For Nieves Barragán Mohacho, head chef and co-owner of Sabor in Mayfair, New Year’s Eve is a double celebration: it’s also her mother’s birthday. This year, her mum – who is also named Nieves – turns 80. Not that she is taking the day off. The elder Nieves has cooked on every New Year’s Eve since she was 14. “She can cook for her family, so for her, it’s so special.”

Barragán is from Santurtzi, a small fishing town near Bilbao. She moved to London 20 years ago to work at the French restaurant Simply Nico as a kitchen porter. Now, her own restaurant, Sabor, has a Michelin star. But she always returns home over Christmas.

For Barragán and her family, New Year’s Eve is a quiet affair. A late dinner of tapas and seafood soup is followed by a family tradition where 12 grapes, representing the months of the year, are eaten to bring future prosperity. Most importantly, there’s the seafood soup. Barragán gets up early with her parents and they walk to a small market, five minutes from their house, to buy the freshest seafood. “Mum always likes to be in charge of the buying, and Dad carries the bags. The queues are insane, and it takes a long time – everyone wants the best for their soup.”

Starters

Piparras

These skewers are the ideal nibble to whet the appetite, and the perfect finger food. You will find them in every single bar in Spain, and you will never have just one – they are incredibly moreish.

Serves 8
quail eggs 16
piparras 32, reserving the brine (we buy them from Basco Fine Foods, but you can find them at Brindisa too)
pitted manzanilla olives 16
poponcini peppers 16, or pickled red chillies
anchovies 16, reserving the oil from the tin

You will need 16 x 12cm skewers.

Cook the quail eggs in boiling water for 2 minutes and 10 seconds, then plunge them in ice water to cool them down for 5 minutes. Peel them once cool.

Put the ingredients on a skewer in this order: folded piparra, pitted olive, folded piparra, poponcini pepper, folded anchovy, quail egg. Drizzle a little of the brine and anchovy oil over the top. They will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days, but make sure the brine covers them properly.

Prawn croquetas

This really is the perfect bite – full of flavour, crisp on the outside and soft and zingy on the inside.

You will need 500g of whole prawns for this, as 50% of the prawn weight is the shell and the head. Reserve the shells for the bisque.

Makes 24 croquettes
For the bisque
olive oil 25ml
prawn shells and heads reserved from the bechamel (see below)
carrot ½, peeled and chopped
shallot 1, peeled and chopped
celery 1 stick, chopped
leek 1, trimmed, cleaned and chopped
bay leaf 1
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
tomato puree 2 tbsp
brandy 50ml
manzanilla sherry 50ml
water 700ml

For the bechamel
whole milk 700ml
bisque 300ml (see above)
olive oil 25ml
king prawns 250g, shelled meat, chopped (you will need 500g of whole prawns)
unsalted butter 120g
plain white flour 220g
salt and pepper to taste
chives 3 tbsp, chopped

For the crust
eggs 4, whisked
panko breadcrumbs 200g
rapeseed oil 500ml

Begin with the bisque. Add the oil to a large saucepan and caramelise the prawn shells for a couple of minutes on a medium-low heat. Add the chopped vegetables, the bay leaf and the crushed garlic and caramelise for a further 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the brandy and sherry and keep cooking until the alcohol evaporates (this will take 2-3 minutes depending on the pan), then add the water and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock with a sieve and keep the stock. You will only need 300ml for this recipe but you can freeze the rest.

Next make the bechamel. In a 30cm-diameter saucepan, add the milk and 300ml of the bisque and bring to a simmer. In a separate pan, heat the oil, toss the prawns in quickly for 30 seconds, then remove the meat and set aside. In the same pan that you cooked the prawn meat in, melt the butter, then add the flour and cook together for 5-6 minutes on a medium-low heat. At that point, add the bisque and milk mixture little by little while stirring continuously. Once the sauce has come together and everything is well mixed, keep cooking it for at least 20-25 minutes on a low heat until it becomes a silky and creamy sauce. After 20-25 minutes, add the salt and pepper to taste, the chives and the prawns and combine until everything is mixed together. Let it cool, then place it in a container and put it in the fridge for at least three hours until it sets.

When set, make quenelles with the bechamel to give the croquetas their shape using two tablespoons (see below). You can also use a piping bag to make a 50p-coin-sized ball, instead of making the quenelles.

