Matt's tapas – sautéed squid, sobrasada toast and prawns cooked in salt
This tapas recipe contains three separate dishes for a summer evening meal to share.
Ingredients
For the sautéed squid with salmorejo
- 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 garlic clove, smashed, plus 2 whole garlic cloves
- few sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- 600g/1lb 5oz ripe tomatoes
- 100g/3½oz stale bread, crusts removed
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 4 small–medium squid with tentacles, cleaned and cut into rings
- squeeze lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sobrasada toast with clams
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 500g/1lb 2oz clams, scrubbed and debearded
- 2 padron peppers, roughly chopped
- 100ml/3½fl oz fino sherry
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 100g/3½oz sobrasada, cut into small pieces
- 2 slices sourdough bread, toasted
For the prawns cooked in salt
- 1–2 free-range egg whites, beaten
- 600g/1lb 5oz coarse sea salt
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaves, torn
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 4 large raw carabineros prawns, shells and heads on
- lemon wedges, to serve
- olive oil, to serve
Method
To make the sautéed squid with salmorejo, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan and fry the smashed garlic clove and thyme. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden. Leave to drain on some kitchen paper.
Blitz the tomatoes, bread, remaining garlic, 3 tablespoons of oil and vinegar in a blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let down with water if necessary. Set aside.
Season the squid with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan until scorching hot, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and immediately add the squid. cooking for a minute or two to colour and cook through. Add the squeeze of lemon juice then remove the squid and serve with more oil, the tomato sauce and a tablespoon of the toasted breadcrumb mixture.
To make the sobrasada toast with clams, heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 10 minutes. Discard any clams with broken shells and any that refuse to close when tapped. Add the clams, peppers and sherry. Put the lid on and steam open for a few minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed. Add the parsley and stir. Spread the sobrasada over the toasted sourdough bread and spoon the clam mixture over the top.
To make the prawns cooked in salt, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Mix the egg whites, salt, fennel seeds, bay and lemon zest in a roasting tin. Bury the prawns in the salt mixture and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Leave to rest for about 3 minutes then break into the salt mixture and unpeel the prawns. Serve the prawns with a squeeze lemon and some olive oil.
