ArchiveSeptember 2002

For just a few weeks now we can enjoy Irish eating apples. Last year we had a fantastic crop of apples, every tree was laden so we had masses to eat and share. This Autumn however, the orchard is almost bare – apples are few and far between. The weather was bad during apple blossom time in May, so the set was bad. Nonetheless we have enough Worcester Pearmain to enjoy for a few weeks and there will be a few Cox’s Pippin later on, they don’t usually ripen until the end of October but are certainly worth the wait. We’ve got a reasonable crop of Egremont Russet on just six trees trained over arches in the fruit garden. This area is more sheltered which could account for the increase in yield.

For the past few weeks we’ve been enjoying the first cookers, a variety called Grenadier, baked and in pies, tarts and sauce. This is a delicious bitter-sweet variety which tides us over until the Arthur Turner are ripe, and eventually in October we can pick the king of cookers, Bramley Seedling. This variety stores well in a cold garage or shed. Years ago, when I was a child, our gardener Pad made a straw lined pit in the garden to store the apples for winter use. Of course they deteriorated a bit as the winter progressed but they kept remarkably well, so many of these skills are lost nowadays, and even my children think I’m loopy when I talk of burying apples in the ground to store them. After all, one can buy ‘perfectly good’ apples in the shops at any time – the reality is however, that the commercial crops are harvested under-ripe, and even though they are kept perfectly in stores, they never quite look and taste the same as the home-grown apples. The latter are ripened to maturity on the tree, consequently, when they are cooked or baked, they break down into a delicious fluff characteristic of the Bramley,

For that reason its really worth considering a couple of apple trees. Most gardens would have space for 2 or 3 at least, and of course its worth planting varieties not available commercially. In fact, if you have space, its worth considering a small orchard. With a little research, one can plant a variety of apple trees, from the deliciously scented and curiously named Irish Peach (also known as Early Croston) which ripens in late July , to Ardcairn Russet (discovered in Cork) which remain on the trees until November and will store for months. Contact Anita Hayes of Irish Seedsavers, in Capparoe, Scariff, Co Clare for advice. She and her team have a wonderful collection of Irish apple trees which they continue to add to every year, over 70 varieties available at present, some were bred specially for certain areas, eg.Ballyvaughan Seedling is particularly suited to the soil and microclimate in that coastal area of Co. Clare. Late January into February is the time to plant so there is still time to do some research – the pleasure you will get from picking your own apples is certainly worth the little effort it takes to plant a tree.

Meanwhile, watch out for Irish apples in the shops, Bride Valley Fruit Farm near Tallow, Co Waterford have their apples in the shops now and also sell both eating and cooking apples directly from the farm. David Keane’s delicious apples and pears from their orchard in Cappoquin are being harvested at present, his wife Ju Ju has started to make the new season’s Crinnaghtaun Apple Juice. Last year we sent several tons of ripe apples up to Con Traas near Cahir in Co. Tipperary to be crushed into juice which we enjoyed all winter – this year we’ll have none – such are the vagaries of nature. Con’s own orchard hasn’t suffered too much, he is happy with the crop and will be busy producing his own Karmine apple juice, Philip and Oran Little from the Little Orchard Company farm in Piltown Co, Kilkenny also bring their apples to Con for pressing, they sell the juice at Midleton Farmers Market and the Galway Market. In the Dublin area David Llewellyn sells his apple juice at Temple Bar Market every Saturday, as well as having it for sale in shops and delis in Dublin.

Apple and Cinnamon Fritters

Serves 6 approx.
Apple Fritters have been one of my absolutely favourite puddings since I was a child – nothing changed I still love them.
4 cooking apples, Bramley Seedling or Grenadier
4 ozs (110g) plain white flour
pinch of salt
1 egg, free range if possible
¼ pint (150ml) milk
sunflower or peanut oil for frying
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
1 teasp. cinnamon
Sieve the flour into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, whisk the egg slightly, pour into the centre slowly add the milk whisking in a full circle, gradually bring in the flour from the outside. Continue to whisk until the batter is light and bubbly. Peel and core the apples, cut into ¼ inch (5mm) thick slices. Heat about 1½ inches (4cm) of oil in a frying pan. Dip a few slices of apple into the batter one by one. Fry on both sides until crisp and golden, drain well. Add cinnamon to the castor sugar, toss each fritter in and serve immediately with softly whipped cream.

