Salsa brava (y sus patatas)

(Leído en Directo al Paladar)

En la gastronomía española ocupa un lugar de honor la salsa brava. Sí, esa que acompaña las patatas que de ella toman su nombre, las patatas bravas. Una de las tapas más populares de los bares del país cuyo origen -poco claro- apunta al Madrid de los años 50-60 del siglo pasado.

Dos bares madrileños que ya no están entre nosotros son reconocidos como los primeros en servir esta tapa. Casa Pellico, que estaba situado en la calle Toledo, y La Casona, en la calle Echegaray.

Además de sabrosa, la receta era sencilla y, posiblemente por ello, se popularizó rápidamente por el resto de la capital y, más tarde, del país, compitiendo con la salsa mayonesa y el kétchup sobre todo acompañando las patatas fritas de aperitivo.

La salsa brava se caracteriza por ese toque picante que la diferencia de muchas otras. Unas recetas lo toman del pimentón picante, otras de la pimienta de cayena, otras del tabasco, etc. Y es que, aunque muchos reclaman su salsa como la auténtica, lo cierto es que no existe referencia alguna a la receta exacta.

Cada maestrillo tiene su librillo y no hay más que probar esta ración en distintos bares para darse cuenta de ello. No hay dos salsas bravas iguales.

Y dentro de la incertidumbre sobre su origen y la autenticidad de esta fórmula, encontramos que -posiblemente- fue en Madrid donde se incorporó por primera vez el uso de tomate triturado como ingrediente principal, desplazando el caldo y la harina al destierro.

 

Some kitchen tricks

(Read on https://entertainment.digitaltrends.com)

 

Fresh avocados

If your avocados keep ripening too quickly, try storing them with fresh onion. Either red or yellow will work, although the yellow flavor is stronger and more likely to affect the taste of your avocado. Whichever you choose, though, it’ll stop the avocado from browning at such a rapid rate.

 

Avocado pits don't prevent browning

Some foodies believe that keeping the pit in the fruit keeps the avocado from turning an ugly brown. That's not quite true, though. The seed only protects the part of the avocado it’s directly in contact with. If your avocado has been sitting in the fridge a little longer than usual because of its seed, you may want to give it a once-over before use.

 

Keep sugar from drying out

Brown sugar isn’t going to go off, but it can grow rock hard if left unused. And when you’re in the mood for some impromptu baking, that can spell disaster. A sugar saver, then, is a great way to keep it moist. Just soak the terracotta wonder in water, dry it off, and pop it into an airtight container with your sugar.

 

Keep water from boiling over

We’ve all been there: you think you’ve measured out just enough water to boil in your pan, only to find that it’s way too much once the bubbles start to rise. To avoid accidentally scalding yourself, then, try resting a wooden spoon over the top of the pan.

 

Easy-peel boiled eggs

If you always have trouble removing the shell from your egg after boiling it, then this is the kitchen hack for you. Simply adding a spoonful of baking soda to the cooking water will make the shell come straight off.

 

Freeze onions to stop the tears

Onions may be super tasty, but cutting them up is surely every home chef’s most dreaded culinary nightmare. You can avoid the tears, however, by simply putting them in the freezer. And if you don’t fancy cutting through a frozen onion, you can place it in the fridge first, then pre-cut it before freezing with minimal fuss.

 

Remove excess fat with ice cubes

If you’re making a casserole, soup, or sauce and find that it’s a little oily, don’t panic; just pop in an ice cube. The grease will be attracted to the ice, leaving you free to remove it with a ladle or spoon.You’ll have to be on your toes, though, to get it all before the ice cube melts.

 

Keep plastic wrap in the fridge

Is every encounter with plastic wrap a frustrating, losing battle for you? Then you may want to start keeping it in the fridge. Believe it or not, the cold air will allow the wrap to tear just as easily while preventing it from sticking to itself. And you should also be able to unroll it more easily. Basically, it’s a no-brainer.

 

Get more juice out of citrus fruit

When it comes to getting every last delicious drop of juice out of citrus fruit, it’s best to take a two-pronged approach. After all, you need to refrigerate them to keep them fresh — but that makes the fruit less suitable for juicing. When it’s time to squeeze their liquid goodness out, then, simply toss them in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds.

