Savoury & Sweet, food for friends.
Manchego Cheese and sweet membrillo, a match made in heaven.
Home-made ‘Foodie’ gifts always go down a treat, well they do at La Rosilla, getting creative and spending time in the kitchen, other than rustling up the sometimes mundane, every night suppers is an enjoyable way to while away a few hours, making delicious gourmet morsels to share with friends.
Having been away from the La Rosilla kitchen on a crazy tour of India (That’s another story), I was keen to get home-making once more, don my apron and get my knives and wooden spoons out.
Preserving the flavour.
During my absence from home, my husband had been collecting seasonal ingredients, windfalls and harvest offerings from friends. Mangoes and Quince, graced the fruit bowl, awaiting to be transformed into chutneys to preserve the sweet fruits, to enjoy over the coming winter months.
Try out some of our recipes here.
Quince.
Quince fruit are now in season, they have the appearance of a very hard, fury pear. They can’t be eaten raw, try it, they’re mouth puckeringly astringent. Once peeled, cooked and stewed with sugar they turn naturally the most beautiful russet, rose pink, and make delicious jellies and jams and the famous Membrillo we enjoy in Spain. Membrillo is the perfect partner to marry with our local strong goats cheeses and Manchego, it is the perfect addition to any cheese board or savoury platter and a great gift for friends at Christmas.
Making membrillo is quite a labour of love, a sweet, sticky mess, well I often get into one making it, but the end result is worth it.
Enjoy.
Manchego & membrillo
Yesterday we were invited out for a late Sunday lunch, so I wanted to take a foodie gift for our hosts, something that would be a perfect pre-lunch nibble, canape or tapa, partnered with a crisp chilled Fino. These Manchego Gougeres are the perfect delicious morsel of savoury, choux pastry that complimented, perfectly my recently made Membrillo.
Ingredients
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 100g plain flour, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 150g Manchego cheese, coarsely grated
- 1/4tsp smoked paprika pepper
- Fresly ground black pepper.
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C, fan 180°C.
- Pour 250ml of water into a medium sized pan, add the butter and salt and bring to the boil. When it is just simmering, remove from the heat and tip in the flour and beat together with a whisk until the mix is coming away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes and then beat in the eggs one at a time until they are all incorporated. Whisk in the grated cheese, paprika and freshly ground black pepper.
- Then place small spoonfuls or pipe small rounds of the mixture well spaced apart onto a baking sheet lined with nonstick baking paper.
- Dip your finger in cold water and press lightly to remove any pointy bits on each ball.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and risen.
Serve warm.
