Spanish Tuna Sandwich (bocadillo de bonito)

In Spain, bocadillos (also known as bocatas and sandwiches) are an alternative to tapas and pintxos.

2 slices of bread (rustic is best) per person, toasted lightly
1 can tuna  
1 roasted pepper, finely chopped
8 black olives, finely chopped
the white of one boiled egg, chopped
2 sweet pickles, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
olive oil mayonnaise
lettuce


Mix all the ingredients very well in a bowl. Scoop some on a slice of bread, add lettuce and cover with the other slice. Cut in half in diagonal.

Chorizo and Manchego Sandwich (Bocata caliente de chorizo con queso)

Something typical in Spain at school or in bars are the "bocadillos." They are sandwiches at 11:00 in the morning during recess or a coffee break. This is one of the traditional ones.

Ingredients:


French baguette or 2 slices of rustic bread
Spanish chorizo (we use Palacios)
Manchego cheese


fruit


Slice the cheese and chorizo, lay them in the bread, put it in a hot pan or a grill and weigh it down. I use a brick wrapped in aluminum foil to use as a press but you could also use a panini maker. Send your kids to school with their new cool lunch: a Spanish sandwich and fruit.

Ham Sandwich with Colored Pepper Vinaigrette (Bocata de jamón dulce con vinagreta de pimientos)

This is a very simple sandwich to make but full of flavor, from the smokiness of the ham and the acidity of the vinaigrette to the buttery texture of the lettuce.

Ingredients:

1/4 green pepper finely chopped or cut in julienne

1/4 yellow pepper finely chopped or cut in julienne

1/4 red pepper finely chopped or cut in julienne

1/2 red onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon mustard (optional)

olive oil

wine or sherry vinegar 

smoked ham slices

butter lettuce

baguette

Mix the peppers, onion, vinegar and olive oil in a bowl.  If you like you can add a teaspoon of mustard.

Make the vinaigrette a couple of hours before you use it and keep in the refrigerator. Open the bread and layer the sandwich with vinaigrette, lettuce, ham and more vinaigrette.

Ham Sandwich Bar EME style (Triangulos estilo Bar EME)

To go to Bilbao and not try a sandwich at the bar EME is like going to New Orleans and not trying gumbo. This bar/restaurant has been in business for more than 50 years and is known for its triangle sandwiches made with homemade bread, homemade mayonnaise, and a secret red sauce. People have been trying to duplicate their sauce and in their pursuit they have created great sauces but not like the bar EME.

The name of the bar comes from its founder Emeterio and has been run by the same family for more than 50 years. When I was studying in Bilbao I would have lunch there at least twice a week and on Fridays after class I would stop by and buy a couple of sandwiches before catching the train back to my hometown. Today, without any intention of finding the secret recipe, I experimented making a sandwich that looks and tastes a bit like the original. In spite of not being the original it tastes great and is a delicious sandwich -  quick to prepare and a good addition to your lunch bag.

Ingredients:

red sauce
light mayonnaise 
thick slices of ham
rustic fresh bread
lettuce (Boston or Romaine hearts)

Red Sauce:

1 roasted red pepper if done at home or 1/2 jar roasted red peppers
2 anchovies
1 hard boiled egg
1 cup homemade or 1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon siracha sauce

Put all the ingredients in a blender and purée.

To assemble the sandwich, put the red sauce on one slice of bread until it is well soaked, add a slice of ham to cover the bread, add the lettuce and then the other slice soaked in mayonnaise that has been mixed with a bit of  warm water to make it lighter.

Let's see if you like the results.

If you ever go to Bilbao you have to try these sandwiches. The Bar EME is located at  C/ General Concha #5.

Portabella Sandwich (Bocata de Hongo Potabello)

Portabella mushrooms are like all mushrooms - a type of fungi. The "aficionados," the people who spend their time studying mushrooms, are called mycologists. In the Basque country there are many of them. As a young kid I loved to go mushroom hunting but I only knew a couple of species. One day I wanted to impress my uncle so I picked every single mushroom that I saw. I put them carefully in a basket and showed them to him. He looked at me in awe. I smiled with pride looking at the basket and he started separating mushrooms by groups. When he was done he said: "Dead." What? "All these are poisonous and if you eat them they might kill you, and all of these that are not, you could have eaten them but by now they are contaminated by the bad ones, so go and throw them away." Since them I only picked the couple of types I knew and now I only buy mushrooms from the store.

The portabella in this sandwich is a good substitute for a good piece of meat and it is very safe.


