Brindisa is known as the home of Spanish food in London to both home cooks and Michelin-starred chefs alike.
Make your Christmas extra magical by making these festive recipes courtesy of Brindisa, from crowd-pleasing canapés like chorizo pigs in blankets to showstopping mains including an Ibérico wellington. Feliz navidad!
A fun aperitivo or canapé: flavour-packed chorizo is wrapped with panceta and drizzled in orange blossom honey. Hold together with pretty cocktail sticks to serve
Chorizo pigs in blankets
Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
Rip up the rulebook this Christmas and give your spread some Spanish flare with these chorizo pigs in blankets. Paprika-spiked chorizo is wrapped in panceta and glazed in orange blossom honey for a festive canapé you'll struggle to share.
Using a rolling pin, stretch out the panceta (so it won’t shrink while cooking). Place 1-2 sage leaves on the panceta and one chorizo sausage, and roll up tight. Repeat for all the chorizo.
Skewer the chorizo rolls on bamboo sticks or metal skewers. Place on a lined baking dish. Drizzle over orange blossom honey, add a grind of black pepper and the leaves from the rosemary. Roast for 35 mins, turning once.
Serve with a little more honey.
Ibérico Wellington
A stunning Christmas centrepiece dish or a delicious dinner party recipe using Spain's famous Ibérico acorn-fed pork
Ibérico Wellington
Serves 4
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 40 minutes
If you want to bring the wow factor this Christmas make sure to make this Ibérico wellington. Using Spain's famous Ibérico acorn-fed pork combined with a mushroom and Galician chestnut duxelle and wrapped in serrano ham and flaky puff pastry, this recipe is a pig-deal.
To make the mushroom and chestnut duxelle: in a food processor, using the pulse function, blitz the mushrooms until they are the size of a grain of rice, then place them into a bowl. Repeat with the chestnuts then mix them with the mushrooms.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and chestnuts, along with the rosemary and the sherry wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has evaporated and the mixture has softened (10min approx). Reserve and leave the duxelle to cool.
Season the tenderloin and sear in a hot frying pan or on a griddle. Leave to cool.
When all the ingredients are at room temperature, lay the slices of ham in a sheet of cling film. Add a layer of the duxelle and then place the tenderloin on top. Wrap the tenderloin tightly with the help of the cling film. Let it rest in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, gas mark 6. Unroll the pastry onto a baking sheet. Trim a 2cm strip off one long side and reserve.
Place the ham-wrapped tenderloin in the centre (having removed the cling film). Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg then fold the pastry to completely encase the tenderloin.
Use the reserved pastry to cut shapes to decorate the Wellington, then brush with the remaining egg.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Leave to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing to serve.
Sobrasada roast potatoes
Spiced Mallorcan sobrasada sausage is crumbled into rosemary roast potatoes to make a decadent side for a roast dinner, and the perfect Boxing Day leftovers
Sobrasada roast potatoes
Serves 4
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 35 minutes
A delicacy of Mallorca, sobrasada is a soft-textured pork sausage, flavoured with paprika that's not far from Italy's 'nduja in texture. These flavour-packed roast potatoes are the perfect partner to a traditional Sunday roast and make an excellent Boxing Day brunch when topped with a fried egg.
Heat the milk with an onion studded with clove and the bay leaf and then leave to infuse for 15 mins.
Slice the cauliflower into 1 inch “steaks”. Lay out on a greaseproof paper covered baking tray. Brush with olive oil and roast at 200 C, 180°C fan, gas mark 6 for 20 mins, turning halfway and brushing the other side. They should have a nice touch of char.
Whilst they cook, melt the butter in a pan over a low to medium heat and then stir in the flour, stirring and cooking for a couple of minutes.
Remove the onion and bay leaf from the milk and gradually add to the butter and flour, whisking constantly until you have a smooth sauce. Then leave to simmer on the lowest heat for 5 mins until thickened, stirring from time to time.
Add the grated cheeses (reserving the extra for the topping), nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the cauliflower to roasting dish and pour over the cheese sauce. Top with the remaining grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Put back in oven for 10 minutes until cheese has browned / or put under the grill. Finally dust with the paprika and sprinkle over the capers.
Manchego Shortbreads
These beguiling little biscuits with a big flavour make a great aperitivo with cava or extra dry Martinis. Fragrant saffron and rich, buttery manchego make these very moreish
Manchego shortbreads
Makes 60
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
Cheese and biscuits are an essential component at Christmas time, so why not combine the magic with these manchego shortbreads. Made from tangy manchego, fragrant saffron and plenty of butter, they're the perfect finale to a big lunch, washed down with extra dry martinis.
Grind the saffron, if using, very finely using a pestle and mortar, then incorporate into the butter and rub into the flour and cheese.
Form into 3 rolls of 2.5cm in diameter – working the dough as little as possible. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 160°. Remove the rolls of dough from the fridge and slice into rounds, 1.5cm thick, then arrange them well-spaced, on baking trays.
Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly golden brown and the centres are fairly firm to the touch, turning the trays around once during the baking time, so that the biscuits bake evenly.
Remove them from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