 

Neutralize hand odors with lemon juice

Sometimes, just washing your hands with soap after cooking isn’t enough. Rinsing your mitts with lemon juice, however, can absolutely do the trick.

 

Freeze leftover stock in an ice cube tray

If you want to get savvy with your stock, you can take things a step further by freezing it in an ice cube tray. After all, it’s essentially a ready-made means of measurement, allowing you to pop out the perfect portion of stock as and when required. And if you need your ice cube tray back, you can simply transfer the cubes into a Ziploc bag.

 

Slow-cook cheaper cuts of meat

Spending less on meat seems like a no-brainer for saving money, but not everyone wants to endure those tougher cuts. Fortunately, there’s a surefire way to make even the cheapest meat mouthwateringly tender. All you need is a slow cooker; drop your meat cuts in there for a few hours, and the only tangible difference will be the price.

 

Keep potatoes white

If you’ve ever chopped up potatoes without cooking them immediately, you’ll probably have noticed that the oxidization process causes them to turn an unappetizing shade of gray. That particular eventuality can easily be avoided, however, by popping your potatoes into a bowl of cold water. So give this hack a try and you’ll notice that they still look fabulously fresh.

 

Extend the lifespan of bananas

Watching a fresh bunch of bananas quickly turn brown is a seemingly universal experience, but it doesn’t have to be. To extend the period between unripe and unusable, then, try using plastic wrap to cover the end of the bunch. It’ll stop the bananas from emitting ethylene gases from the stem, which can cause the rapid ripening of the potassium-packed fruit.

 

Ripen fruit faster

Of course, sometimes you may want your fruit to ripen faster so that you can chow down on it as soon as possible. If your banana is too green or your peach too crunchy, just throw it into a paper bag. The concentration of the fruit’s naturally emitted ethylene gas will speed up the ripening process — giving you an edible snack within a much shorter timeframe.

 

Use shower caps to cover food

It may sound crazy, but throwing a shower cap over your food is an amazing kitchen hack. Not only will it protect your leftovers from outside contaminants, but it also beats using tin foil or plastic wrap in almost every way.

 

Easily peel garlic

Garlic is one of the easiest ways to transform a dish from dull to delicious, but peeling it can be a pain. Unless, of course, you know the secret to removing the skin quickly. All you need to do is grab a clove, lie it flat, then hit it with the side of your knife. And from there, watch the skin simply fall off.

 

Make cheese easier to grate

Few culinary experiences are as frustrating as grating semisoft cheese. Instead of turning your kitchen surfaces into a messy mush of mozzarella, then, try popping your cheese in the freezer first. It doesn’t need long. In fact, just 30 minutes should be enough to make it much easier to grate.

 

Use rubber bands to open jars

If you’re having trouble opening a particularly stubborn jar, head for the stationery cupboard. Wrapping a rubber band around the lid will provide some much-needed extra traction, helping the lid to pop off more easily. You can also relieve the pressure on your own hands — and add a fraction more traction — by covering the lid with a dishtowel.

 

Keep your burgers juicy

Cooking the perfect burger isn’t as simple as just tossing a patty onto the grill. After all, it’s way too easy to accidentally overcook your beef, leading to a dry and unsatisfying meal. If you want to keep your burger at its juiciest, then, try adding an ice cube to the patty. It may sound weird, but the frozen water will simply melt away, maintaining the flavor while also adding plenty of moisture.

 

Reheat pizza without drying it out

If you’re short on time, the microwave can be a lifesaver for reheating leftovers. However, it can also completely dry them out — particularly if you’re warming up a doughy dish such as pizza. To make sure your slice stays salivating, then, try adding a cup of water to the microwave.

 

Pasta water has a use

Everyone loves a good pasta dish. After all, it's a quick meal to whip up. But do you know how to make your next Italian dinner even better? Don't pour out the water used to boil the pasta. Yup, that's the secret ingredient! Once the noodles are cooked, pour a dash of the starchy water into the sauce, making the pasta bind better to it.

