News from Bootlace – December 2008

There will be another Winter Working Week 17 - 24 January. On the list are olive picking, manuring, cane cutting and bundling as well as clearing and bonfires. It’s a chance to get away from the UK winter and enjoy the outdoors with some useful productive work and there’s usually plenty of sunshine here at that time of year. We’d love to hear from anyone interested in these working weeks at La Dominga. Basic accommodation and food, one day walking excursion and a half day trip up to the Poqueira villages - all in exchange for the princely sum of £50 and 27 hours of physical work on La Dominga projects. Email Fiona and Paul using the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Chestnuts are higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat and protein than other nuts. They contain fibre, potassium, iron, zinc and manganese. Chinese herbalists say they’re good for the kidneys. After picking, chestnuts slowly dry out and shrivel so when you’re buying your Christmas chestnuts try to choose nuts that are heavy for their size with shiny, smooth shells. Give a squeeze to check that the nut inside is plump and full. Freshly picked chestnuts start off quite crisp and become more tender and chewy over the following days or weeks before deteriorating to a dry and floury texture. Storage at a cool temperature (e.g. the fridge) slows the ageing process.

Peeling chestnuts is a task to plan for when there’s something good on the radio; attempting the job when you’re in a hurry is likely to result in swearing and a long-standing hatred of a very fine nut. Cut crosses in the shells with a serrated knife and either roast for 15 minutes - treat yourself to a chestnut pan next time you’re in the Alpujarra! - or boil for 20 minutes. The shells will now be fairly simple to break open. Removing the brown membrane on the nut (an opportunity to Increase Your Word Power - this is called the pellicle)- is a fiddlier task (easier performed while the nuts are warm) and you will need to break open some nuts to get at the skin in the crevices. A tip gleaned from Maria the Fastest Chestnut Peeler in Europe (so says husband Jose!) is to line about half a dozen hot nuts in an old thick tea towel and pinch them to crack the skin, rather like cracking boiled egg shells before peeling. This releases some of the heat and allows the skin to peel off more easily complete with the pellicle. Shelled and peeled, chestnuts can then be cooked according to recipe requirements (for mashing or pureeing they should have the consistency of cooked potatoes - test with a skewer). Here’s a rich and delicious winter recipe just to get you going!

In a large, deep skillet, combine the stock with the water, butter, vinegar and sugar. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover and cook over moderately low heat until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderate heat, for about 30 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are covered with a deep-golden caramel; add a few tablespoons of water if necessary as the liquid evaporates.

Add the cognac, prunes and chestnuts to the onions and cook just until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the skillet and scrape up any caramel stuck to the bottom and sides. Pour the sauce over the onions, garnish with the parsley and serve. (10 servings)

This can be refrigerated overnight in a baking dish and reheated in a 325°F oven, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary. Garnish with the parsley just before serving.

An exciting new venture at Casa Anna combines one of our favourite guest houses with one of our favourite pursuits as Anne offers cooking holidays with a full programme of cultural and culinary excursions as well as cooking classes: sampling Andalucia’s gastronomic specialities at the village bodegas and in Granada; visiting local vineyards and discussing wines with the winemakers; picnics by the river and visits to the famous white villages of the Alpujarras; as well as a day in Granada at the Alhambra palace followed by a relaxing soak in the Arabic baths and shopping opportunities in the Moroccan quarter of the city.
The Casa Ana team includes Kim Schiffer, a chef with a passion for local, seasonal and organic foods who has cooked in Italy, Morocco and California, and has now realised her dream of running cooking vacations in Spain; Francisco Lillo, chef, gourmet and raconteur from Cordoba who now runs Granada’s most famous delicatessen, La Oliva; from the Bootlace Herbalism week, our very own Julio Donat who has devoted his life to the study of the local flora and the their culinary and medicinal uses; and last but never least Fiona’s old buddy from Cortijo Romero, Wes Somerville, owner/chef of the celebrated El Limonero restaurant in Orgiva.

A few more places left: The February Desert Trek has filled up, and as I write the Atlantic coast trek is half full! If you would like to know more about this contact Fiona using the form at the bottom of the page.

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