THIS week's recipes pay homage to our new restaurant opening soon at Waterman House, the essence of which celebrates the very best of European cuisine.
These two authentic dishes, Spanish tortilla and paella rice with prawns and chorizo, are classically cooked and celebrate local, seasonal ingredients.
The Spanish tortilla is easy to cook and can be enjoyed hot or cold, making it a great dish to enjoy on those hot summer days. It is also a delicious way to use up your left-over potatoes.
The second recipe - prawn and chorizo paella - is a flavoursome one-pot dish that even those less experienced cooks can master. When paired with your favourite summer wine, this dish will be the star of the show when entertaining guests.
::For more information, or to book an experience at the Waterman Cookery School, visit cookinbelfast.co.uk.
SPANISH TORTILLA
(Serves 4)
500g potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2tbsp flat leaf parsley, picked from stalk and finely chopped
100ml olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Peel and dice the potatoes (approximately ¼ inch in size). Heat half of the olive oil in a frying pan and add in the potatoes. Once hot, cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes, ensuring that the potatoes do not brown.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and once sweated down add the flat leaf parsley, cooking for a further five minutes.
In a bowl beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Remove the potatoes, onion and garlic from the pan into a separate bowl and wipe the pan. Next, add in the remainder of the olive oil and bring to a medium heat.
Mix the potatoes, onion and garlic with the eggs and spoon onto a hot pan. Cook the mixture on a medium heat, gently stirring every couple of minutes
Once crisp underneath, carefully turn over with a spatula to cook through on the other side. Once crisp, remove from the pan and place on plate.
This dish can be served warm or cold.
PAELLA RICE WITH PRAWNS AND CHORIZO
(Serves 2)
4 x 250g portions of cod
1 onion
1 red pepper
Olive oil
100g chorizo
125g cooked prawns
400ml chicken stock
150g paella rice
1 pinch saffron
1 lemon
1 bunch parsley
Methods
Dice the onion and red peppers and cook in olive oil in a large, deep-frying pan until soft.
Chop the chorizo and add it to the pan. Once oil is released from the chorizo, add in the rice.
When the rice is covered in oil, add one pinch of saffron to your chicken stock and start slowly adding the liquid to the pan, stirring until all liquid is added. Place a lid over the mix and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Stir in the cooked prawns (ensuring they are peeled) and serve with ½ lemon and chopped parsley.