 

Rinsing cooked pasta with water

You, by the sink — stop right there! When you rinse off your pasta after cooking, you’re actually removing the outermost layer of starch from the noodles. That makes it more difficult to coat with stuff like sauces. You can simply stir it regularly if you're concerned about noodles sticking together.

 

Using oil in your pasta water

Is there anything worse than sticky pasta? Heck no. But while adding oil to the water may keep the pasta from clumping, it also keeps it from sticking to anything else... like delicious, tasty sauces! Simply stir your pasta constantly as it cooks instead.

 

Add hot sauce

A bit of heat might be your recipe's secret ingredient. Most casual chefs neglect the hot sauce, but a few drops in a sauce or dish can add a pop of flavor that doesn't quite register on the heat scale. A quick word of caution: make sure to add only a few drops at a time — going overboard on hot sauce will make dinner unpleasant.

 

Try soy sauce over salt

Do you want to find a good salt substitute? Would you like to find a new, creative way to flavor your favorite dishes without breaking the bank? Well, you probably have the perfect solution in your cabinet already. Just as a drop of hot sauce can elevate a dish, a splash of soy sauce offers a flavorful salt substitute, plus a bit of umami flair.

 

Don't under-do garlic

Garlic can quickly overpower a meal, so many amateur chefs toss one clove of garlic into a dish. That's playing the seasoning a little too safe, however. You will barely be able to get any of the flavor unless you up the ante. In fact, there won't really be any garlic taste unless you use about two cloves per serving. Vampires (and picky eaters) beware!

 

Alcohol won't always cook-off

Plenty of recipes call for booze, but you have to be careful with it, depending on who you are feeding. Sometimes, when you can taste the vodka in your sauce, it means the alcohol is still in there. Studies found that cooking out is dependent on the amount of heat and length of time spent cooking. So an undercooked sauce could be pretty boozy. 

 

Microwaving food is NOT less nutritious

Your microwave isn’t evil. In fact, when some foods are heated at a lower temperature over the span of just a few minutes, they actually retain more nutrients than they would with other cooking methods. Broccoli, for example, is just as healthy nuked as it is from the stovetop. While the microwave isn't always the best cooking option, at least you don't have to worry about it turning your food into empty calories.

 

Pre-heat pans

Have you ever drizzled oil onto a cold pan, turned on the burner, and immediately added food? Well, any chef will tell you to make sure the oil's hot before any food touches the pan. When you add your sautéd veggies to a pan of cold oil, they just get soggy and the food ends up taking longer to cook. Hot oil seals in all the flavors and juices of your food and gives the meal a great texture.

 

Add seasoning early on

You can absolutely season your food too late in the game, so don't just dump a ton of salt and pepper on your creation right before you serve it. To get those incredible, complex tastes, you need to start seasoning early. Also, don’t be afraid of drying things out; steak that’s been salted early, for example, will have a crispier exterior.

 

Butter can't be softened in the microwave

Melting isn’t the same as softening. If you overheat butter, you can break the emulsion and ruin a potential recipe in the process. For butter that’s perfect for baking, you’re better off leaving it at room temp. Plan ahead by a few hours, and you will end up with a much flakier crust. If you need to soften it quickly, try grating it instead.

 

Refrigerating butter

Butter needs to be in the fridge, doesn’t it? Nope, it’s not necessary. The fat content prevents it from spoiling when left out on the counter. Plus, everyone prefers a soft and easy spread — which you don’t get when the butter has been sitting in the cold for hours.

 

Batter CAN have lumps

Stirring a lot does not guarantee a better batch of cookies. As a matter of fact, mixing batter too much will make your food hard to chew. Fluffy pastries and baked goods require some lumps, so don’t be afraid of a little graininess. On the flip side, stirring too little can leave you with giant pockets of flour, so make sure you find a balance.

 

Baking soda expires

Contrary to popular belief, baking soda does not last forever. You should toss it after 6 to 12 months, according to experts. When was the last time you checked the baking soda in your fridge, anyway? It may not look moldy, but it’s likely that your old baking soda (or powder) has lost its potency. At just a few dollars per pack, it’s worth the yearly refresh.

