Category Archives: casa azahar

mission accomplished!

31 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by in azahars kitchen, casa azahar, food & drink, home, homecooking

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nye

New Year’s Eve dinner was AMAZING. Inspired by the wonderful presa al palo cortado that I’d had at Bodeguita Romero earlier in the week.  It was the first time I’d slow-cooked a whole piece of presa Ibérico de Bellota (pork shoulder) and so I got some cooking tips from my friends, the family at @bodeguitaromero and chef @jose_pizarro. It wasn’t that much different than making my (now famous!) carrillada al oloroso but this sauce was made with palo cortado sherry, LOTS of sweet onion, portobellos, garlic and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. I think I maybe overcooked it a bit as the sauce ended up VERY reduced and had a fair bit of meat in it, that had fallen off the shoulder. So I added more broth and sherry to it and wow, so tasty. Side dishes: roasted potatoes, courgette and spring onion, and Yorkshire puddings. What did you have?

nye dinner

new year’s eve challenge!

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, homecooking

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presa (1)

While out enjoying the Christmas lights on Monday we stopped for a couple of tapitas at Bodeguita Romero and one of them was this totally tender and tasty Presa Ibérica al Palo Cortado. I mean, it was seriously OMG good. So I decided that I would try to replicate it as a New Year’s Eve dish. Then I got this 600 gram monster and have since been trying to figure out how to prepare it! The Romero family have given me some vague instruction, and my friend José Pizarro has also helped out. But I’m still kind of going in with a bit of knowledge but nothing step by step to follow. Stay tuned!

presa (2)

panettone!

21 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by in casa azahar, christmas, friends

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panettone

It’s the beginning of Christmas Week and that usually means mince pies for breakfast. Usually brought by friends travelling here from the UK. Obviously that isn’t happening this year, so by happy chance my friend Bizzy gave me this lovely panettone that is made at her Italian restaurant Maccheroni & Co. And it’s the very first time I’ve ever tried panettone, so may as well start with the best. I love it. Not sweet, more like a lovely citrusy raisin bread. Can be eaten plain, toasted with butter or (hope Bizzy isn’t reading this) even made into French toast. I plan to try them all.