March 1, 2006

By TINA DANZE / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

CHRIS HAMILTON / Special Contributor to DMN Chef and author Anya von Bremzen

Contemporary Spanish cuisine remains the darling of the culinary world. Cookbook author Anya von Bremzen translates Spain's most exciting dishes to the American kitchen in The New Spanish Table (Workman, $35 and $22.95).

She fell in love with the cuisine 10 years ago, while covering Spain's explosive culinary scene for Travel & Leisure and Food & Wine magazines. She was among the first to write about Ferran Adria, a leading figure of Spain's cutting-edge cuisine. Since then she has chronicled the rise of both Spain's alta cocina and its best regional dishes.

During a class at Central Market in Dallas, Ms. von Bremzen explained the essence of Spanish cuisine while demonstrating both new wave and classic recipes.

"Spanish cuisine has striking flavors, but it is simple, basic and minimalist," she says. "With just a few ingredients, you can create something extraordinary."

Her recipes bear out that thesis. Clams in Olive Oil with Jamón (Spanish ham) and Pine Nuts reaches sublime heights with just six ingredients. Even her adventurous dishes are shockingly simple; Chocolate Mousse with Olive Oil and Flaky Salt melds only four luxe ingredients for an arresting interplay of bittersweet, salty and fruity.

"With Spanish cuisine, there's maximum drama with minimal effort," says Ms. von Bremzen, who splits her time between New York and Spain.

That's welcome news for home cooks who are eager to tackle the dishes that set the culinary world on fire, but leery of complicated recipes. You don't need chef's tricks to make this amazing food; you need restraint.

"If you learn anything from me, it's this," says Ms. von Bremzen: "Use olive oil and salt as a garnish. It shows how little you need to have an amazing food experience."

CLAMS IN OLIVE OIL WITH JAMÓN AND PINE NUTS

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, sliced
2/3 cup pine nuts
1 (3-ounce) piece of Jamón Serrano (Spanish ham) or prosciutto, finely diced
2 pounds small clams, such as Manilas, littlenecks or cockles, scrubbed
2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a wide earthenware cazuela, a very large heavy skillet, or a wide casserole over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and ham and cook, stirring, until the nuts just begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add the clams, cover the cazuela and cook until the clams open, 4 to 7 minutes depending on their size, shaking the pan occasionally. Discard any clams that don't open. Serve the clams directly from the pan or spoon them into bowls, adding plenty of the cooking liquid to each bowl. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve as a first course with plenty of bread. Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: The New Spanish Table

DISHING WITH ANYA

Anya von Bremzen's take on modern Spanish cuisine:

Look for these Spanish food trends in America now: Spanish varietal olive oils; pimentón (smoked paprika); piquillo peppers; regional vinegars; more Spanish cheeses; more tapas. She says American shoppers have access to a broader range of Spanish olive oils than Spanish shoppers, because the oils tend to be sold only regionally in Spain. Here, we can buy oils from all over the country.

The next big trends from Spain will be: Jamón Iberico (the finest of cured hams, surpassing prosciutto and even Jamón Serrano); dessert-only restaurants with tasting menus; adventurous young American chefs with lab-science approaches to food texture and daring presentations.