 

Don't wash meat before cooking

Rinsing off your fruits and veggies in the sink is a responsible thing to do, but that doesn't mean you should do it with everything. When you rinse raw meat before cooking, particularly chicken, what you’re actually doing is spreading around residual bacteria. Before, long, that bacteria will be all over the meat, your hands, and your sink. Water is particularly good at making foodborne illness spread, so just start cooking once you open the package!

 

Cooking is a five-sense skill

Don't just use your eyes and your taste buds to guide your cooking. Listening can be incredibly useful in the kitchen — if you know what to bend your ear to. Here's an example: when sautéing onions, there will be three distinct noises. A sizzle when the chopped onions hit the oil. Then, there's a hiss (that's steam escaping). When you hear the crackle, you'll know the veggie's really cooking.

 

Keep knives sharp

Do you know which of these causes more damage in the kitchen: a dull knife or a sharp knife? That answer is a dull knife, which you might find surprising. That's because sharp knives cut effortlessly through meats and vegetables. On the other hand, the chef must jiggle and jab dull knives to cut through even a flimsy tomato skin — leading to slips and accidents. So, keep your knives sharp.

 

Think of sugar

Adding a little sweetness to your dish can do wonders — even when you want something spicy and savory. When making chili, for instance, consider adding a little sugar to the concoction. This can help neutralize some of the meal's acidity while also adding the perfect flavor notes to comfort food. Just be careful not to mix in too much sweetener. A little goes a long way!

 

Lobsters don't really scream

Do you feel guilty when you cook a lobster? We may not be able to totally clear your conscience, but here is a piece of good news. Thankfully, those high-pitched noises coming from the pot aren't the sounds of your crustacean in agony. When a lobster is boiled, air is released from under its shell, creating that whistling sound. Either way, it can make people pretty uncomfortable.

 

Choose salt wisely

Chunkier salt can be deceiving. If you’re used to regular table salt, then be careful when making the switch to kosher or sea salt, as you may end up under-seasoning your food. The finer the grain, the saltier the flavor. It's all about that surface area! So, if you’re unsure, you can always try weighing out your salt ahead of time.

 

Not all bakeware works the same

Do your research when it comes to cookie sheets and baking dishes. The pan you use may conduct heat differently than you want it to. Glass, metal, and Pyrex are all very different. Even the color can have an effect! If you’re constantly burning your cookies, for example, you may want to try a lighter-colored tray. Or you can play around with your oven settings if you think your sheet is conducting too much heat.

 

Pre-preparing guacamole

So, you've been told that all the ingredients you add to your guacamole will work together to keep it fresh? And that a bit of citrus will keep your green goodness fresh for a whole week, right? Nope, nope, and nope. Make your dip just before you eat it, or don’t make it at all. Day-old guacamole will be brown and may taste funky.

 

Keeping or removing pepper seeds

Taking out pepper seeds is supposed to cut back on the spice, right? Wrong! Well, sort of. There is another part of the veggie that you might need to pay more attention to. Seeds may make your dish a little spicier, but it’s actually the membrane, or pith, that holds the most heat in an average pepper. It's up to you whether or not to add that pith into your next dinner.

 

Not searing stew meat

Don’t skip searing meat before making a stew. It’s a critical step of the cooking process that adds loads of flavor to your meat! The texture will greatly improve as well. Sure, you can ignore that step and still make a palatable meal, but you’ll end up with a blander dish. A couple extra minutes of preparation can make all the difference in the world.

 

Using a marinade to tenderize meat

Chefs everywhere use marinades in the belief that they can soften up tougher cuts of meat. But on the whole, they only add flavor! Only special ingredients can truly soften the texture of chicken thighs or pork chops. One trick that may work is adding yogurt or papaya to your marinade. They contain a bunch of enzymes that will help break down the meat itself, making them more tender.

 

Not letting your meat rest

If you’re serving meat directly off the heat, you’re not allowing those juices to distribute evenly throughout the cut. Let it rest! For average-sized portions, five minutes is enough, but give a whole bird or a roast at least 20 minutes of resting time.

