Gretchen Lowe, the author of My Weekend Table, shares the tips and tricks she learned at a Spanish culinary retreat, plus some exclusive recipes you can make at home.<\/p>\n
\n In the soaring heat of August, I spent a week cooking in southern Spain at Sobremesa, a culinary retreat led by
\n Nicola Lamb, the wonderful baker, writer, and flavour queen behind Sift, and Milli Taylor, formerly head chef at Ottolenghi\u2019s Test Kitchen. For someone who\u2019s long admired Ottolenghi\u2019s way with flavour (being bold, layered and generous), it felt like the cooking trip of a lifetime.\n <\/p>\n
I went with my dear London-based friend Chiq, and together we found ourselves among cooks and bakers who shared the same curiosity about food and flavour that first drew us both into the kitchen in our early days working in hospitality.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t go to Spain to be taught how to cook (I\u2019d nailed almost everything over the last 20 years of creating \u2013 or so I thought). I went to shake up my own rhythm, to see how these kitchen geniuses approach food and maybe bring a few new tricks home.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve taken away.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe (left) attended Sombresa, a culinary retreat in southern Spain, hosted by baker and writer Nicola Lamb and Milli Taylor, former head chef at Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen. Photo \/ Clare Lewington<\/p>\n
Stripped-back cooking<\/p>\n
With the fresh produce grown at the ranch or at most within a few kilometres, every ingredient tasted alive. The lemons were still warm from the tree, the olive oil so green it was almost iridescent and the tomatoes, well, they didn\u2019t need a thing. The style of cooking was intuitive, with natural flavour leading the way.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always believed food should feel generous and real, but Spain pushed me to simplify my cooking even further.<\/p>\n
Instead of chasing new recipes, I focused on paring mine back. When the produce is that good, all it needs is a little restraint and to let it shine.<\/p>\n
How to do this at home<\/p>\n
Buy the best seasonal produce you can and use fewer ingredients. Taste as you go, and resist the urge to overcomplicate. A drizzle of good olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, or a pinch of salt often does more than a long list of extras.<\/p>\n
Baker and writer Nicola Lamb. Photo \/ Clare Lewington<\/p>\n
Use of the whole plant <\/p>\n
Lamb\u2019s use of fig and lemon leaves stuck with me. It\u2019s one thing to cook with fruit, it\u2019s another to use the whole plant, the leaf, peel, stem which builds complexity. I\u2019d worked with herbs and aromatics for years, but I\u2019d never thought to blitz fig leaves into sugar syrup or oil or to steep lemon leaves in cream. The results were so delicious, the flavours felt familiar but new, like a memory you can\u2019t quite place.<\/p>\n
That approach, using what\u2019s often ignored, fits perfectly with my own cooking philosophy around reducing food waste. Spain reminded me that the \u201cextra\u201d parts of an ingredient often hold the most character.<\/p>\n
How to do this at home<\/p>\n
Look for ways to use the whole ingredient. For example, zest your citrus before juicing, use herb stems in stock, or infuse leaves like fig or bay in syrups or custards. These small steps reduce waste and add surprising depth of flavour.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe at Sombresa, a culinary retreat in southern Spain.Lessons outside of the kitchen<\/p>\n
While there were structured workshops, the itinerary was loose and I found the most cooking inspiration through shared meals and long chats over tinto de verano (red wine and lemon\/lime soda) and good rioja. <\/p>\n
It reminded me that some of the best lessons don\u2019t come from recipes, they come from watching, tasting, and as a food writer myself, noticing how others respond to food. <\/p>\n
And again, that good cooking doesn\u2019t need to be complicated. We made hand-rolled pasta, a range of canapes including salt cod fritters, the most delicious combination of burrata, preserved lemon, chilli and anchovy on crackers we\u2019d hand-made with olive oil flaky pastry.<\/p>\n
