Oreja Frita Madrileña

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy pot or olla, 4 litre capacity
• •Wide heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet, 28cm
• •Splatter guard
• •Tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the ears

   Rinse the pig ears well under cold water and check the folds. Scrape away any rough patches with a small knife and singe off stray hairs if needed. A cleaned ear should smell fresh and faintly sweet, not strong. If it smells sour, don't cook it.

   Many butchers sell pig ears already cleaned. Still check the folds, because that is where grit hides.
2. 2

   Simmer until tender

   Put the ears in a pot with the onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 10g salt. Cover with cold water by 4cm and bring slowly to a simmer. Skim the first foam, then cook gently for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, until a knife slips through the thick base of the ear with little resistance. Do not hard-boil it; hard boiling roughens the skin and clouds the broth for no gain.

3. 3

   Cool and dry

   Lift the ears from the pot and let them cool on a tray until you can handle them. Pat them very dry, then chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. This rest firms the gelatin and dries the surface, which is what lets the pieces fry crisp instead of stewing in their own moisture.

4. 4

   Cut small

   Cut the cooled ears into 2cm squares or short strips, keeping some skin, cartilage, and soft base in each piece when you can. Taste one small piece for salt. It should be seasoned but not salty, because the frying will concentrate it a little.

5. 5

   Fry the ear

   Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the ear in one layer and leave it alone for 2 to 3 minutes before turning, so the first side catches and browns. Fry 6 to 8 minutes in all, turning now and then, until the edges are crisp and browned and the centers still look glossy. It may pop a little; use a splatter guard if you have one.

6. 6

   Add garlic and pimentón

   Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced garlic. Stir for 30 to 45 seconds, just until pale gold. Pull the pan off the heat, add the sweet pimentón and the hot pimentón if using, and toss well in the hot oil. Pimentón burns fast and turns bitter, so it goes in off the heat. That is the small rule that saves the dish.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Taste and add a pinch more salt if it needs it. Scatter over parsley if using, and serve at once with lemon wedges and bread. The ear should be crisp at the edges, sticky at the center, and red with garlic oil. Tal como se hace allí: hot, simple, and gone quickly.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the ears cleaned, pale, and fresh-smelling. Frozen pig ears are fine and often easier to find outside Spain; thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and dry them well before simmering.
• •The cooling step is not decoration. Warm, wet ear goes soft in the pan and spits badly. Cold, dry ear browns at the edges while the gelatin stays tender inside.
• •Use pimentón de la Vera, the smoked one. Add it off the heat. Burnt pimentón tastes bitter, and no amount of garlic fixes that.
• •Some Madrid bars serve oreja with salsa brava. This version keeps to garlic, oil, and pimentón. If you want brava, put it beside the plate, not over the ear, or you lose the texture you worked for.

Advance Preparation

• •Simmer the pig ears up to 2 days ahead, cool them, and keep them covered in the refrigerator after the first uncovered drying hour.
• •For the best frying texture, cut the cooked ears and leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 to 4 hours before cooking.
• •Leftovers keep 2 days, but they lose their crispness. Reheat in a dry frying pan with a small spoon of oil, not in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 160g)