Hola España

Soup Roughly chop all the ingredients except the shallots, then blend them in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Chop the shallots very finely and stir them in at the end: onion can turn bitter if it is blended, so it should not go in from the start. Season with salt and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

Croutons Heat the oven to 225°C (440°F). Cut the bread into pieces and put them in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with a splash of oil, add a few pinches of salt and toss so the bread is coated. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the croutons are golden brown.

Serving Serve the soup ice cold with the croutons, garnished with a few fresh herbs if you like.

Preparation If you don’t have a paella pan yet, a large, heavy-based pan works just as well.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges and remove the watery seeds, then dice the tomatoes and the pepper. Finely chop the shallots, chilli and garlic.

Paella Heat the paella pan and fry all the vegetables with the oil, honey and rice for 2–3 minutes. When the vegetables start to colour, add the rest of the spices and fry for another minute. Don’t fry the spices for too long, as they burn easily.

Dissolve the stock cube in the water and add it to the pan with the wine. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, scrub the mussels and discard any that look damaged or stay open when tapped. Add the mussels, cover again and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serving Serve the paella on warm plates, garnished with the shrimp and a sprig of rosemary. Then enjoy all the colours, aromas and flavours!

Custard Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Bring the cream and milk to the boil with the vanilla, the cinnamon stick and the lemon and orange zest. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale and fluffy. Let the cream and milk simmer gently for a minute, stirring all the time, then take the pan off the heat. Remove the vanilla and cinnamon stick and let it rest for a minute. Pour the hot liquid over the whisked yolks, stirring carefully until everything is well combined.

Baking Divide the mixture between individual dishes and place them in a water bath in an ovenproof dish. Bake on the lowest shelf for about 45 minutes. Leave the dishes to cool, then cover them and chill for a few hours. They are easily made the day before.

Serving Just before serving, sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the dishes and caramelise it with a blowtorch. Garnish with a thin slice of lime or lemon.