 

Using boiling water to make coffee

Resist the urge to dump boiling water into your coffee pot! Why? All that heat stifles some of the flavor. After boiling the water, wait 30 seconds — or for the bubbling water to still — and then add it. That should be enough time for the perfect cup of Joe in the morning. Your taste buds will thank you, too!

 

Scrambling eggs at the wrong temperature

You’re in a rush, so we get why you whacked up the heat on your scrambled eggs. A hectic morning can throw your kitchen skills for a loop, but haste does make waste. But don’t be tempted to cook your scrambled eggs as quickly as possible, or else you'll have a sub-par breakfast! Low and slow is the way to go for that extra-fluffy consistency.

 

Roasting potatoes without parboiling

Don’t just smother your potatoes in oil and hope for the best! What you really need to do to get that delicious crisp outside and creamy inside is to boil your spuds before putting them in the oven. That process helps soften the center to perfection. Then, you'll cut into a perfectly cooked potato: crispy on the outside and perfectly tender in the middle.

 

Making bland mashed potatoes

How exactly can you spruce up the flavor of mashed potatoes? Try this: before boiling your spuds, cook them in a pan with cream and butter. That’ll turn your side dish from meh to wow.

 

Cutting limes wrong

It’s a natural inclination to cut limes in half. But if you want to achieve the maximum amount of juice — and you do — slice your lime into quarters instead of halves.

 

Avoiding lemon zest

A Microplane is the perfect kitchen tool to create lemon zest, which adds depth to any dish. If you don’t have one, a vegetable peeler works just as well. Just make sure you don’t scrape too deep!

 

Boiling instead of simmering

Know the difference between boiling and simmering? It’s an important distinction! A simmer means you’ve got a few bubbles coming to the surface every second or so. Anything more than that is a boil, and over-boiling can lead to a rushed dish that’s cloudy, tough, or dry.

Not shocking your vegetables after boiling

The cooking process will continue even after you take your veggies off the boil. To avoid any soggy, flabby texture, then, plunge your greens into an ice bath. Or, at the very least, run them under very cold water.

 

Foam milk at home

You don’t need a top-of-the-range espresso machine to get frothy milk at home. All you need is a small jar. Fill it around halfway with milk, pop the lid on, then give it a vigorous shake. Once it fills the entire receptacle, remove the lid and place the container in the microwave for around half a minute.

 

Make clear ice cubes

It shouldn’t be that hard to make clear ice cubes. After all, you’re just freezing clear water, right? Well, thanks to the minerals and dissolved air in that H2O, your ice cubes will pretty much always turn out cloudy. Unless, that is, you boil the water twice first. And as you’ll see, the difference is staggering.

Sobre salsas

(Leído en Directo al Paladar, un gran blog de cocina)

Las salsas son elaboraciones culinarias que se utilizan para condimentar y potenciar el sabor de los alimentos que acompañan, aportando un valor añadido tremendo. Tienen la capacidad de transformar una receta "comsí comsá" en un platazo y conviene darles la importancia que merecen.

Aunque parezca un elemento secundario, una salsa puede estropear una receta o elevarla al séptimo cielo, y no todo el mundo sabe prepararlas correctamente.

Cuando se hace referencia a las salsas, no puede dejar de mencionarse a la gastronomía francesa. Las salsas madre o grandes salsas representan la esencia de la cocina clásica. La primera clasificación la realizó el chef francés Marie Antoine Carême en el siglo XVIII, quién en su obra L'art de la cuisine française estableció cuatro grandes salsafundamentales: la española, la velouté, la bechamel y la alemana.

Dos siglos más tarde otro chef francés, Auguste Escoffier, estableció un nuevo sistema de organización de las salsas, retirando la alemana y añadiendo dos más: la de tomate y la holandesa, que codificó en forma de receta en Le Guide Culinaire en 1903. A esta clasificación, base de la cocina moderna, le sigue una más actual que distingue las salsas entre grandes (española, bechamel, velouté y tomate) y pequeñas (mayonesa, holandesa, bearnesa y vinagreta).

