Salpicón is one of the most outraged dishes at all levels: if you don’t believe it, go to the bars of those old bars that have the tapas that they will serve throughout the day displayed in the display case, inside those metal hospitality trays . There they will find those overcooked prawns, dry and rubbery, with some surimi, mussels that have been previously frozen and a lot of chopped pepper and onion (because they are the cheapest in this recipe). What comes after eating the tapa is a few hours of various repetitive eruptions, and I’m not talking about La Palma or Vesuvius. But if it is done well, the salpicón can be a real delight.
The last one that I tried and that led me to excitement, and that is why this recipe arises, is the one that Sacha Hormaechea served me in its Botillery and stove from Madrid. It was made of lobster, with a crustacean at its point and also its shredded legs, with the coral mixing everything and just the light contribution of an onion soaked in water previously to remove its strength, minced egg white and a very soft warm vinaigrette that it It turned into a neat and elegant dish.
By following those commandments you can make a splash out of anything; although if we refer to the dictionary and the newspaper library, many things could be called that and it would depend a lot on the country in which we are. Our partner Miriam García already told us that Don Quixote consumed it, always with meat as it happened in the past, and that is that the salpicón is nothing more than a dish of use, which was prepared at that time with the meats that had been left over and the next day they were eaten cold, seasoned with a vinaigrette.
If we follow the inquiries, Martinez Montiño He already quotes it -and he cooked it following these same guidelines as Felipe III- (and Angel Wall, many years later, he also defended it in the same way). Both mention in their texts that it is always good to add a little of the fat from the meat -or some fatter area- to the cow salpicón, which would add softness to the whole. Come on, that the cow salpicón was a dish of use and the marine salpicón was born in the same way; also back then.
Nowadays, the beef salpicón has become a salad of meat scraps -which is something wonderful- while the seafood or fish salpicón has been positioned among the delicacies of our gastronomy, because it is a perfect starter for the Christmas holidays (Besides not being too excessive. His fame is ancient and almost old, but cooks like to pay tribute to him very often and that seems a joy to me. It was born from the use of the ugliest pieces or the remains, but today We have turned it into something tremendously noble. For the dish, the better the product, the better the result, that is clear.
Then there is the issue of dressing and here you have to be blunt: a good but smooth extra virgin olive oil that does not scratch, and a vinegar that with just two drops sits but does not mask, even a few drops of lemon would be good. Of course, balsamic is extremely prohibited. Why do we find seafood splashes crammed with vinegar? Because in the past, and today, it was the best way to mask the flavor of the product a little bit, but it’s not about that anymore. Of course, all the juices released by the crustaceans can be used to give the vinaigrette more flavor.
Ingredients
For 2 persons
12 prawns 8 medium red prawns 1 free-range egg½ small chives Salt Extra virgin olive oil, Arbequina variety A few drops of Jerez wine vinegar Chopped chives Lime zest (optional)
Preparation
Cook the egg for nine minutes (in water that is already boiling and at a very low heat). Cool quickly in ice water. Peel the egg, chop the white very finely and reserve the yolk.
Remove the heads of the prawns and prawns, drain their juices in a bowl. Peel the rest of the prawns and prawns completely.
Chop the chives as small as possible. Also chop the chives.
Prepare a saucepan of water and blanch the prawns for 20 seconds, then the prawns for 15 seconds. Remove and add a little salt.
Mix the juice from the prawn heads with the olive oil and vinegar, heat very slightly.
Cut the prawns into three pieces and season everything with the amount of hard-boiled egg, chopped to taste, and also chives. Finish with the dressing that we had prepared, with a little more salt if necessary or lime zest. It can also be finished on top with the crumbled egg yolk.
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