A true taste of summer @ Esteban

Well hasn't the weather these past few days been glorious? It feels like mid-summer, with the intense heat and beautiful sunsets (and the amount of wasps and bees still buzzing about).

So, in the spirit of summer, my partner and I decided to have a late lunch on Lark Lane (try saying that 3 times without tripping over your tongue!) and we headed to our favourite little tapas restaurant- Esteban.

We frequent this restaurant quite regularly, and it's always a casual affair, usually starting with a refreshing bottle of beer with a chunky wedge of lime.

Sure enough, we were seated outside in the courtyard, sipping our cerveza and perusing the menu, and I honestly felt that I was on holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean. Had it not have been for the congregation of mums with their kids clad in Liverpool football strips!

But then, you always meet English people when you're on holiday, right?

As it was a late lunch in the blazing sun, we kept it light, opting to share the Bruschetta, which was crisp, drizzled in Olive oil and stacked with chunks of fresh tomato, feta and herbs.
We also had two other dishes to ourselves. I had my favourite- Mussels in a cream and white wine sauce, a simple classic. It delivered on taste and texture, the sauce was thick and had lovely chunks of red onion running through it. The only disappointment was that a couple of the mussels hadn't opened!

My other dish was aubergine topped with sun dried tomato, Serrano ham and mozzarella. Greedily ploughing my way through the succulent slices of aubergine, the contrast between the creamy cheese and salty ham cut through the sweet tomato, and was very pleasing to the palate!

Obviously we chopped and changed our tapas- as is the way... and we decided to have Cheshire Farm ice-cream for dessert from the new Moon and Pea Deli on Lark Lane. The perfect finish to an endless summers day! This place is usually packed, so my advice is Book it!

Seafood Medley Risotto

For about a week now, a sad, lonely Chorizo sausage has sat in our fridge, doing nothing but take up valuable space. Well I thought 'tonight's the night.' The Chorizo's destiny to reach the table has finally been realised!

It's pouring with rain outside, and summer is well and truly over. So, I thought I'd bring a touch of sunshine into the kitchen in the form of a Seafood Medley Risotto (featuring the aforementioned Chorizo!).

Seafood Medley Risotto
100g Sliced Chorizo
200g Cooked, mixed seafood
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Clove of Garlic, crushed
1 Red Pepper, chopped
A few strands of Saffron infused in 750ml hot Chicken stock
225g Risotto Rice
The juice and zest of a Lemon
A pinch of Cayenne Pepper
A good splash of White Wine
2-3 Spring Onions, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Dry fry the Chorizo on a medium heat to release the oils and slightly brown the meat. Carefully remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
2. Add the Onion, Spring Onion, Garlic and Pepper to the pan, cook till golden.
3. Next add the Rice, stirring for about a minute, until the Rice is coated in the oil.
4. Add the Chorizo, Lemon juice & zest, Cayenne Pepper and White Wine.
5. Begin adding the stock, a little at a time until the Rice absorbs it.
6. Keep adding more stock until the Rice is al dente.
7. Now it's time to add the seafood, as this is already cooked, it simply needs warming through.
8. Season to taste, adding more chopped Spring Onion as a garnish if desired.

Serves 4