Banana Fritters

Bananas also make great fritters. Split in half lengthways and then in half again if you would like shorter pieces. Omit the cinnamon from the castor sugar if you want them unadulterated.

Tarte Tatin

The Tatin sisters ran a restaurant at Lamotte-Beuvron in Sologne at the beginning of the century. They created this tart, some say accidentally, but however it came about it is a triumph – soft, buttery caramelised apples (or indeed you can also use pears) with crusty golden pastry underneath. It is unquestionably my favourite French tart!

Serves 6-8
2¾ lbs (1.24 kg) approx. Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin or Bramley Seedling cooking apples
6 ozs (170 g) puff pastry or rich sweet shortcrust pastry
4 ozs (110 g) unsalted butter
8 ozs (225 g) castor sugar
Heavy 8 inch (20.5 cm) copper or stainless steel saucepan with low sides
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/regulo 7 for puff pastry.
For shortcrust -180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.
Peel, halve and core the apples. Melt the butter in the saucepan, add the sugar and cook over a medium heat until it turns golden – fudge colour. Put the apple halves in upright, packing them in very tightly side by side. Replace the pan on a low heat and cook until the sugar and juice are a dark caramel colour. Put into a hot oven for approx. 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the pastry into a round slightly larger than the saucepan. Prick it all over with a fork. Cover the apples with the pastry and nick in the edges. Put the saucepan into the fully preheated oven until the pastry is cooked and the apples are soft-25-30 minutes approx.

Take out of the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes or longer if you like. Put a plate over the top of the saucepan and flip the tart on to a serving plate. (Watch out – this is a rather tricky operation because the hot caramel and juice can ooze out!). Reshape the tart if necessary and serve warm with softly whipped cream.

Blackberry and Apple and Sweet Geranium Jam

Makes 9-10 x 450 g/1 lb jars approx.

All over the countryside every year, blackberries rot on the hedgerows. Think of all the wonderful jam that could be made – so full of Vitamin C! This year organise a blackberry picking expedition and take a picnic. You’ll find it’s the greatest fun, and when you come home one person could make a few scones while someone else is making the jam. The children could be kept out of mischief and gainfully employed drawing and painting home-made jam labels, with personal messages like Lydia’s Jam – keep off! , or Grandma’s Raspberry Jam. Then you can enjoy the results of your labours with a well-earned cup of tea.

Blackberries are a bit low in pectin, so the apples help it to set as well as adding extra flavour.
2.3 kg (5 lbs) blackberries
900 g (2 lbs) cooking apples (Bramley, or Grenadier in season)
1.625 kg (4½ lbs) sugar (use ½ lb less if blackberries are sweet)
8-10 Sweet Geranium leaves
Wash, peel and core and slice the apples. Stew them until soft with 290 ml/½ pint of water in a stainless steel saucepan; beat to a pulp.

Pick over the blackberries, cook until soft, adding about 145 ml/¼ pint of water if the berries are dry. If you like, push them through a coarse sieve to remove seeds. Put the blackberries into a wide stainless steel saucepan or preserving pan with the apple pulp and the heated sugar. Destalk and chop the sweet geranium leaves, add and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.

Boil steadily for about 15 minutes. Skim the jam, test it for a set and pot into warm spotlessly clean jars.

Maria Tajero learned how to made cheese from her mother and grandmother.   When we arrived, she sprinkled a few drops of rennet into a large saucepan of fresh milk which she had been slowly warming on the side of her stove.  She stirred it gently, covered the saucepan and left it to sit for about 30 minutes. While the curd was coagulating, we went out into the stone shed behind the kitchen to start the bread-making. The old wood-burning oven was tucked into one corner.
 
