Is there anything better than kicking back to a large glass of Rioja Crianza and delectable bowls of Spanish Tapas once the autumn kicks in? We think not.

This months recipes come from Cava, one of Galway’s favourite eateries. Celebrating over two years in business, Cava is Ireland’s first and only restaurant devoted entirely to Spanish food, wine and beer. Situated on Dominick Street in Galway City’s up and coming left bank, Cava is owned by husband & wife, JP McMahon and Drigín Gaffey. Cava has been heralded as ‘the best tapas in Ireland’ by Tom Doorley (Irish Times). It is recommended by Georgina Campbell’s restaurant guide and by Sally and John McKenna of the Bridgestone Guide. Cava has also been called ‘one of the most authentic Spanish restaurants in Ireland at present’, Sebastian Black (Spanish Flavour).

Patatas a la Riojona (potatoes with chorizo)

Serves 1

Ingredients

50g potatoes

50g chorizo

50ml red wine

15ml olive oil

Directions

1 Fry potatoes in olive oil until golden brown.

2 Add chorizo.

3 Cook for one minute.

4 Add red wine.

5 Reduce wine on a high heat until it has the consistency of a thick sauce.

6 Serve in a tapas dish with a sprig of chervil on top.

Tortilla & Romesco

Makes one tortilla

Ingredients

Romesco:

100g Hazelnuts

100g Almonds

500ml tomato passata (or homemade tomato sauce)

handful mint and parsley

30ml olive oil

15ml sherry vinegar

6 piquillo peppers

Salt & Pepper

Tortilla:

13 large potatoes

15 eggs

2 large Spanish onions

salt

Directions

Romesco:

1 Roast almonds and hazelnuts until lightly brown.

2 Mix all other ingredients with almonds and hazelnuts.

3 Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Directions

Tortilla:

1 Thinly slice onion and fry on a low heat until onion is soft and transparent. Remove from heat and allow to stand. Peel and

thinly slice potatoes.

2 Deep fry potatoes at 120° until soft (a knife will pass through them without effort). Beat eggs in a large bowl and add onions and potatoes to mix. Season liberally with sea salt.

3 In a moderately hot frying pan, heat some oil. Add Tortilla mix. Lower heat to lowest setting. Cook Tortilla until brown and

then turn Tortilla with the aid of a flat plate (you can also use another frying pan which is the same size. Just remember to heat

it, and suitably oil it).

4 When the Tortilla is browned on both sides, take it off the heat and allow to cool completely before serving. Serve with some

Romesco sauce and a crisp green salad.

Crèma Catalana

Makes 8

Ingredients

1L Cream

3 cinnamon sticks

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

6 egg yolks

90g caster sugar

Directions

1 Bring cream to the boil with cinnamon sticks and zest.

2 Upon reaching boiling point take cream off the heat and allow flavours to infuse for 5 minutes.

3 In a separate bowl, add sugar to eggs and whisk until creamed. Gradually pour warm cream over the eggs, whisking all the time.

4 Set mixture over a pot of boiling water (bain-marie) and cook mixture until it coats the back of a wooden spoon (this will take

about 30 mins, so make sure the water does not come into contact with the bowl, or the mixture may curdle).

5 Strain mixture though a fine sieve and pour into 8 suitable ramekins (small round dishes).

6 Allow to chill for 3 hours in the fridge.

7 Scatter the surface of the crema catalana with brown sugar and caramelise with a flame thrower or under the grill.

8 The crema catalana goes well with vanilla ice-cream, fresh fruits, or sweet biscuits.



Seafood Paella

Serves 4

Ingredients

225g of Bomba Rice (Bomba Rice available to purchase from Cava)

550 – 600ml of fish stock

Small pinch of saffron treads

125ml of dry white wine

2 cloves of garlic, diced

1 small onion, diced

4 cooking chorizo sausages

150g of white fish, diced (whitefish: hake or cod will do)

60g frozen green peas

4 prawns (head and tail on)

16 mussels (washed and de-bearded)

16 clams (washed)

Pinch of sea salt, black pepper

15ml olive oil

Small handful of chervil

1 lemon

Directions

1 Add shellfish and prawns to a hot pan.

2 Fry on a low heat for five minutes or until prawns have turned pink, and mussels and clams have all opened. Discard any that have not opened.

3 Take shellfish out of pan and put to one side.

4 Fry onion and garlic in olive oil in the same pan.

5 Add chorizo and fry until crispy. Add fish stock and diced fish.

6 Bring to the boil. Add saffron. Stir gently.

7 Lower heat to a medium setting and add rice. Do not stir.

8 When rice has absorbed most of the stock, it will still be moist to touch. (it’s important not to rush this stage, this could take up to 25 minutes)

9 Add shellfish, prawns and peas into the paella and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the

shellfish is hot.

10 Season as required.

11 Remove from heat and distribute evenly on to four warm plates.

12 Finish each dish with a quarter of a lemon and a few sprigs of chervil.