheese and stir in the nutmeg and seasonings.
Chill and shape the mixture into walnut size balls. Coat in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs and deep fry in ordinary olive oil until crisp and brown. Drain on kitchen paper and serve at once.

MIXED BEAN AND KALE SOUP

April can still be quite cold in the northern hemisphere and this main course soup can be a welcome warmer. It is based on an Italian soffritto which is the start for so many Italian dishes and is excellent served in the Tuscan manner over a hunk of day-old bread. This recipe actually comes from friends in Ireland but their chosen oil is Galantino’s Terra di Bari, a really pungent olive oil based on Coratina olives from Southern Italy. If using canned beans weigh after they have been drained.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, sliced
1 carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
500ml well-flavoured vegetable stock
100g cooked or canned red kidney beans
75g cooked or canned chickpeas
150g curly kale, shredded
1 tablespoon tomato puree
teaspoon dried oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
hunks of day old bread

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add all the fresh vegetables except the kale. Stir over a low heat and cook gently for five minutes to release all the flavours. Add stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
Mash half the beans with a potato masher and add to the soup with the whole beans, chick peas, shredded kale, tomato puree, herbs and seasonings and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Very tough kale may need a little longer to soften.
Place hunks of day old bread into soup bowls and top with the soup. Drizzle on more olive oil and add a little more freshly ground black pepper just before serving.

GRILLED SCALLOPS ON WATERCRESS AND RADISH SALAD WITH GRATED CELERIAC

Spring is the time for this simple but delicious dish. It is great as a special first course or as a simple lunch dish. Buy the freshest scallops you can find and choose a sweet oil from Liguria or Catalonia to show off their creamy delicacy. The celeriac adds an extra dimension of aniseed and celery flavours.
Serves 2

Ingredients
75g/3oz peeled celeriac
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
75g/3oz watercress
4-6 radishes thinly sliced
8 large scallops
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 lemon wedges

Grate the celeriac and mix with half the lemon juice and creme fraiche. Place two spoonfuls on each plate.
Toss the watercress and radishes with three tablespoons of olive oil and the remaining lemon juice. Arrange on each plate.
Brush the scallops with a little olive oil and place under a hot grill. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they have turned opaque all the way through. Take care not to overcook.
Arrange on top of the watercress and radish salad and garnish with the lemon wedges. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the plates and serve at once.