Angela's tapas – prawns, cod fritters, clams, padron peppers and chorizo
Angela's tapas selection is a fantastic way to feed a crowd, showing off the best of Spanish ingredients.
Ingredients
For the prawns
For the salt cod fritters
- 200g/7oz cod fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú rock salt, to cover
- 500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú butter
- 60²µ/2¼´Ç³ú plain flour
- 2 free-range eggs, gently beaten
- 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest only
For the clams in sherry
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 300g/10½oz baby Palourde clams
- 50ml/2fl oz sherry
- 2 slices Serrano or Parma ham, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
For the padron peppers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250g/9oz padron peppers
- large pinch sea salt
For the chorizo
Method
For the prawns, heat a frying pan and pour in the oil once hot. Add the prawns and pan fry for 2–3 minutes on each side.
To make the salt cod fritters, place the cod in a dish and cover with the rock salt. Leave the fish to cure for 20 minutes, then remove the cod from the salt and rinse under cold water.
Bring the milk to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Poach the fish for 5 minutes, then remove, flake the fish and set aside.
Measure out 250ml/9fl oz of the poaching milk and pour into a fresh saucepan. Add the butter and bring to the boil, then add the flour to the liquid and beat rapidly until the pastry comes away from the edge of the pan. Do this on the heat.
Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool, then gradually beat the egg into the pastry, beating well after each addition. Add the flaked fish, parsley and lemon zest.
Pour enough vegetable oil into a saucepan for deep frying, and heat the oil up to 180C. CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
Gently drop a dessert spoon of the salt cod mixture into the hot oil and deep-fry until the fritter has turned golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with lemon juice and serve.
For the clams in sherry, heat the olive oil in a large pan, then add the shallots and garlic and lightly sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.
Add the clams and sherry and steam the clams with the lid on for 1–2 minutes until the clams have opened up. Add the ham and parsley and serve straight away.
For the padron peppers, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the peppers and fry until blistered all over, then season and serve straight away.
For the chorizo, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic gently until softened. Remove the shallots and garlic from the pan and fry the chorizo for 8–10 minutes until starting to colour. Keep moving the pan to get an even colour all over. Add the shallots and garlic back into the pan, followed by the wine and sherry. Reduce to a glaze, then finish with some parsley.
Serve all the dishes in separate tapas-style dishes for everyone to help themselves.