We ate velvety ajo blanco (almond gazpacho) with fresh figs and Spanish grilled chicken over open flame. Nothing fancy, yet everything heaving with flavour.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve written recipes for years, but that week stripped things back to why I cook at all: to feed people who love to be fed.<\/p>\n
How to do this at home<\/p>\n
Share food more often, even if it\u2019s simple. Invite a few friends, open a bottle of wine, and cook one dish really well. You\u2019ll learn more from those moments than from any recipe book.<\/p>\n
Baking with technique<\/p>\n
With the soaring heat and lack of quality butter available in Spain, Lamb led the baking workshops using olive oil\u2013based pastry, a clever and practical solution for the climate. I\u2019d worked plenty of times with traditional butter pastry, but hadn\u2019t used olive oil this way before. The result was really impressive, crisp galettes that rose beautifully and were full of flavour. It was proof that technique mattered more than any one ingredient.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t usually follow recipes to the letter. After years in the kitchen, I\u2019ve become more of an intuitive baker, trusting instinct over strict measurements, much like my mother, who bakes entirely by feel. That freedom has shaped my cooking and given me space to create.<\/p>\n
Watching Nicola, though, was a good reminder that intuition still leans on discipline. Temperature, resting, and handling remain the quiet constants. <\/p>\n
How to do this at home<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s warm outside, try using olive oil or another liquid fat in pastry instead of butter. Pay attention to temperature, chill dough before baking and don\u2019t rush resting times. Precision in small steps makes all the difference.<\/p>\n
The recipes that stayed with me<\/p>\n
When I came home, so many new ideas and dishes I\u2019d devoured kept circling in my mind. I\u2019ve begun reworking them for my own kitchen, a little more Kiwi and a little less formal, but with the same essence of sunshine and ease.<\/p>\n
Lemony chicken and patatas traybake came first, my take on Spain\u2019s patatas a lo pobre (poor man\u2019s potatoes). It\u2019s also a rework of a Moroccan chicken traybake \u2013 one of my most popular recipes, featured in my new cookbook My Weekend Table (Bateman Books).<\/p>\n
Everything goes into one tray, chicken thighs, potatoes, capsicum, and onion coated in a marinade made from olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, oregano, and both the lemon leaf and whole lemon. As it roasts, the potatoes almost confit in the oil, soaking up all the flavour.<\/p>\n
Then there was the fig leaf oil and syrups, a small but powerful idea Lamb and many chefs (I\u2019ve since learned) in Europe adore. While it might sound a little \u201ccheffy\u201d, don\u2019t be put off, fresh fig leaves are quickly blanched, blitzed with oil or sugar syrup, and strained into a vivid green infusion. With its fresh, almost coconut-like flavour, it\u2019s just so good folded through buttercream or added to summer spritzes \u2013 perfect with a white wine version of blanco tinto de verano.<\/p>\n
That led to the olive oil and almond loaf with fig leaf syrup, a crispy on the outside yet soft, fragrant cake that leans on the fig for aroma and almond flour for richness. Almond cake is a classic Spanish teatime treat.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe’s Lemony Chicken and Patatas Traybake. Photo \/ Gretchen Lowe<\/p>\n
Lemony Chicken and Patatas Traybake (GF\/DF)<\/p>\n
6 chicken thighs, preferably bone-in and skin on<\/p>\n
400g Agria potatoes, scrubbed and cubed<\/p>\n
1-2 red capsicums, cut into chunks<\/p>\n
1 large red onion cut into wedges<\/p>\n
1 tsp each salt and freshly cracked pepper<\/p>\n
6 lemon leaves, roughly chopped<\/p>\n
Combine the chicken and potatoes in a large bowl. Place all the marinade ingredients except the whole lemon into a food processor and blend into a paste. Add the whole lemon and blend until still chunky \u2013 be careful not to over-blend or the lemon will become bitter. Add the marinade to the chicken and potatoes and toss so that everything is coated evenly. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (or more).<\/p>\n
