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| Recipe of the week... ... Tortilla de Española |
Ingredients: 1 white onion, 4 tablespoons
olive oil, small knob of butter, 500g potatoes, 3 garlic cloves, 8 eggs, and a
sprinkle of dried chopped parsley.
Serves: 8 portions.
Time taken: Around 45 mins.
Hi readers,
How’s it going today? Is the sun setting on a
wonderful weekend? As I write, it’s a Sunday evening in May, and here in
northern England we’ve been treated to a day of splendid sunshine. Aside from
the odd spot of rain, and maybe a gust or two of wind, today’s been a good one.
As it’s been such a lovely day out, I’ve been
parading round in a vest stop with my pasty arms on display. Soaking up some
Vitamin D and hoping to turn a lighter shade of blue. Can’t see that I’ve
picked up any colour but it’s been nice all the same to feel the sun on my
arms. How about you, readers? Have you managed to get out and enjoy the
weather?
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| Nothing like a bit of British sunshine especially the unexpected kind |
I hope you have, readers, and I hope all is well with you. Things have been a little turbulent this week in the ChefBeHere household and, if your week’s been anything like mine, then I hope you’re getting to enjoy a peaceful Sunday evening to yourself. Well deserved, I don’t doubt, if you’ve been battling the world this week. It certainly feels as though I’ve been battling the world.
But, readers, I’m healthy. Which is the
greatest wealth of them all. And if there’s one thing that I come to appreciate,
in a time of crisis, it’s my friends and family. The phrase “there when you need
them most” couldn’t be more true. If ever I stumble, or if something trips me
up, there will be a friend or a family member there to help me back up again.
Or there’ll be a whole crowd of them – collectively helping to get me back on
my feet and steady me.
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| They're a good bunch |
I’m grateful for my friends and my
family. To have strong people there standing by you (from wherever it is they
are in the world), and to be reminded how much they care about you and will rally when the chips are down, it’s a wonderful thing. If my
greatest achievement in life is to support these people right back, and help
them when they need me most, then that will be a great thing to have achieved.
I hope you have people like these, readers.
Ones who fight a hangover to call you with legal advice. Ones who tag you in a
cute Instagram post at just the right moment. Ones who listen to you and let
you talk on with the most boring problem, and they continue listening. The kind
who would read a post like this and not even know I’m talking about them,
because they don’t think they’ve done anything, in particular, to be there for
me. But they have.
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| They queue for the buffet and will drink from a Nutella jar |
Anyways, readers. Appreciate your people. And
invite them over! Why not? When was the last time you had the rabble round? Far
too long ago, I bet. Send out an invite and have them all for tea sometime
soon, I say. Catch up and see their lovely faces, for a change, instead of just
texting them. Go on.
I did just this last night, readers. I had a
modest shipment of friends over to celebrate and watch the Eurovision Song
Contest together, which proved to be the perfect antidote for my blues. Do you
watch the Eurovision, readers? I know it divides opinion! With its shimmer and
the shimmying and the terrible, wonderful entries each year… but I love it!
Really, I do.
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| The girl group we all wanted to be in ... YOU GO GIRLS |
I love the energy and cheer, the crazy people
in the crowd, and the big mix of acts coming from all over the world, with
their outfits and their routines. It’s a bit mental, is the Eurovision, but the
kind of mental that wins people’s affection. I think it has a certain charm, in
its own special eccentric sort of way. And if it that was how people described
me, I’d be happy… so I love the Eurovision!
I went over the top and off into space
planning an ‘international buffet’, much to everyone’s amusement. But why not?
Life is far too short. If you want to put on a Europe themed spread then just
do it… PUT ON A EUROPE THEMED SPREAD. I only managed 8 countries in the end,
readers, as opposed to the full 26 that were competing. But I think we can
safely say it’s the thought that counts. At least, that's what I tell myself.
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| Sure this guy would agree... the most chilled out winner in the world |
Here’s what I went for:
UK – Crisps, scotch eggs and pork pie
France – Baguette and brie
Australia – Vegemite (disgusting stuff, as
it turns out)
Germany – Cocktail sausages and potato
salad
Belgium – Sugar waffles, served with strawberries
and chocolate sauce
Greece – Olives and feta cheese
Italy – Pizza and tomato pasta salad
Spain – Tortilla de Española
Not bad, right? I was quite proud I pulled
this off! The majority was shop bought, I’ll admit, but every buffet needs an
impressive centrepiece to draw the eye so I did make one thing myself. In the spirit
of cheffing, I decided to take on the Tortilla de Española (Spanish Omelette) and make this from scratch. I
used a recipe that I found on BBC Good Food, which you can read here.
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| This was the aim of the game |
And it went well! Aside from the incredible
amount of garlic which the recipe called for (I’ve halved it in my version below
– you should have smelled us all), the dish was pretty much a success. It got
lots of compliments on the night! And I thought it came off really well and
tasting good, in the end. Intrigued, readers? Here’s the recipe in just 12
simple steps…
- Pour yourself a chilled drink, crack open a window and set
some mellow music playing, to guide you through the recipe.
- First, peel your onion and finely slice using a large sharp
knife.
- Then, peel your potatoes, cut into quarters and finely slice
each quarter.
- Peel your cloves of garlic and then either crush or – if,
like me, you lack a garlic crusher – cut up into tiny pieces.
- Ready to go! Now heat a large non-stick frying pan over a low
heat, with the oil and butter inside.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: When I say ‘a low heat’
I mean literally the lowest heat you can possibly have while sustaining a flame
on the hob. Then lower. Go loooow.
- Add the onion and gently fry in the oil and butter until soft
but not brown – this should take about 5-10 mins.
- Add the potatoes, cover the pan and cook for a further 15
mins, stirring occasionally to make sure they fry evenly.
- Meanwhile, turn on your grill to warm and crack 8 eggs into a
bowl, then them beat together using a fork.
- When the potatoes are soft and the onion is shiny, stir in
your garlic and beaten eggs.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: Give everything a proper
stir together, to be sure that no potato or onion is stuck to the bottom of the
pan. Get everything moving until its well mixed together.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley over the tortilla, then put the lid
back on the pan and leave to cook gently for about 10 mins.
- Once the edges and base of your tortilla are golden, and the
top is beginning to set but the middle’s still a little wobbly, then take
your pan off the heat and turn the heat off.
ChefBeHere Top Tip: Remember to do this –
the flame is really small but it could still burn someone or singe their sleeve
if you leave it on!
- Pop the pan under the grill for 5-10 mins to finish cooking.
Once golden brown and cooked through (no wobble!), then turn off the grill
and transfer your tortilla to a plate. Serve warm or leave to cool and
then refrigerate to eat cold later on.
And that’s all there is to it, readers. What
do you think? Because – to me – this recipe calls for very basic, cheap
ingredients. And not many ingredients! You only have commit under an hour of
your time in the kitchen. And the steps are pretty straightforward and easy to
follow. Then you end up with a dish that, really, looks quite impressive and as
though you’ve spent lots of time and effort on it! This – to me – makes for a
winner of a recipe.
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| On to a winner! |
I hope you have a go at this, readers. Maybe
save the recipe for next time you have friends over? Or next time you’re putting
on a buffet? There’s your centrepiece for the table sorted! Whatever the
occasion, readers, I hope you get to share this with friends and wow them with
your culinary skills in the kitchen (talk it up… you were slaving for hours!).
Until next time, I’m wishing you all a
wonderful week ahead. Take care, readers.
And chef safely,
Hayley
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| Buffet leftovers enjoyed for lunch today out in the garden in the sun |
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