
Recipes with
Smoked Spanish Paprika
by Michael Sherwood
Here are the recipes that accompany
Mike's article.
Smoked Paprika [pimentón], made
in Spain from smoked, ground pimiento peppers and often referred
to as simply smoked paprika can be found in varying intensities
from sweet and mild (dulce) bittersweet medium hot (agridulce)
and hot (picante).
THE smoked
paprika from Spain, is the La Dalia brand. An essential cooking
ingredient for home chefs, it is consistently high quality, and
adds wonderful flavors to everything from yogurt to chicken to
chorizo.
We like to add it to our spice
rub or barbecue sauce for baby back ribs, or as an accent for
roast potatoes or as a flavoring for potatoes and fish dishes,
all things with shrimp, light stews, sauces, garlic chicken and
roasted meats. Whatever wine you pair with your meal when it
includes smoked paprika… that
wine takes on a nuance not seen before.
Listed
in the far right column are some of our favorite wines that go
with these recipes.
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Roasted Salmon with Smoked Paprika Glaze
Although we love grilling salmon, in this recipe
we roast it. This method is really simple and produces a moist
and flavorful fish. A smoky and sweet glaze complements the salmon
fillets.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh salmon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbs. Spanish smoked paprika
2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
Directions:
1. Start by preheating the oven to 400°F.
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil.
2. Rinse the salmon and pat it dry. We cut
the salmon into 5 pieces of 5-6 ounces each and then a few smaller
pieces for lighter eaters or leftovers. Place the salmon on the
foil-lined cookie sheet skin-side down.
3. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients
and stir well. Pour half of it into a ramekin to reserve for the
table. Brush the rest of the glaze on the flesh side of the large
pieces of salmon.
4. Roast the salmon in the oven for 10 minutes.
Check for doneness, but find that it is not quite ready. Cook it
for a few more minutes.
5. With tongs, lift the salmon off the foil
onto the dinner plates. Leave behind the skin of the salmon and
serve immediately.
Serves 5
From Triple E’s Family Cookbook
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Shrimp in Morel Cream Sauce with Smoked
Paprika
Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 lb. extra large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 cup morel mushrooms, sliced
Cream
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 x chives, diced finely
Directions:
1. In a sauté pan over medium high heat,
add 2 tablespoons butter and shrimp.
2. Cook shrimp for approximately 2 minutes
per side, or until opaque. Add garlic at the very last moment,
careful not to overcook the garlic. Remove and reserve.
3. Add remaining butter and mushrooms to pan
and sauté over medium high heat for 5 minutes, or until
slightly condensed.
4. Add white wine and stir to loosen up any
browned bits. Add cream and paprika. Let reduce for 5 minutes,
then add back shrimp. Cook for 2 more minutes, then serve. Sprinkle
with chopped chives.
Serves 4
Inspired by Elizabeth Baird’s recipe
from the Surreal Gourmet
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Grilled Paprika Chicken with Blackberry
Sauce
This recipe comes to us from the Oregon chef
de cuisine, Janie Hibler. Leave it to Janie to marry a chicken
rubbed with smoked paprika; rosemary and blackberries… and
pull it off.
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken (3- to 4-pound)
2 cups chicken stock
1-1/2tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 pint Marionberries or other blackberries
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the
wing tips from the chicken and put them, along with the neck and
any giblets, in a small pan with the chicken stock. Set the pan
over medium-high heat and reduce to 1 cup. Strain the reduced broth
and set aside.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Blend
the smoked paprika with the salt and pepper and rub the mixture
over the bird and inside the cavity. Put two rosemary sprigs in
the cavity, truss the legs and put the bird in a roasting pan.
3. Roast until the internal temperature is
175 degrees F. and the juices run clear yellow, about one hour
and 25 minutes. Remove the bird from the oven and keep it warm
while you make the sauce.
4. Purée the blackberries in a blender
and push the purée through a strainer to remove the seeds.
Discard the fat from the roasting pan and add the reserved chicken
stock, blackberry puree and the remaining rosemary sprig. Put the
roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and cook rapidly,
scraping the pan to reduce any caramelized bits. The sauce will
thicken slightly. Add any juices that may have accumulated around
the chicken and remove the rosemary sprig. Season to taste with
salt and pepper.
5. Cut the roast chicken into serving-size
pieces and pour the blackberry sauce into a small bowl with a ladle
to accompany the chicken.
From ‘The Berry Bible’ by Janie
Hibler
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Cold Potato Salad with Grilled Sweet Slab
Bacon
Ingredients:
5 pounds fingerling potatoes
1 pint smoked paprika aioli (recipe follows)
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 pounds slab bacon
About ¼ cup brown sugar
About ¼ cup honey
Directions:
1. Cook fingerling potatoes in salted boiling
water until tender. Drain and allow potatoes to cool.