In Galician homes, bread is traditionally made about once a week, not in a bowl but in a waist high covered wooden chest with a drawer underneath for rolling pins . Maria had already filled the chest with flour – enough to make bread for the family for a week or ten days. When we came in on the
operation, a sponge of sourdough bubbled in the centre of the flour. Maria added copious amounts of warm salty water – enough to make a softish dough which we helped to knead.  She, then covered it with a folded sheet and gently closed down the lid of the box to allow the dough to rise. She and her husband Pepe then lit the 50 year old oven which was already filled with wood and some gorse. While the oven heated and the bread rose, we returned to the cheese making. By now, approximately 40 minutes later, the milk had coagulated into a soft curd, Maria cut the curd gently with a knife, then left it to sit while the whey gradually started to separate. About 10 minutes later she handed me a mug and indicated that I should gradually take away the whey (destined for the pigs)- sadly I don’t speak Spanish. When it became difficult to take out any more, we carefully lifted the curds into a plastic colander and drained them well, pressing down gently on the cheese and turning it over several times to get a firm shape. Sometimes the cheese is salted at this stage or it can be cut into slices and eaten fresh with sugar or honey.
 
When the cheese-making was finished, the oven was hot and most of the timber had burned, but there was still lots of ash. Maria grabbed a pole
and made a broom (a belacho) of fresh rushes tied securely with twine. With quick sure movements she brushed out the ash, then tested the heat by throwing a fistful of flour into the oven, it sparked instantly - too hot so we waited for the oven to cool slightly. Meanwhile the dough had more than doubled in bulk in the covered wooden chest, we knocked it back and formed it into 12 loaves. The last two had a spicy chorizo sausage hidden in the centre and were called ‘Bolo’. These were covered with a sheet while Pepe and Maria worked together to slide them into the oven one by one on the timber peel. The ‘bolo’ went in last after they had been wrapped in huge kale leaves. One loaf was flattened and dimpled with the fingertips like a focaccia. Those loaves were to be eaten first. They take a shorter time to cook and are eaten fresh. The larger loaves take approx. 2 hours in the wood burning oven and are stored after they have been cooled on a wire rack.
 
A little of each batch of uncooked dough is saved to start the next batch.   Nowadays Maria makes the bread for her family but in the past she also baked for the market in the local village of Castro de Ribeiras de Lea, described in last week’s article. We left laden with bread, cheese and some of Pepe’s delicious home made salsichon, communicating our thanks through smiles and hugs and the translation of Alexandra, daughter of Totin and Loli whose house we had rented. Alexandra had travelled from Santiago de Compostela, and had given up her afternoon so we could have this wonderful experience.  She too was fascinated to learn more about the traditional food culture of her native Galicia.   Interested in renting a house in Galicia? Contact Aideen Bernardez by e-mail  aideen.bernardez@teleline.es  or by phone 00 34 981 56 90 10

Home Made Cottage Cheese

This is a basic recipe for a soft cheese, it can be sweet or savoury, depending on what yummy additions you make to the finished product.
 
Yields 450g (1lb) cheese approx.
2.3L (4 pints) full cream milk
1 teaspoon liquid rennet
good quality muslin or cheesecloth
 
Put the milk into a spotlessly clean stainless steel saucepan. Heat it very gently until it is barely tepid. Add the rennet stirring it well into the
milk, (not more than 1 teaspoon,) too much will result in a tough acid curd.  Cover the saucepan with a clean tea towel and the lid. The tea towel
prevents the steam from condensing on the lid of the pan and falling back onto the curd. Put aside and leave undisturbed somewhere in your kitchen for 2-4 hours by which time the milk should have coagulated and will be solid.  Cut the curd with a long sterilized knife first in one direction then the other until the curd is cut into squares. Heat gently until the whey starts to run out of the curds.
It must not get hot or the curd will tighten and toughen too much. Ladle into a muslin lined colander over a bowl. Tie the corners of the cloth and
allow to drip overnight. Next day the curd may be used in whatever recipe you choose.