Ingredients:

1 large portabella mushroom per sandwich
2 roasted red peppers
1 onion caramelized
cream cheese spread with garlic and cilantro or parley or white bean spread. (In this sandwich I used cream cheese.)
Arugula
Ciabatta, baguette, or rustic bread - any of them will work (I used ciabatta because that is what I had)


Roast the peppers in the oven or on a grill until they get brown, put them in a plastic bag and let them cool, peel in the same bag and reserve the juices to add to the spread. Grill the portabella, removing the black of the inside. Then caramelize the onions. Make the spread in a blender, adding the juice of the roasted peppers. Cut the ciabata bread in half and grill the inside. When you have all the ingredients ready, start to assemble. Spread both insides of the bread. Add the peppers, the arugula, the onions and then the portabella, top with the other side of the ciabatta bread and put it on a grill. Use something heavy to weigh the bread down (I use a brick wrapped in foil), turn the sandwich and weigh it down again. Serve on a platter with homemade chips.

Onion Soup (Sopa de Cebolla)

Onion soup is a great addition to the list of winter dishes. It is believed that the Egyptians started cultivating the onion. Most of us think of it as a very ordinary ingredient but it has been in many cases the base for sauces and dishes. In this wonderful soup it takes center stage.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3 red onions
4 garlic cloves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 cup brandy or 1 cup red or white wine
2 quarts beef broth
1 to 2 toasts per person from a baguette rubbed with garlic
swiss or gruyere cheese (your favorite)
salt and pepper

In a pan put the butter and then add the onions, garlic and thyme. Let it simmer until translucent. Add the brandy and cook to reduce the alcohol. Then raise the heat to lightly brown the onions. Add the 2 quarts beef broth and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the thyme and add salt and fresh pepper. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot in  soup bowls, adding the cheese and toast. If you like the soup thicker, add two tablespoons flour after the brandy is reduce. 

Roman Style Calamari (Calamares a la Romana)

Oh calamares a la romana!!!! If you ever have visited Spain you know this is one of the typical tapas staples with a dipping sauce or lemon wedges.  You can even get them in a sandwich, yes, a sandwich (bocadillo de calamares a la romana)!  In the Basque country sometimes this tapa is made with cuttlefish and called "rabas."

2 Cups Buttermilk
2 Cups Flour (regular or tempura)
Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil to fill half of a quart pan or fryer
Salt


I use the bodies and legs of the calamari. Cut the calamari in rings, dip in the buttermilk evenly, and then add to the flour. Repeat this process one more time. When the oil is hot, add the calamari one at a time so they don't stick together. Fry them until they are golden brown,remove from the oil and let them rest on paper towels to drain excess oil. Add salt.


Ingredients for the sauce:


2 Smoke Chipotle Peppers
1 Cup Mayonnaise
Lemon Wedges


In a blender put the mayonnaise and chipotle peppers and a couple of drops of lemon. Blend until the mix is smooth.


Arrange the calamari on a plate, placing the chipotle mayonnaise dipping sauce in the middle. Add some lemon wedges and serve. 

Pork Tenderloin in Adobo (Lomo Adobado)

Lomo en adobo is a very popular dish. In earlier times the adobo was a way to preserve some parts of the pork, such as the loin or the ribs. After the pork was marinated in adobo, people added fat until it was covered.  They did the same with sausages, like chorizo. There were many ways to preserve food for the winter and most of the butchering was done in the fall. Some of the methods were smoking, using adobo and covering with fat. In Roman times(and to this day) people used salt to preserve food and it became a commodity, or a currency, of sorts. They used to pay the soldiers with salt "sal" and this is the origin of the word "salary." Foods  preserved in this manner included fish, such as cod and sardines.

The Tenderloin before cooking

Ingredients for the Adobo:


2 Small Pork Tenderloins
3 Tablespoons Sweet Smoked Paprika
1 Cup vinegar
2 Cups Water
5 Crushed Garlic Gloves
1 Tablespoon Oregano
15 Pepper Corns


Cover the tenderloins with the sweet paprika, then add the rest of the ingredients already mixed. Put in the refrigerator for 24 hours minimum. After that period you can cut in fillets what you need. Put the fillets in a pan on high heat and quickly brown one side and then the other.

Lomo adobado with fried peppers, tomato salad and roasted potatoes

Serve with fried peppers, fried eggplant and fries or make a sandwich for lunch.


The tenderloin can be in the adobo for 4-5 days. If you want to keep it longer, fry them lightly and cover with olive oil. I am not a friend of lard or any type of fat.


If you use the tenderloin in a sandwich, then it becomes a "pepito de lomo." 

Pepito de lomo

Albacore Tuna, Lettuce and Roasted Peppers Sandwich

This is a quick, healthy, and easy sandwich to make.

A fantastic, quick and easy sandwich to make

Ingredients:


2 Slices of Rustic Bread
Lettuce
1 can of Albacore Tuna
Roasted Red Peppers
Carrots 
Cherry or Pear Tomatoes


On a slice of bread we put the lettuce, then the tuna and finally the peppers. Use the sauce of the peppers to wet slightly one side of the bread, and the olive oil of the albacore to wet slightly the other slice. This is one of my many favorite sandwiches.


If you live in this area, it is easy to find the albacore tuna and the roasted peppers. Check Just Local Foods Cooperative or you are not from this area you can find them at www.latienda.com