Dip the croquetas in the whisked egg and then in the panko breadcrumbs. Put them back on a tray and let them rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour. In a medium-size saucepan add three fingers high of rapeseed oil. To test the oil, throw a little bit of panko bread into the pan. If the oil starts bubbling then it is hot enough.

Fry the croquetas on a medium heat until golden brown (if the heat is too low the croquetas will fall apart and if it is too hot you will burn them). Place the croquetas on kitchen paper to absorb the remaining oil. Serve hot.

How to shape quenelles

A quenelle is a decorative oval shape formed by using two spoons, usually made using soft ingredients.

The size of spoon will determine how big the quenelles are, but always use two spoons of the same size.

Hold a spoon in each hand. Scoop a generous amount of mixture into one spoon. Gently curve the second spoon towards you, pressing its bowl against the mixture and scooping it into the second spoon as you go.

Transfer the mixture back to first spoon in same manner. You will start to see that it develops a smooth surface from where the spoon has scooped it. Keep scooping back and forth until a smooth oval shape is achieved.

Main course

Caldereta de pescado y marisco

This is a classic festive family dish in Spain. Every household eats it at this time of year. It’s real comfort food, especially if you have had one too many drinks. It will warm your body and your soul. You will need a very big pot for this soup, but it is fine to divide it between two pots if necessary.

Serves 8
For the crab and seafood stock
live brown cock crabs 2 medium, about 800g-1kg each
olive oil 50ml
king prawns shells of 24
leeks 2 large, trimmed, cleaned and diced
carrots 3 large, peeled and cut into cubes
onion 1 medium, peeled and diced
celery 2 sticks, cut into cubes
garlic 6 cloves, skin on, smashed
bay leaves 3 fresh
choricero peppers 2, cut into cubes
tomato puree 3 tbsp
water 5 litres

For the picada
garlic 3 cloves, peeled
flat-leaf parsley a small bunch
whole hazelnuts 75g, blanched and lightly toasted
whole almonds 75g, blanched and lightly toasted
olive oil

For the caldereta
olive oil 35ml
onion 1½ large, peeled and finely diced
sweet tomatoes 200g, peeled and chopped
saffron 2 pinches
picada 1 quantity (see above)
sweet pimenton 3 tsp
dry white wine 150ml
Spanish brandy 125ml
manzanilla or fino sherry 125ml
pastis 50ml
potato 200g, cut in 1cm cubes
seafood stock 1.7 litres (see above)
langoustines 4, cut in half lengthways
mussels in the shell 24
king prawns 16, peeled
cod 800g, cut into 2cm pieces
salt and pepper to taste

To serve
good white bread 2 slices, toasted with a little oil and rubbed with garlic

Put the crabs in the fridge for about an hour or so before you kill them. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Lay out a tea towel and carefully turn the crab over, belly-side up on to the tea towel. Lift the belly flap with the tip of a knife and put a knife-sharpening steel, a spike or a chef’s knife (making sure the knife is pointed away from you) through the indent, pushing it all the way through. Repeat with the second crab. Cook the crabs in the boiling water for 13-15 minutes, then leave them to cool completely or put them straight into ice-cold water.

Remove the legs of the crab and break the claws. Open the shell and remove the dead man’s fingers (the grey gills); bash the shell as well. In a large saucepan, add the oil and fry all the crab pieces on a medium heat for 6 minutes until cooked. Add the prawn shells and fry until cooked; add the vegetables, garlic, bay leaves and the chopped choricero peppers. Cook until the vegetables are caramelised. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Strain with a sieve and keep the stock. You should obtain around 3 litres of stock. Freeze what you don’t need.

To make the picada, in a pestle and mortar crush the garlic, parsley, hazelnuts, almonds and a drizzle of olive oil until you obtain a paste.

To make the calderata, add the olive oil to a large pan. Over a medium heat, add the onion and cook until slightly golden, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until it becomes a paste. Add the saffron and mix; add the picada and pimenton, and stir for a minute. Add the wine, brandy, sherry and pastis, and cook until all the alcohol evaporates. Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the potatoes and stir for a minute; add the 1.7 litres of stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the langoustines, mussels, prawns and the fish. Cook for 5-7 minutes (until the mussel shells are open). Season to taste.

In a medium-size pan, fry the bread with a drizzle of olive oil until golden, rub garlic on one side of it and serve beside the caldereta.

Baby artichokes, goat’s cheese and sundried tomatoes

Artichoke is one of my favourite vegetables. You can do so many things with them, and once they are confited you can keep them for a couple of days, so it will make the day of the feasting a whole lot easier.

