PATATAS BRAVAS - Serves 2 as starter
2 large old potatoes / 4 tablesoons olive oil / 1 teaspoon paprika / 
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper / salt 

Preheat the oven to gas mark 8. Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick wedges. Pour half of the olive oil into a small gratin dish. Put the dish in the oven and leave until the oil is smoking. Arrange the potatoes in the hot oil in a single layer. Trickle on the rest of the oil, sprinkle with salt and return to the oven. Cook the potatoes until soft inside and crisp on the outside - this will take 25 - 30 minutes. Mix together the paprika and cayenne pepper and sprinkle over the potatoes. Serve hot. 

AUBERGINE FRITTERS - Serves 2 as a starter
1 large aubergine / 2 tablespoons milk / 2 tablespoons plain flour / 
2 teaspoon paprika oil for shallow-frying / salt 

Wipe and hull the aubergine and cut into thin slices. Salt the slices and put them in a colander to drain for half an hour. Rinse and pat dry. Pour the milk onto a flat plate. Spread the flour onto another plate and mix in the paprika. Heat a finger's width of oil in a frying pan. When it hazes with blue smoke, dip the slices of aubergine first in the milk and then in the flour, and then slip them into the hot oil. Fry them until they are crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Continue until all the aubergine is done. Serve the fritters immediately. 

PATATAS A LO POBRE (Poor Man's Potatoes) - Serves 4
1 kg potatoes / 100ml olive oil / 10 peppercorns / 2 cloves garlic / 
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cumin / ¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika / 50ml water / 
1 teaspoon salt / 1 tablespoon vinegar 

Peel potatoes and slice. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry them slowly, turning frequently, until they are tender and slightly brown. In the mortar, grind the peppercorns, garlic, cumin and paprika. Dissolve in water and add to the potatoes with salt and vinegar. Cook a few minutes more and serve hot. 

SETAS AL JEREZ (Wild Mushrooms with Sherry) - Serves 6
500g wild mushrooms / 50ml olive oil / 1 kg potatoes / 100ml olive oil / 
¹⁄₂ onion chopped / 2 cloves garlic, chopped / 125ml dry sherry / salt and pepper / 
1 hard boiled egg / chopped parsley 

Cut the mushrooms into regular size pieces. Heat the oil in a frying pan and put in the mushrooms. Fry them until they stop sweating out liquid (can take around 20 minutes). Add the chopped tomatoes and garlic. When it is browned, add the sherry, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped egg and parsley. 

CROQUETAS DE POLLO (Good for the freezer) - Makes 20-25 croquettes
5 tbsp olive oil or 125g butter / 4 rounded tbsp plain flour / 450ml chicken stock 
or milk / 125g cooked chicken breast, finely chopped / 1 tbsp chopped parsley / 
¹⁄₂ teaspoon grated nutmeg / salt and pepper 

The Coating: 3-4 tablespoons seasoned plain flour, 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, 4-5 tablespoons toasted breadcrumbs, oil for frying. 

Heat the oil or butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and let it froth up for a moment. Beat in the stock gradually with a wooden spoon. Cook over a gentle heat until you have a very thick soft sauce. Stir in the chopped chicken, parslet and nutmeg. Taste and add salt and pepper. Spreas the mixture on a plate and cover it with another inverted plate. Leave to cool and firm in the fridge for an hour or two - overnight if possible. When you are ready to cook, spread the seasoned flour on one plate, the egg and milk on a second plate, and the breadcrumbs on a third. With a knife, marj the chicken sauce into 20-25 short stubby fingers, Roll each finger first in the flour, and then in the egg mixture, and finally press it firmly into the breadcrumbs. 

All surfaces should be well coated or the croquette will burst in the hot oil. Continue util all the sauce is used up. Heat two fingers depth of oil in a frying pan. Whe it is lightly hazed with blue smoke, slip in the croquettes a few at a time - not too many or the oil temperature will drop. Fry them until crisp and golden brown. Serve the croquettes piping hot from the pan.

TORTILLAS DE CAMARONES A LA CADITANA (Shrimp Fritters, Cadiz Style)Makes 3 dozen
¹⁄₂ onion, minced / 2 tbsp parsley / ¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder / ¹⁄₂ ltr water / 
50 ml white wine / 1 teaspoon salt / oil for frying / dash of cayenne pepper. 

Mix the minced onion and choopped parsley with the shrimp. Add the flour and baking powder, then stir in the water and wine to make a heavy batter. Season with salt and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cover and let set refrigerated for 3 hours. Heat the oil about 2cm deep in a frying pan. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil and fry until golden brown, turning to fry the other side. Remove and drain on paper towelling and serve hot. 

ASPARAGUS TIMBALES - Serves 6
500g fresh asparagus spears / 30g butter / 2 tbsp wholemeal flour / 
1 medium onion chopped / 1 cup grated tasty cheese / 4 eggs, lightly beaten / ¹⁄₂ large vegetable stock cube / pink ground nutmeg. 

Boil or steam asparagus until tender, drain. Melt the butter in small frying pan, add onion, stir over medium heat for one minute, transfer to large bowl. Blend asparagus until smooth, add to bowl with cheese, eggs, stock cube and nutmeg, mix well. Pour mixture into 6 greased timbale moulds (¹⁄₂ cup capacity), cover each mould with tinfoil. Place moulds in a baking dish, pour in enough boiling water to come half way up sides of moulds. Bake in moderately slow oven for about 45 minutes or until well set.