Good morning Starshines, good afternoon... good evening... or good night! It's finally sunny and hot here :D and I'm planning to go to the beach and to the swimming pool for this loooooong coming weekend! So I'm afraid I won't be seeing your beautiful faces until next Wednesday, he, he, he! I will be off line, disconected, gone, in paradise...Tuesday the 24th, is a Holiday here: Sant Joan; Saint John. We celebrate the change of the season, from Spring to Summer. If you take a look through google earth the night of the 23rd you'll see lots of Bonfires all over Catalonia, Alicante and Galicia among other regions. This night it's a tradition to burn all the house's old furniture... all neighbours will gather around the old tables and chairs they have placed in the middle of the street and watch the fire while drinking sangria or other beverages and eating Coca.
Kids will play with firecrackers, a street orchestra will make your feet move and we'll all dance and have fun... that's why you need to have your dinner ready and waiting for you in the fridge so that you don't spend any time cooking and can join the party as soon as possible!
Get your apron on, wash your hands and let's cook this fresh beauties out!
Ingredients for 4 servings: 200 grs. of rice (I use Bahia), 350 grs. of shrimps, a garlic clove, 30 grs. of pistachios, 6 fresh mint leaves, olive oil, black ground pepper and salt.
- Get some water boiling and add some salt to it, when it starts boiling pour the rice in and cook for 20 minutes or what your package says, strain and let it cool.
- Pour some olive oil in a sauce pan and saute the shrimps, add some salt and a chopped garlic, have for 2 minutes, no more. Reserve. When cold, peel and cut in small pieces.
- Smash the pistachios and mint leaves in a mortar.
- In a big bowl put the rice, the shrimps and the pistachios and mint. Mix all ingredients and with your hands wet, make little balls and place in a recipient.
- Once the balls are done, place in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Serve with a sauce of your choice... Mint pesto? Soy sauce?
You can also make the dish changing the pistachios for peanuts or toasted almonds and the mint could be replaced by parsley too. Let's be creative!
Of course a Fiesta is not a Fiesta if there's no dish associated... Sant Joan has this special Coca... that's how we call it!
Maybe next year I'm able to bake it myself ;-). Meanwhile, this year, I will have a good portion!
Salud!
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