2. Split potatoes lengthwise and toss with
paprika aioli and scallions. Refrigerate until potato salad is
completely chilled.
3. Slowly render slab bacon in a large roasting
pan over medium heat. Halfway through rendering, coat slab with
brown sugar and honey, and grill over medium heat to finish. Allow
to cool.
4. Slice bacon against the grain and layer
slices on a large platter. Spoon the chilled potato over and serve.
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Smoked Paprika Aioli
Ingredients:
12 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. coarse sea salt
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
Smoked paprika to taste
Directions:
1. All ingredients should be at room temperature.
2. In a blender or food processor, place egg
and chopped garlic. Whirl until garlic is smooth.
3. With the motor running, add the oil in a slow stream,
until the sauce is thick and emulsified.
4. Add the lemon juice and salt.
5. Season to taste with smoked paprika.
The sauce should be creamy and will have a
nice garlic bite. If the aioli is runny, this may mean the egg
was old. To fix this problem, either try again with a fresher egg
or add store-bought mayonnaise to the sauce
Adapted from recipes from chefs Todd English
and Victor LaPlaca of Olives – New York, NY
Serves 10-15
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Spicy Grilled Beef Kabobs
This recipe harkens back to the ancient Ottoman
Empire. Traditionally this recipe originated with Turkish mercenaries
grilling chunks of meat on their swords in the field. Frankly,
I’d like to know how the Turks had time to smoke and dry
paprika when they were out and about wreaking havoc.
Ingredients:
1 1/2-2 lbs beef sirloin steaks
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
1. Cut the beef into 1 1/2 " cubes and
place into a mixing bowl or large plastic sealable bag.
2. Place the garlic, spices, and wine vinegar
into a food processor. Blend and while still blending, drizzle
in olive oil, mix well.
3. Pour marinade mixture over beef and mix
well, marinate in fridge for 2 - 4 hours.
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Thread
the meat onto the skewers leaving about 1/2-inch in between the
pieces of meat. Place on the grill and cook, with lid lowered,
2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all (8 minutes for
rare and 12 for medium).
5. Remove from the heat to aluminum foil, wrap
and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes prior to serving.
Serves 4
Adapted from Alton Brown ‘Good Eats’
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Grilled Corn with Smoked Paprika Butter
Usually we soak the ears for a few hours, grill
'em with the husks on and then slather them with a smoked paprika
butter. In a pinch, we’ll par boil them and grill them directly,
kernels exposed.
Ingredients:
6 corn on the cob, unshucked
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoons smoked paprika or chipotle powder
or canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 small garlic clove chopped
Fresh ground pepper
Directions:
1. Soak the corn in salt water for several
hours to get the shucks moist. (Add 2 Tbs. salt to 1 gallon of
water).
2. In a medium bowl combine butter, sugar,
lime juice, chili, garlic and smoked paprika or ancho pepper until
the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Grill the corn, with the shucks intact,
over hot coals or high gas burners on the grill, turning frequently,
until done, about 30 minutes. The shucks will often turn dark/black
but will protect the corn. If a few kernels get grilled, that is
on purpose. You want just a little char to come through.
4. Peel the shucks back, one at a time, until
most of the corn is exposed and then remove the silk. With a pastry
brush lavishly coat the corn with the spiced butter mixture.
5. Serve with shucks tied together like a handle.
Quick and Dirty Method:
When we want to keep the cooking time down,
we shuck the corn, clean off the silk and par boil them for five
minutes in boiling water just to flash cook them and fix the sugars.
Then we grill them for five minutes, turning them from time to
time so they don't burn. Not to worry if some of the kernels get
dark and blacken. A few of those only add to the smoky flavors.
Adapted from Barbecue America
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Kekchi Cacao-Chile Balls
Makes 12 balls
In the lush and deeply forested region of Guatemala
that was part of the ancient Mesoamerican chocolate empire, the
Maya roasted cacao beans and ground them with ululte, the local
name for the tiny but devilish chile piquin. They shape the resulting
sticky paste into balls, which are then air-dried and stored. To
add heat and flavor to feast dishes they grate a little of this
mixture over the food.
Experiment with other combinations of spices
if you wish, or vary the proportions to taste. We played up the
smokiness with a dash of Spanish smoked paprika and added a little
allspice and soft true cinnamon from Mexico. You might try passing
the cacao balls around the tables with a small grater and letting
each person grate his or her own onto the dish. Used it with lobster
stew, slightly sweet cream soups, and different meat stews (lamb,
beef, even venison).
Note: A powerful mini-food processor is almost
essential for grinding the cacao and chile, unless you have a good
big marble mortar and pestle and very strong hands.