Home made Cottage Cheese with Fresh Herbs and Crackers

Serves 6 approx.
225g (8oz) home made cottage cheese (see recipe)
1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped herbs - parsley, chives, chervil, lemon balm
and perhaps a little tarragon and thyme.
salt and freshly ground pepper
single Cream - optional
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
Home make crackers (see recipe)
 
Sieve the home-made cottage cheese. Mix in the freshly chopped herbs and garlic if using. If it is too firm, stir in a little cream. Season to
taste. It may even need a pinch of sugar. Fill into a pretty bowl and serve with home made crackers.

Homemade Crackers

Makes 25-30 biscuits
115g (4oz) brown wholemeal flour
115g (4oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
25g (1oz) butter
5-6 tablespoons cream
 
Mix the brown and white flour together and add the salt and baking powder.  Rub in the butter and moisten with cream enough to make a firm dough.  Roll out very thinly - one-sixteenth inch thick approx. Prick with a fork.  Cut into 2 inch (5cm) squares. Bake at 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4 for 20-25
minutes or until lightly browned and quite crisp. Cool on a wire rack.

Ballymaloe White Yeast Bread

This loaf is always served in a traditional plait shape in Ballymaloe but it can be shaped in many forms, from rolls to loaves or even in to animal
shapes! It is a traditional white yeast bread and once you have mastered this basic techinique the sky is the limit.

Makes 2 x 1 lb (450g) loaves
20g (¾oz) fresh yeast
425ml (15 floz) water
30g (1oz) butter
2 teaspoons salt
15g (½ oz) sugar
675g (1½ lbs) strong white flour
Poppy seeds or Sesame seeds for topping – optional
2 x loaf tins 13 x 20cms (5″ x 8″)

Sponge the yeast in 150ml (5fl oz) of tepid water, leave in a warm place for about five minutes. In a large wide mixing bowl, sieve the flour, salt and sugar. Rub in the butter, make a well in the centre. Pour in the sponged yeast and most of the remaining lukewarm water. Mix to a
loose dough adding the remaining liquid or a little extra flour if needed
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, cover and leave to relax for 5 minutes approximately. Then knead for about 10 minutes or until smooth, springy and elastic (if kneading in a food mixer with a dough hook, 5 minutes is usually long enough).
Put the dough in a large delph bowl. Cover the top tightly with cling film (yeast dough rises best in a warm moist atmosphere).
When the dough has more than doubled in size, 1½ – 2 hours, knock back and knead again for about 2 to 3 minutes. Leave to relax again for 10 minutes. Shape the bread into loaves, plaits or rolls, transfer to a baking sheet and cover with a light tea towel. Allow to rise again in a warm place, until the shaped dough has again doubled in size.
The bread is ready for baking when a small dent remains when the dough is pressed lightly with the finger. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with
poppy or sesame seeds if using them. Or dust lightly with flour for a rustic looking loaf. Bake in a fully preheated hot oven, 230C/450F/regulo 9 for 25 – 35 minutes depending on size. The bread should sound hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire rack.
To make a plait- Take half the quantity of white yeast dough after it has been ‘knocked back’ , divide into three equal pieces. With both hands roll each one into a rope, thickness depends on how fat you want the plait. Then pinch the three ends together at the top, bring each outside strand into the centre alternatively to form a plait, pinch the ends and tuck in neatly. Transfer onto a baking tray. Allow to double in size. Egg wash or dredge with flour.

A Galician Bobo

Make the yeast bread dough as above. Divide in half. Roll into a rectangle, slice 2 small chorizo in half lengthways. Lay the pieces of
chorizo on the dough, fold in the sides to cover. Pinch with your fingers to seal, turn over, allow to rest until double in size. Bake in a preheated
oven 230C/450F/regulo 8, for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 200C/400F/regulo 6,
for a further 20-30 minutes, or until crusty and golden.
 