Preheat the oven to 200\u00b0C.<\/p>\n
Place marinated chicken (skin side up) and potatoes in a roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes and add the capsicums and red onions, basting them and the chicken in the juices. Bake for another 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.<\/p>\n
To serve, scatter with fresh herbs.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe’s Blanco Tinto de Verano with Fig Syrup. Photo \/ Gretchen Lowe<\/p>\n
Fig Leaf Syrup<\/p>\n
60g fig leaves (about 10)<\/p>\n
In a medium bowl pour boiling water over sugar and stir until dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool slightly before using.<\/p>\n
For the fig leaves, prepare a medium bowl with cold water and ice. <\/p>\n
To blanch the fig leaves, place them in a medium bowl and pour more boiling water over the top, covering them completely. Let them stand for 1 minute, then plunge into your ice water.<\/p>\n
Squeeze out any excess water.<\/p>\n
Blend the leaves with the cooled sugar syrup for 5\u201310 minutes until smooth and deep green.<\/p>\n
Strain through a fine cloth or muslin.<\/p>\n
Pour into a clean jar and store in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze for longer.<\/p>\n
Use syrup to flavour butter icing, drizzle over cakes or add to summer drinks.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe’s One Bowl Olive Oil and Almond Loaf with Fig Leaf Syrup. Photo \/ Gretchen Lowe<\/p>\n
One Bowl Olive Oil and Almond Loaf with Fig Leaf Syrup<\/p>\n
Note: The almond cake is still delicious on its own if you can\u2019t access fig leaves<\/p>\n
\u00bd cup raspberries, thawed if frozen<\/p>\n
\u00bc cup fig leaf syrup, plus extra for basting<\/p>\n
250g cream cheese, at room temperature<\/p>\n
Preheat oven to 180\u00b0C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.<\/p>\n
In a large bowl, whisk eggs lightly with a whisk or a fork. <\/p>\n
Add all remaining ingredients except the raspberries and stir until well combined.<\/p>\n
Pour into your lined baking tin and scatter raspberries on top.<\/p>\n
Bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.<\/p>\n
Remove from the oven and poke holes in the top with a skewer. Baste with fig leaf syrup and allow to cool.<\/p>\n
Whip \u00bc cup fig leaf syrup with 250g cream cheese. Either ice the top of the loaf or slice the cooled loaf and add a dollop to each. Use the back of a spoon to scoop out an indent and drizzle a little more syrup just before serving.<\/p>\n
Blanco Tinto de Verano with Fig Syrup<\/p>\n
1 bottle young, fruity white wine (such as pinot gris) chilled<\/p>\n
Mix all ingredients together and serve over ice.<\/p>\n
Gretchen Lowe is the author of My Weekend Table.<\/p>\n
My week in Malaga reminded me that food doesn\u2019t need to be perfect to be memorable, it just needs to be made with heart, shared with good people, and rooted in real flavour. My Weekend Table was written in that same spirit, food that\u2019s generous, flavourful and made to be passed around. If these recipes speak to you, then I think you\u2019ll love what\u2019s inside My Weekend Table. I hope it finds a place in your kitchen, splattered, dog-eared, and loved.<\/p>\n
Available through gretchenlowe.co.nz (with free shipping) and via all good bookstores.<\/p>\n
More on food<\/p>\n
From local eats to dining abroad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gretchen Lowe, the author of My Weekend Table, shares the tips and tricks she learned at a Spanish…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131937,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1975,13851,169,3756,6217,85817,156,1017,2740,90759,106,1345,40484,90760,5812,111,139,69,90761,26108,6207,11588,180,544,65633,9640,3765,28377,4767,6923,102],"class_list":["post-131936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-at","tag-author","tag-chef","tag-cookbook","tag-cooking","tag-culinary","tag-entertainment","tag-exclusive","tag-former","tag-gretchen","tag-head","tag-home","tag-learned","tag-lowe","tag-make","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-ottolenghis","tag-plus","tag-recipes","tag-retreat","tag-shares","tag-some","tag-spanish","tag-table","tag-tips","tag-tricks","tag-weekend","tag-what","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131936\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}