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Spanish Food - How To Prepare Boquerones

by: Linda Plummer

Whilst on your travels in Spain and pausing to take a breath from
site-seeing, you have surely experimented with "tapas" at a
welcoming bar.

If this is the case, it is more than likely that you have come
across the small, tasty filleted fish, preserved in olive oil,
sliced garlic and chopped parsley, and highly popular throughout
Spain. This delectable dish is usually known as "boquerones" but,
depending on the area, can also be called "anchoas".

Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp,
fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing
Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat. Moreover - as with
many traditional Spanish dishes which comprise the renowned
Mediterranean Diet - they are extremely healthy.

Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed
full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease,
and "good" for cholesterol. What�s more, in many areas of Spain -
in particular the Mediterranean coast - fresh anchovies are
extremely cheap.

On first coming to Spain, I happily enjoyed many tapas of
boquerones, completely unaware of one fact ... all those little
anchovies I had eaten were not cooked! For a moment, I deeply
regretted asking my Spanish neighbor, Carmen, how to make them!

Fortunately, Carmen went into immediate action and saved the day!
She frog-marched me to the local fishmongers, bought a kilo of the
little fish, took me home and showed me "her way" of preparing
them. They were so delicious that I quickly recovered my passion
for boquerones and have been enjoying them ever since!

Methods for preparing boquerones tend to vary slightly from family
to family. However, the basic principles are always the same.
You first have to clean and fillet the fish, which is simple
enough, but rather tedious until you get the hang of it.

Next, you soak the fillets, either in white wine vinegar or a
mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean
and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones.
Some people sprinkle the fish with salt; others (myself included)
feel that the fish is salty enough already.

The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the
vinegar. Again, this tends to vary, with some Spaniards leaving
them overnight in the fridge and others just waiting a couple of
hours. Also, some families change the vinegar/water-and-vinegar
mixture once during this process, whilst others don�t bother.

Once you have thrown away the vinegar, the bleached fillets are
covered with a good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve
them. You can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you
wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.

So ... here is the actual recipe.

BOQUERONES

Ingrediants:

- 1 kilo fresh anchovies.
- White wine vinegar.
- Virgin olive oil.
- Garlic.
- Parsley.
- Salt (optional).

Method:

1. Top and tail anchovies.

2. Slit along underside and discard innards.

3. Open out fish.

4. Remove central bone by lifting from tail end upwards.

5. Rinse well.

6. Place a layer of anchovy fillets in a shallow dish.

7. Sprinkle with salt (optional) and pour on plenty of vinegar.

8. Repeat with another layer, changing direction.

9. Leave to soak in vinegar for a few hours or overnight.

10. Pour off vinegar.

11. Very gently rinse fillets.

12. Cover fillets in virgin olive oil.

13. Add slices of garlic and chopped parsley.

It is so pleasant to find something in life that is a delight to
the senses, affordable, healthy and does nobody any harm
(apologies to any vegetarians out there and, also, the little
anchovies ...). So ... do make the most of fresh anchovies
whilst you are in Spain and enjoy!

About the author:
After living in Spain for 20 years, Linda Plummer decided
to compile the information-rich website:

with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".

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14 Easy Cooking Tips for Meat and Poultry Slow Cooker Recipes
by: Anjali Dawson

The first Christmas we spent with my in-laws in their new country home, my mother-in-law wisely gave me a slow cooker. Her thoughtful gift helped Dan and I enjoy the most convenient of all cooking methods, even with our long work days and commute.

I'll always treasure the memories of delicious aromas wafting through the front door as we stepped into the house after a long day at work and a nerve-jangling commute in heavy traffic.

Most of the slow cooker recipes I used were based on meats and poultry. Here are 14 easy tips to make your slow cooker recipes tasty and safe:

Tip # 1 - According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bacteria in food are killed at a temperature of 165�F. Meats cooked in the slow cooker reach an internal temperature of 170� in beef and as high as 190�F in poultry. It is important to follow the recommended cooking times and to keep the cover on your slow cooker during the cooking process.

Tip # 2 - It is best not use the slow cooker for large pieces like a roast or whole chicken because the food will cook so slowly it could remain in the bacterial "danger zone" too long.

Tip # 3 - Always defrost meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker.

Tip # 4 - Meats generally cook faster than most vegetables in a slow cooker.

Tip # 5 - Trim all fat from meat and poultry. Fat can increase the temperature of the liquid in the slow cooker and decrease the cooking time. This will cause the food t be overcooked. Fats will also melt with long cooking times, and will add an unpleasant texture to the finished dish.

Tip # 6 - Cooking at higher temperatures will generally give you a tougher piece of meat. for all day cooking or for less-tender cuts of meat, you may want to use the low setting.

Tip # 7 - The slow cooker recipes are best used with the tougher cuts of meats.

Tip # 8 - For the best color and texture, ground beef is best browned before using, except in meatloaf or other similar dishes.

Tip # 9 - It is not necessary to brown meat before slow cooking, but it gives more depth of flavor in the food and removes some of the fat, especially in pork, lamb and sausages. If the meat is lean, well trimmed and not highly marbled, it doesn't need to be browned.

Tip # 10 - For roasts and stews, pour liquid over meat. Use no more liquid than specified in the slow cooker recipes. More juices in meats and vegetables are retained in slow cooking than in conventional cooking.

Tip # 11 - Dark meat takes longer to cook, so if a whole cut up chicken is used, put the thighs and legs on the bottom.

Tip # 12 - The slightly coarser texture of corn-fed, organic or free-range poultry is ideal for slow cooker recipes.

Tip # 13 - Most meats require 8 hours of cooking on LOW. Use cheaper cuts of meat - not only do you save money, but these meats work better for slow cooker recipes. Cheaper cuts of meat have less fat, which makes them more suited to crockpot cooking. Moist, long cooking times result in very tender meats.

Tip # 14 - Farberware FSC600 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker oval design accommodates oversize roasts, whole chickens, hams, and/or ribs. It features a large, 6-quart capacity stoneware liner, which nests inside a chrome slow cooker base and the auto setting switches to a lower 'keep warm' setting after cooking food.

For those who are not concerned about cooking in aluminum the West Bend Versatility 6-quart Oval Slow Cooker will work well to cook meats. It has a removable aluminum insert that can be used on the stovetop to brown meats and caramelize onions before slow cooking. The bottom unit can also be used on its own as a small griddle. Its dishwasher-safe insert has a nonstick interior and an included roasting rack.

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