The girls had already been asking aloud why we needed to drive for hours into the wilds of Galicia to find what sounded to them like a home from
home. Eventually down a winding country lane in a woodland clearing, we found O Paco, an enchanting 200 year old stone farmhouse with characteristic scalloped slate roof. The owners, who didn’t speak a word of English, were waiting greet us and proudly showed us round the grounds. They indicated that we could help ourselves to beans, chilli, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs and other fresh produce from the vegetable garden. On the way back up to the house we passed apple trees, raspberries and wild mint, and the henhouse where 5 hens and an impressive looking Galician cockerel strutted their stuff.
We collected the warm freshly laid eggs from the nests and made our way towards the 200 year old farmhouse which was furnished
traditionally, with simple country furniture, jamon and other cured hams hung over the open fireplace in the sittingroom. We were shown each room
individually and finally we arrived in the kitchen where they had thoughtfully laid out some wonderful cured meat, a basket of fresh produce,
some fruit and crusty bread from the bakery in the nearby village of Castro de Ribeiras de Lea.  They had also gone to considerable efforts to collect tourist information in English, and maps of the area so we could explore. Further exploration into the outbuildings revealed a huge trampoline, a billiard table and a large selection of games.
The pool was deep enough to dive comfortably and there were lots of seats, umbrellas and masses of comfy cushions to relax. The owners, having heard of our interest in farming and food production, had organised for us to visit a local farm where the owners Pepe and Maria Tajero Lorenzo make cheese and bake bread in the traditional way in their wood burning oven.  They have a 40 hectare farm -some cows, sheep and pigs and farm primarily to supply their own needs and the needs of their local market. They had worked hard through the years and now semi-retired had a very comfortable lifestyle and farmhouse. They were very conscious of the value of the traditional way of life and the importance of passing on these values to their children and grandchildren.
Like the majority of their neighbours they grew their own vegetables, had hens, milk from their cows and reared a few pigs. The pigs were fattened
from scraps and home- produced grain and were killed around November. All the neighbours helped to cure the meat, the hams were salted for jamon, the shoulders cured, the streaky pork made into pancetta. Less choice cuts were made into salchicha and chorizo, which were filled into the intestines.  The fillet was cured to make loma, blood and other pieces of pork and offal were made into a blood sausage called morcilla. The tail, ears, feet, were all cured and relished. The head was made into a delicious confection similar to our brawn. Every scrap was used and shared with family,
neighbours and friends who reciprocated when they were curing their own pigs. This immediately conjured up memories of my childhood in Co Laois and holidays in Co Tipperary where the ritual of killing and curing the bacon and making black and white pudding was the highlight of every year.

Garlic Soup – Sopa de Ajo

1¾ pints (1 litre) water
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
6 teaspoons olive oil
2 eggs, (or one per person)
16 slices toasted white bread
4 thin slices Serrano ham
Put the water on to boil in a large saucepan. Chop the garlic and brown in
the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the paprika, being careful not to let it
burn. Mix a little of the paprika with some water and add it to the boiling
water. Boil for a few minutes. Cut the ham into strips, fry lightly, then
add to the water. Toast the bread and use to line a soup tureen. Add the
eggs, 1 per person, then pour on the hot soup. Allow the eggs to cook a
little, then serve immediately.

Hake with Clams and Peas – Merluza con Almejas Y Guisantes

12 pieces of hake, each weighing about 5oz (150g)
16 teaspoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic
1 small glass white wine
24 clams
10oz (275g) peas
3 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 hard boiled eggs
flour for frying
Chop the garlic and parsley very finely. Wash the clams under cold water.
Hardboil the eggs, peel and cut into quarters.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic. Coat the hake in flour and add a
little salt. When the garlic starts to brown add the fish to the pan.
Stir the contents with a zig zag movement. After 5 minutes turn the fish
over and stir again. Gradually add the white wine, then, still stirring, add
about 10 tablespoons of water or fish stock if available. Finally, add the
peas, followed by the hard-boiled eggs. Stir again, then add the chopped
parsley.
Serve with triangles of fried bread.