Ingredients:
3 ounces (about 2/3 cup) cacao nibs
3 ounces (about 1 cup) piquin chiles
1 (1-inch) stick true cinnamon (soft Ceylon
cinnamon,
sold as canela in Hispanic markets), coarsely
chopped
1/2 teaspoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
Directions:
1. Heat a griddle, medium-sized cast-iron skillet
over medium heat. Add the cacao nibs and dry-roast for 2 minutes,
until fragrant, turning constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Turn out into another container and set aside.
2. Add the chiles, cinnamon stick, and allspice
berries to the griddle and roast the same way, stirring for 2 minutes.
Scrape into an electric spice mill or coffee grinder with the salt
and paprika; grind to a fine powder.
3. Combine the spice mixture and roasted cacao
in a mini-food processor and process into a warm, sticky paste,
3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Scrape out onto a work surface and shape into 12 small balls. Let
sit until thoroughly dried. Store in a tightly sealed jar. When
ready to use, grate over any dish of your choice.
From Maricel Presilla’s ‘The New
Taste of Chocolate’
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Smoked Paprika and Red Bell Pepper Soup
Anything with roasted red bell peppers is divine
in my book. Add some stock and maybe some cream and you are good
to go. The red chilies add the heat. The balsamic adds a tang.
The smoked paprika adds a smoky depth. You can make this as hot
or as mild as you like and go thin with more broth or thick with
heavy cream.
Ingredients:
8 fleshy red bell peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 red chilies, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (for
a vegetarian version)
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
3-5 sprigs parsley
3-5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, extra
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup cream or Half and Half (optional)
Directions:
1. Cut peppers in half and brush with olive
oil, baked in a very hot oven until the skin blisters and blackens.
Turn often. Can also be broiled, which is how I like to do it.
2. Place roasted peppers in a paper bag 10
minutes with the top crimped shut. Then remove blackened skin,
and chop coarsely.
3. Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large
saucepan over medium heat.
4. Cook the onions, garlic and chilies until
soft, but not brown.
5. Add the paprika and cook for 1 more minute.
6. Add the peppers, stock, potatoes, parsley,
thyme sprigs and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the
potatoes are soft.
7. Remove the herb sprigs.
8. Puree in a food processor (or hand held
blending unit) until smooth adding the thyme, vinegar and cream
(if you're using it) just before you finish.
9. Serve hot with garlic bread, or cold garnished
with guacamole.
Adapted from the Recipe Czar
Serves 6
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More ideas for Using Spanish Smoked Paprika
- Mix with olive oil and rub between the skin and breast of a
roast chicken.
- Prepare sensational beef goulash.
- Add to deviled eggs or egg salad sandwich.
- Spice up hot tomato or cold tomato soup.
- Mix into guacamole dip.
- Make smoked paprika butter. Add crushed garlic; a pinch of
sugar and paprika to the butter.
- Flavor risotto and top with a rustic mixture of chorizo sausages
and tomatoes.
- Cook in a little oil to release the flavor and then mix with
olive oil and use for marinating feta cheese.
- Add a little sweet smoked paprika to vinaigrette and toss it
through a salad.
- Put some
thick Nancy’s
yogurt in a shallow dish, drizzle it with extra virgin olive
oil and sprinkle well with bittersweet smoked paprika. Use
as a dip.
- Quickly
fry 2 chopped cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked
paprika and a bay leaf quickly in a little extra virgin olive
oil. Add a splash of wine vinegar and some chopped red onion
and toss it with steamed broccoli, cauliflower or sautéed
zucchini.
- Slowly fry waxy potatoes, sliced onions and chopped garlic
in olive oil and a little sweet smoked paprika, season well and
serve with roast lamb.
- Rub skinned
boned firm white fish fillets with a mixture of 2 tablespoons
of sweet smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt
and the juice of a lemon, dust with flour and fry in hot olive
oil until golden.
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About Michael Sherwood
Michael Sherwood is an Oregon original - your modern day Renaissance man.
He’s done more interesting jobs than most of us – FM radio personality, commercial
logger, commercial fisherman, rock band promoter, neighborhood advocate,
energy conservation expert, arts festival coordinator, software developer,
non-profit executive, beer and wine guy and land use planner.
After 10 years developing software in Seattle, Mike moved back to Portland
and was soon drafted to be the first Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers
Guild, a fledgling non-profit trade organization, which he helped turn into
one of the most dynamic small brewer associations in North America.
All the while he was managing the affairs of
the states craft brewers, he was not so secretly a wine lover and worked providing
marketing assistance to a local winery. Beverages are 'in his blood' as his
family owned a beer and wine distributorship in the 60’s and 70’s in Roseburg.

Today Mike runs a wine sales, marketing and technology
consulting business called Arbre which provides branding and sales support
for wineries large and small. He has also created the Internets first truly
virtual stealth restaurant and underground wine bar called Sub
Rosa. We liked his mix of wine savvy and irreverent humor so much,
we hired him to write for Avalon.
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