Serves 8
violet or white baby globe artichokes 12
lemons 2
olive oil 1 litre
garlic 5 cloves, skins on, crushed
bay leaves 3
thyme ½ bunch
soft goat’s cheese 100g
sun-dried tomatoes 12
dry flaked chillies 1 pinch
parsley leaves 16

For the crisp panko breadcrumbs
olive oil
panko breadcrumbs 50g
garlic 1 tbsp, chopped

For the dressing
olive oil 100ml
moscatel vinegar 50ml
banana shallots 2, peeled and finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

For the artichokes, remove the first three layers of artichoke leaves, and peel and cut the stalks leaving 10cm in length. With a bread knife, cut the head of the artichoke leaving only the stalk and the bottom half of the artichoke. While you are doing this, keep all the artichokes in cold water with the juice of two lemons to avoid oxidation and discolouration.

In a medium-size pan (one that can go in the oven), add the oil, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, and cook until the garlic is golden. Add the artichokes, making sure that they have been rinsed and dried, cover the pan with foil and put it in the oven at 140C/gas mark 1 for 20-25 minutes until the artichokes are soft. Wait for them to cool, then remove them from the oil and cut each of them in half. Place them all on a large serving plate, add crumbles of goat’s cheese, the sun-dried tomatoes and flaked chillies, and scatter the parsley leaves around.

In a medium pan add a drizzle of oil, the panko breadcrumbs and the garlic. Toast over low heat until golden brown and season to taste. Sprinkle on top of the artichokes.

For the dressing, mix the olive oil, moscatel vinegar and shallots. Stir well until emulsified and drizzle over the top of the vegetables. Season to taste.

Side dishes

Baby potatoes

This is a perfect side dish for a winter day.

Serves 8
baby potatoes 800g
bay leaves 3
olive oil 100ml
shallots 4, peeled and sliced
thyme 3 tbsp, leaves picked
salt and pepper to taste

Put the potatoes and bay leaves in a saucepan of salty water and bring to the boil. Cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Cool down in cold water and cut them in halves lengthwise.

Pan-fry them over a medium heat with the olive oil, tossing continually until both sides are golden brown. Add the shallots and the thyme and season it to taste. Cook all together for 2 more minutes.

Green kale, jamón and jerusalem artichokes

Winter is the best time for jerusalem artichokes. This dish is a great combination of earthy flavours from the artichokes, smokiness from the jamón and nuttiness from the kale.

Serves 8
green kale 300g, stalks removed
jerusalem artichokes 500g, peeled and kept in half-and-half water and milk with a bay leaf to avoid oxidation
olive oil 50ml
Iberian or serrano jamón 100g, cut into 1cm strips
salt and pepper to taste
white onion 1, roasted in the oven with the skin on, then peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
sage 1 tbsp, julienned

Thinly shred the kale leaves, then boil them in salty water for 1½ minutes, then drain and place in ice-cold water.

Boil the jerusalem artichokes in the same water until al dente (if they are too soft they will break up when they are pan-fried). Remove from the water and allow them to cool on a tray. Cut them in halves lengthways.

Add the oil to a large pan over a medium heat; toss the jerusalem artichokes in the oil until golden brown, add the roasted cubed onion and toss for 1 minute; add the jamón and cook it for one minute; add the green kale and cook for two more minutes. Season to taste and sprinkle over the sage.

Pudding

Cuajada de turrón

Turrón (nougat) is the most traditional dessert in Spain at Christmas. There isn’t a home that doesn’t serve it. This is a nice and easy recipe to make and keep in the fridge, is a lighter way to have it and really tasty.

Makes 8 cuajadas
double cream 250ml
full-fat milk 250ml
caster sugar 65g
soft turrón 225g
rennet powder 6.5g (you can use vegetarian rennet)
Oloroso cream 250ml, reduced to three-quarters in a saucepan medium-low heat

Put the double cream and milk in a saucepan and heat it up until hot, then add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves. Chop the turrón into small pieces and add it to the double cream and milk. Whisk until everything is melted and mixed together.

On a low-medium heat, add the rennet and keep stirring until it starts thickening.

Serve the mix in 8 small glasses (at least 60ml capacity) and put them in the fridge until they set. Before serving the cuajadas, add the reduction of Oloroso cream, just enough to cover the top of eahc one.
Sabor, 35-37 Heddon Street, London W1

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