Beef with Pine Kernel and Olive Sauce – Carne con Salad de Pinones Y
Aceitunas

18oz (500g) beef cut into 1½-2 inch (4-5cm) chunks
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
2oz (50g) pine kernels
4 sprigs of parsley
3½ fl.ozs (100ml) olive oil
1 hard boiled egg
14fl.ozs (400ml) water
1 teasp. paprika
3½ oz (100g) pitted green olives
Heat the oil in a large casserole. Fry the beef until it starts to brown,
then remove from the casserole and put to one side.
Using the same oil, lightly fry the chopped onion, then add the paprika,
followed by the water, fried beef, olives and some salt.
Cover the casserole and cook over a low heat until the meat is tender,
45mins – 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat the tomatoes and the garlic, unpeeled, in a non-stick pan,
turning them frequently. When they are ready, peel the cloves of garlic,
and peel and remove the seeds from the tomatoes.
In a mortar, mash the pine kernels, parsley, garlic and tomato flesh, then
add the mixture to the meat when it is cooked.
Finally, finely chop the boiled egg and sprinkle it over the other
ingredients. Boil for 5 minutes and serve.

Lemon Ice-cream – Helado de Limon

9 fl.ozs (250ml) milk
1 egg
5oz (150g) sugar
juice of 1 lemon
zest of ½ lemon
Separate the egg and beat the yolk with the milk. Gradually mix in the
sugar, then the lemon juice and zest. Beat the egg white until stiff and
add to the other ingredients. Put in the freezer. When the mixture starts
to freeze, remove from the freezer and beat again. Put it back in the
freezer until it is ready.
Meanwhile, chill the dishes in which the icecream will be served. Decorate
with mint leaves.

Basque Lemonade – Ardaurgozatza

Wash 8 lemons thoroughly, then peel off the rind without the pith. Leave to
soak in 2 litres of water for 24 hours. The following day, add 1 litre of
red wine and 1 litre of white wine, both chilled. Mix well and chill
thoroughly. Serve right through dinner, from the appetizers to the dessert.
Coquitos
9 oz (250g) desiccated coconut
9 oz (250g) sugar
3 eggs
Beat the eggs, add the sugar and then the coconut. Mix well. Grease a
baking sheet with oil and spoon on the mixture in small mounds.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 160C/325F/ regulo 3, until golden.

Driving through central Galicia in north western Spain was wonderfuly reminiscent of rural Ireland 20 years ago. The climate is similar so the
countryside is green and well-wooded. Small mixed farms, dairy, tillage, all have a vegetable patch, a few fruit and nut trees, some hens and an air
of self-sufficiency. Some older men still wear the black beret and many women still wear cross-over aprons, similar to those I remember so well from
my childhood. Men and women work side by side in the fields together.  There were few young people, most work in the towns and cities. Grannies
dressed in black sat under the shade of an apple or fig tree outside their stone houses with heavy slate roofs, sorting onions or shelling beans, often helped by grandchildren. There were few tractors in evidence, but there was a real sense of a community, farmers and country people in touch with nature and the land in a way that is fast disappearing in Ireland.  Wednesday is market day in the little village of Castro di Rivera, 10
kilometres from Lugo. Suddenly the otherwise sleepy village comes to life, 25-30 stalls set up around the central square selling fruit and vegetables,
local honey, cured meats including the famous jamon, morcilla blood sausages, pancetta, chorizo, salted ribs, pigs’ heads, ears and tails. Some
stalls sell shoes and clothes, and knicknacks, others offer CD’s of lively Spanish music. Yet another sells hand-made knives and scales, pots and pans and tools.

An old man stood shyly beside his beautifully made baskets and timber trugs and a traditional timber chest which is still used for making bread in many country farmhouses.  In the centre of the square under the oak trees, a family set up an open air Pulperia (octopus stall). Huge big cauldrons of octopus bubbled away. There were two stalls, one appeared much more popular than the other. We joined the longer queue deciding that the locals probably knew best. Queing can be boring and frustrating but on this occasion it was absolutely fascinating. We watched the entire operation. The raw prepared octopus seemed to be soaking in – was it brine? It was then transferred into a huge vat of boiling water, the size of a half tar barrel, where it plumped up and changed to a winey orange colour. Six people worked flat out, one of the women fished out cooked octopus as needed with a hook, she then snipped off the tentacles with a scissors and cut each one into rounds directly onto a small, medium or large timber plate to fill the orders. It was passed onto her partner who drained off the excess moisture in one deft movement, sprinkled the octopus with crunchy coarse salt, dredged it with pimento and then drizzled the plate with olive oil and added a few cocktail sticks. This cost Euro 5 per person. We joined the locals at long formica topped tables in the open-sided shelter the town council had provided for gatherings.  The tables were laid for 10 with paper napkins and down turned glasses.   Long gaily painted bright blue benches at either side. 
 
