Vieiras con Guisantes y Ticino de Cordero or Scallops with Peas and Lamb Bacon is a variant on a classic pairing from Spain - Peas and Hams. By adding the sweetness of fresh sea scallops you add a level of finesse to the dish and it makes a great tapas or appetizer. Make sure that you get fresh scallops that smells like the sea - they should not have a fishy smell. if you cant find lamb bacon, you can exchange it with Spanish ham, regular bacon or country ham.

Start by cutting the bacon into 1/4-inch cubes and finally chop the onion.If the Lamb Bacon or Ham is extremely fatty, cut out areas with only fat - you want high marbled meat but not fat chunks for the dish. Heat 2 Tbs oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

Add the lamb bacon and cook until brown, probably 4-5 minutes. Make sure that you stir occasionally to make sure that you don't burn the bacon. Transfer to a dish. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Make sure that you scrape up all the brown bits from the lamb bacon as well - it is great flavor.  Finally add the garlic and cook for another 15-30 seconds. 

Add the wine and bring it to simmer. Take notice of how high the wine-level goes in the skillet and simmer until reduced by half.  Add the peas and lamb bacon and continue to simmer until peas are heated through, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. Salt about 1/2 tsp, and taste. Add more if needed. Keep warm over low heat. 

Pat the scallops dry and season them with some salt. You can now either sear the scallops in a sauté pan or grill them. If you sauté them, add 2 Tbs oil to a skillet until very hot. Add scallops to pan and sear until deeply browned - 1 to 2 minutes per side. If you decide to grill them, carefully put them on a bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water for two hours. Use wide skewers, food will not spin around when you flip the skewers on the grill. Make sure the grill is hot and the grates are clean. Brush the grill grates with oil. Then grill the scallops for about 2-3 minutes per side. Don't overcook them - it will make them tough.

Fold the mint into the warm peas and divide among the plates. Place the scallops. Garnish with mint sprigs and zest some  lemon directly on top. Serve immediately.

Ingredients:
​Rustic Bread
​2 Rip Tomatoes
​Spanish Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic
​Jamon Iberico or Jamon Serrano (Optional)

Every meal in the Spanish province of Catalonia starts with Pan Con Tomate, sometimes served with ham and sometimes without. Sometimes served with anchovies and sometimes without. It is a simple dish to make but the flavors are complex. It could be enjoyed by itself with a glass of Rioja or as a part of a charcuterie board. The key to a great Pan Con Tomate is to use fresh and high quality ingredients. You can toast the bread but I prefer to grill it to make the flavors really burst. 

There are two ways to make a great Pan Con Tomate. In the old traditional way, you toast or grill the bread first. Then each person at the table lightly rub the sides of a peeled and halved garlic clove on the bread. Don't overdo this part. Then rub the halved tomatoes on the bread to give the bread a good tomato coating. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and you are done!!

​When you have a party it can be messy to have each person to prepare their own, so then you can use the second approach. Slice 2 super ripe tomatoes in halves. The riper the better. Grate the flesh on a grater but make sure that you throw away the skin. Mix the grated tomatoes with two pressed garlics and set aside.  

Slice the bread and brush with some olive oil on both sides. Grill on medium high heat. You want to make sure that the bread get a good crust but that it doesn't get burnt. Grill both sides and transfer to a cutting board.

Spoon the tomate/garlic mix on top of the bread, make sure that you reach the very edges of the grilled bread. Drizzle with Spanish olive oil and sprinkle with salt. The quality of both the olive oil and the salt will make a huge difference in the taste of the Pan Con Tomate. I like flaky sea salt for a richer taste. Eat as is, or add some Jamon Iberico. You can also add anchovies or some marinated olives.

Marinated and Grill Lamb Skewers is a common dish in Spanish cuisine. It is great with some Spanish Rice or as a stand-alone tapas. There is a strong influence of African cuisines in this dish. The reason is that the Moors crossed into Spain from North Africa 700 AD where they stayed for three centuries. This had a strong impact on Spanish culture, especially in the south.

You want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to prepare this recipe since you want the lamb to marinade for at least 18 hours. If you want to less of an African taste, use a smaller amount of Garam Masala and instead increase the Pimenton and the Garlic.

Make the marinade by combining the cilantro, parsley, garlic, black pepper, thyme, pimento, garam masala, chile, lemon juice, oil and a couple of teaspoons of salt. Blend on  high until you have a very smooth puree. Set aside.

Start trimming the leg of lamb by slicing off the large chunks of fat and silverskin that is covering the leg. It is important that remove most of this - if not, the lamb will be chewy and stringy when you grill it. You will have to remove quite a lot. Once you have trimmed a 3 lbs leg, you will be left with about 2 lbs of good meat for grilling. Next, cube the trimmed meat into 1-inch cubes. Make sure the cubes are equal in size, to ensure that they reach doneness at the same time when you grill them.

Mix the marinade and the cubed lamb thoroughly. Ensure that the marinade is spread evenly. Vacuum-seal or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 18 hours. Soak the bamboo skewers for at least 2 hours before grilling. This will prevent the skewers from burning up. Use flat skewers when grilling to prevent the meat from rotating on the skewers when you grill. Light the charcoal grill or set your gas grill on medium-high. Thread 6-8 lamb cubes on each skewer. Season with salt on each side. Grill the lamb for 5-7 minutes total or until ready. Outside should be charred and the meat should have a little resistance when you press it. Flip the skewers one time. Serve immediately. 

Chicken wings can be done in thousands of variations. Buffalo, Garlic, Parmesan, Thai Peanut, Deep-fried, Grilled, Smoked, Baked. They are all delicious when cooked right. I like this recipe because you get a little hint of smoke without being overpowering and the smoke balance the sweetness of the Asian flavors in a great way. It is also a very safe way to cook the wings since you smoke them first and then just finish them over a grill. Sometimes it is hard to get the inside cooked through without scorching the outside. This way none of your guests will risk getting salmonella.

Mix together both the marinade and the glaze. You can add red pepper flakes to both the glaze and marinade if you want the wings more spicy. I use a soy sauce for braising in this marinade. Tends to be a little less salty which works better with wings.

Smoke the wings for about 30-40 minutes at 225 degrees F. Use fruitwood (apple, cherry) for a good mild smoke flavor. You don't want the wings to get too much of a smoke flavor. The wings will still be slightly undercooked but that it is ok since you will finish them on the grill. Toss the wings in the marinade and let them soak for 10-15 minutes. Stir a couple of times to make sure that all the wings gets marinated.

Make sure that the grill is hot and that you have the glaze available. Finish the wings on the grill, make sure that you cook the wings throughout without burning them. Depending on how hot your grill is you can either baste the wings with the glaze or toss them in the glaze when they are finished. You don't want to burn the sugar and honey too much. When the wings are done, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top. Serve hot!!