Chef Adam Donnelly,
Segovia
This simple tapa from eastern Spain is great for the barbeque. Tangy Catalan spinach with its punchy piquillo peppers and creamy aïoli combined with the chermoula’s sweet heat results in an explosion of flavour.
Ingredients
Aïoli
6 egg yolks
1 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp minced garlic
4 cups canola oil
Catalan Spinach
8 cups of fresh spinach
olive oil for frying
1/4 cup diced white onions
3/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup currants
3/4 cup sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
1 sprig of thyme, picked and chopped
1 250 ml tin of piquillo peppers
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Chermoula
2 tsp cumin
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp sweet paprika
3 Tbsp cilantro roughly chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
Sea Bream
2 fillets of sea bream
Method
Aïoli
1. Combine egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and minced garlic in a stand mixer using the whip attachment.
2. Turn on the highest speed and slowly add the canola oil to make an emulsion.
Catalan Spinach
1. Place spinach in large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Heat up a pan with a splash of olive oil and sweat off the onions until translucent, about 10 mins.
3. Add pine nuts, currants, sherry vinegar, honey and thyme to pan and cook down until dry, about 10 mins.
4. Remove pan from heat and transfer mixture over spinach.
5. Add chopped piquillo peppers to bowl. Squeeze lemon over salad. Toss and season to taste.
Chermoula
1. Using a pestle and mortar, pound cumin. Reserve on the side.
2. Add garlic and salt to the mortar and pound into a paste.
3. Add crushed cumin followed by the remaining ingredients.
Sea Bream
1. Season fish with chermoula and place skin side down on a hot grill.
2. Cook fish for about 8 mins on one side until skin is crispy. Remove fish from grill and let it rest.
Assembly
1. Warm spinach salad in a pan over low heat with a splash of water.
2. Transfer to plate. Top with sea bream and a dollop of aïoli. Serve.
Yield 2 servings