We sat at an empty table and were immediately dragooned by a feisty young woman who gesticulated amidst a babble of Gallego that we were to join another table rather than start a new one. We asked for ‘pan’, one of my few Spanish words. She returned in seconds clutching a long loaf of bread and a bottle of unlabeled local wine, (vin de mesa. We tucked into the octopus, it was intensely sweet and juicy. When we had almost finished our spirited friend slapped half a Manchego cheese and a knife on the table. We understood that we were to eat what we needed and then pass it on – the bread, wine and cheese cost a further Euro 5. Hundreds, perhaps a thousand people were fed in this way over a period of 4 or 5 hours. Jovial, inexpensive, a brilliant feat of organisation, an age old tradition.  As we sat there enjoying what was a veritable feast we wondered how long it would be before the bureaucrats in Brussels decided it was unhygienic and the price of insurance eliminated yet another traditional food culture. I personally, am more than happy to eat this kind of food, cooked and served in the time honoured way, I am happy to take the responsibility on myself – I strongly believe we have the right to choose – those who would rather eat in the local café can do so, long may we have the choice.

Spicy Boiled Octopus (Pulpo a Feira)

(From Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain by Penelope Casas) This simple yet delicious octopus dish is called a feira (fiesta style)
because it is boiled outdoors in water-filled metal drums during local festivals in Galicia. The classic way to serve this pulpo is on wooden
dishes - a most attractive presentation.
Serves 4
 
1 lb (450g) octopus, preferably small
1 medium potato
4 teasp. fruity olive oil
coarse salt
½ teasp. paprika, preferably Spanish style
dash of cayenne pepper
Cooking liquid
12 cups water
2 tablesp. oil
1 bay leaf
½ onion, peeled
4 peppercorns
2 sprigs parsley
salt
Tenderize the octopus by throwing it forcefully about ten times into your kitchen sink.  To make the cooking liquid, combine the water with the oil, bay leaf, onion, peppercorns, parsley and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Dip the octopus in and out of the liquid three times quickly (this also helps to tenderise or ‘scare’ it, as they say in Galicia), return to the liquid, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. (The cooking time can vary greatly
depending on whether the octopus has been frozen. After an hour, taste a small piece: if it is not tender, continue cooking.) Turn off the heat and
leave the octopus in the cooking liquid until ready. (May be prepared ahead.)  Place the potato in the salted water to cover and boil until just tender.
Turn off the heat and leave the potato in the water until ready to use.  Reheat the octopus and remove all loose skin (you may remove all the skin if
you prefer) and cut the tentacles with scissors into 1inch pieces.  Peel and slice the potato one eighth inch thick. Arrange on a serving dish,
preferably wooden , and place the octopus on top. Drizzle with olive oil,  sprinkle with the coarse salt, paprika and cayenne and serve immediately.

Galician-style Fish Steaks (Merluza al la Gallega)

The wonderful fresh fish in the northwestern region of Galicia makes this a favourite preparation for hake, because it adds character to the fish
without masking its freshness.
Serves 4
 
¾ lb (350g) potatoes, preferably red, in ¼ inch slices
4 thin slices onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs parsley
salt
¼ teasp. thyme
1 bay leaf
7 tablesp. Olive oil
1 teasp. red wine vinegar
2 hake or fresh cod steaks, about 1 inch thick
½ teasp. paprika, preferably Spanish style
 
In a shallow casserole large enough to hold the fish in one layer, place the potatoes, onion, 2 cloves of the minced garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, 1
tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon of the vinegar, and water to barely cover.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are half cooked.  Place the fish steaks over the potato mixture and add some more water to barely cover the fish. Sprinkle the fish with salt, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and fish are done. Pour off all the liquid from the casserole. Remove the skin and bones from the fish carefully, leaving 4 fillets. In a small pan heat the remaining 6