Special dressing: Strawberry fields forever ♫Aren't the colours beautiful? When I saw this recipe on TV3... I knew I would try it at home! I've been waiting for nearly 3 weeks to do it because the original fish used in the recipe was Red Mullet but my fishmonger couldn't find it anywhere, and so, I finally gave up and used fresh sardines instead (they are in season in full flavour/taste).
Isma Prados , a Catalan chef, has his TV program, on tv3, every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm. He is quite a character: thin, nervous, smart, quick, and a great cook among other things. But what I really enjoy from his recipes are all the explanations behind: he always answers all the whys that come to my head... he's very didactic and amusing :D. This recipe is an adapted version of the one I saw in his program.
This is not the kind of recipe I normally cook at home but some of its features convinced me to go for it. See the sardines structure? This little tower made me think about the human towers we practice here during some special holidays. Would you like to see what I'm talking about?Tarragona is one of the regions here in Catalonia (down south from Barcelona) where there's a big extension of vineyards. Some of the best catalan cavas and wines are cultivated here, such as Freixenet, Torres or Gramona just to mention a few. This region has also a deep and ancient tradition in building human towers: Castells.
These are complex human towers where the stronger, older and wiser stay in the bottom layers and the younger and lighter climb up top levels. Usually the top of the castle is reached by a very young girl or boy. He or she will then raise one hand up... the crowd will cheer and shout and clap like crazy and then little by little the castle will be deconstructed. If they are able to undo all the work and the deconstruction is successful, then the crowd goes nuts!!!!Nowadays it's compulsory to wear a protection helmet to be part of the Castell.
There's many kinds of castles and with different difficulty levels. This one hereunder, for example, was accomplished on August 31st of the 95. Look at the people :D. They are so happy about it! Last time a tower like this was achieved was back in the XIX century!!!!
Let's go back sailing sardines in our red strawberry sea.
Ingredients for 4 servings: 12 fresh sardines (depending on your ability to build the tower), half a kilo of fresh strawberries, half a teaspoon of herring black eggs, 3-4 slices of Iberian acorn ham (cured ham would be ok here), 6-8 dices of ham, 1 teaspoon of hot red paprika, olive oil (0,4º) and some bread croutons.
- First of all, place a pot or a sauce pan over the heat. Have it at the lowest possible and place the ham slices. Let them get crunchy and reserve.
- Add some olive oil in the same sauce pan and confit (don't know if this is the right word. I mean to simmer in olive oil and don't fry it) the ham dices for 2 minutes aprox.
- Meanwhile clean, wash and take the head, guts and bone out of the sardines, place over a strainer in the sink. (this will take you more than 2 minutes, maybe you should do it before)
- Take the sauce pan outside the heat and pour the hot paprika, stir, add some more olive oil (in total you should have nearly one centimeter depth) and back to the heat (medium).
- When it starts getting hot add the sardines with the skin up and let simmer for 3 to 4 minutes (watch carefully that they don't get fried, the heat should be the lowest possible).
- Once confited take from the sauce pan and place over kitchen paper to leave all olive oil there.
- Clean and wash the strawberries and with the help of a food processor convert them into a juice. Take their seeds of (I used a fine strainer).
- Take the herring black eggs and pour into the strawberries sauce. Stir and reserve.
- Use the ham sauce pan with the same olive oil to fry some bread croutons. Place over kitchen paper and reserve.
To serve the dish: Build a tower with the sardines loin (half a loin for level is fine) and place the crunchy ham slices in between. Pour the strawberry sauce around and place the croutons over the dish.
I didn't use any salt in this dish because the ham gives enough flavour to it... but then... that's always your final decision :D Enjoy it!!!
I'm sending this recipe to Cookthink to the Root Source Challenge#14: Strawberries. There's still some days left to post your recipes, go and check!
- Follow RecipesDream
- Follow @us
