As my Big Green Egg cools down, I like to take advantage of the residual heat. It is great for hot smoking things like tomatoes and garlic which you can store in the fridge for later uses. Chunky slices of tomatoes become jammy, and garlic with some butter and olive oil to encourage it, becomes a sticky nutty brown, not unlike Korean black garlic (which is essentially cooked slowly over a low heat for a long time). You can do a speedier version as your Big Green Egg heats up also, it will be more of a roasted version, but it is still very good. 

Potato dauphinoise is wonderfully indulgent and a perfect Christmas side. I remember my first proper bite of dauphinoise in a French restaurant in Cork. I couldn’t believe how could it was. Crisp and caramel brown on top, gentle underneath, sliced potatoes shuffled into position, yielding to the fork, each forkful a perfect bite.  

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SPROUT UP YOUR LIFE! IF YOU WANNA HAVE A GOOD TIME! (etc to the dulcid tones of the Spice Girls).

But yes, sprouts. So misunderstood. Often tortured and boiled for way too long a time. I used to hate them, the infernal tiny cabbages wheeled out for some torturous boiling before they meet the Christmas table. Who liked cabbage? (I did not). Why would you want lots of tiny cabbages? I didn’t know just how good they were, I always met them tired and burned out and no one looks good like that. Sprouts are all the better for a quick flash in the pan, a kiss of heat, and they love some smoke. So I got my barbecue out. 

I love to have bacon with my sprouts (and Project Bacon backers have my Bacon and Sprout “Yakitori” recipe to play with for Christmas). These lucky sprouts got to share their plate with some ‘nduja, and some hazelnuts on top for a little extra pleasure (some toasted breadcrumbs would work really well too0. ‘Nduja is that firey spreadable sausage from Calabria, as much chilli as pork as fat. It is terrific and it goes so well with the stout sprouts.

Smoked Sprouts with ‘Nduja and Hazelnuts

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You will find much pleasure in the bars and local restaurants of Galicia. You might have noticed that in other parts of Spain there are many Galician restaurants too, usually opened by migrants from there. Galicia is beautiful but making a living there traditionally has been hard, so many moved abroad to work or to other parts of Spain.

Galician food is deservedly popular from steaming bowls of Caldo Gallego (a wonderful soup with potatoes, greens, chorizo, beans and often a ham broth) to Polpo a la Gallega (tender slow cooked octopus, sliced and served over boiled potato, with smoky paprika), Empanada Gallega (a closed pastry tart, filled with tuna, peppers, tomato, garlic) and for sweet Torta de Santiago (an almond cake traditionally served to pilgrims as they finish their Camino de Santiago). With it all you can have the local Albariño wine, served traditionally from a bowl.  Continue reading

When I think of Galicia, I think of grey skies rushing blue, clouds chasing the rain away fortified by the wind. More rain behind to soak the land again, bringing four seasons in one day. Galicia is not what you expect of Spain. Maybe it is the weather, looking more to the North than the South. I loved the laid back vibe there, and the people. Galicia had been on my bucket list for a while, and it proved to be a lovely place to visit.   Continue reading

Have you been worried about your blue cheese? Lonely there on your Christmas cheeseboard. Every other cheese has a partner, and blue cheese does love a date (literally, especially medjool ones). Manchego has membrillo, cheddar has apple, there will likely be grapes, lots of crackers, and this year you want something different for your blue.

I adore a brash blue cheese, as strong as you can. Hello English Stichelton! The original stilton recipe, still raw and untempered. I especially love a sweet soft and strong sheep’s blue, like French roquefort and Irish crozier blue. A good blue deserves a bold relish. Nothing ordinary, something bright, something tangy, something that can stand up to the intensity.

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