Básicamente, el líquido necesita ser espesado de modo que cubra y aferre la comida en vez de quedar despegado de ella. El espesamiento puede ocurrir cocinando y reduciendo cosas como la salsa de tomate, que naturalmente se espesa a medida que se evapora la humedad, pero otras salsas necesitan un poco de ayuda.

Aquí es donde entra en juego el roux. Roux es básicamente cocinar la grasa y la harina juntas antes de agregar el líquido para que mezcla crezca. La grasa usada generalmente es la mantequilla, pero el aceite u otras grasas se pueden también utilizar. La grasa y la harina se cocinan juntas hasta obtener una pasta muy oscura, con un sabor ligeramente a nuez, cuando se agrega el líquido y se lleva a ebullición, la harina espesa el líquido y se obtiene una deliciosa salsa.

Cuatro de las cinco salsas madre son engrosados ​​por un roux, por lo que es importante saber en qué consiste y cómo se prepara.

 

 

"Pound cake" o bizcocho cuatro cuartos, o bizcocho de libra

(Un texto de Claudia Polo en El País del 29 de junio de 2023)

El sueño de cualquier repostero amateur con poco arte con las masas es una receta de bizcocho sencilla, que no requiera pesar muchos ingredientes, se mezcle y hornee sin vigilarla mucho. La tarta de libra sería el postre de sus sueños.

En 1700 se populariza en Inglaterra un bizcocho elaborado con una libra - 455 gramos- de harina, una de mantequilla, una de huevos y una de azúcar. Las grandes cantidades y el hecho de poderla preparar sin necesidad de tener una báscula a mano, la convertían en un pastel grande y pesado que podía alimentar fácilmente a un gran grupo de personas (seguramente lo que se necesitaba en Inglaterra en el siglo XVIII).

Aunque las proporciones se alteren para hacerla más pequeña, el nombre se queda y siempre se mantiene la misma cantidad de todos los ingredientes. Una manera sencilla de prepararlo es cascar primero los huevos –dos, tres o quince, si hay muchos invitados–, pesarlos, e incorporar la misma cantidad del resto de los ingredientes. El quatre-quarts es la versión francesa. Utiliza la misma regla, pero incluye un apunte que la mejora: batir los huevos con el azúcar hasta que queden montados. El resultado es perfecto: miga compacta, pero jugosa y blandita, con un sabor profundo a mantequilla y una textura sedosa.

Al final no necesitamos chiquicientas recetas distintas de bizcochos y tartas, con una nos vale. A partir de esta base se puede empezar a jugar con aromas y saborizantes para obtener distintas versiones según lo que necesitemos. Es ideal para rellenar, una vez enfriado el bizcocho, se corta sin problemas y aguanta cremas o mermeladas. Por encima puede cubrirse de alguna ganache o untarse con sirope. En esta versión al bizcocho se le añade jengibre fresco rallado, cardamomo y ralladura de limón, naranja y pomelo. Al sacarlo del horno, cuando todavía está caliente, se unta con un sirope elaborado con el zumo de los cítricos y azúcar. Si quiere servirse como postre, una rodaja tostada en mantequilla en una sartén y servida con una cucharada de nata montada o helado de nata, es una opción apañadísima.

Tiempo: 65 minutos

Dificultad: No dormirse mientras esté el horno encendido, el resto no tiene misterio

Ingredientes

Para unas 6-8 personas

• 4 huevos (200 g)
• 200 g de harina
• 200 g de mantequilla a temperatura ambiente
• 200 g de azúcar para el bizcocho y 100 g para el sirope
• 1 limón
• 1 naranja
• 1 pomelo
• 2 cucharadas de cardamomo molido
• 1 cucharada de jengibre fresco rallado
• 1 cucharada de levadura química
• Una pizca de sal

Instrucciones

1. Calentar el horno a 180ºC con calor arriba y abajo. 

2. Batir la mantequilla con la mitad del azúcar (100 gramos) hasta que quede espumada. 

3. Batir los huevos con el resto del azúcar (100 gramos)  hasta que doblen su tamaño. Incorporar la primera mezcla a la segunda usando una espátula y mezclando con cuidado. 

4. Rallar la piel de los cítricos e incorporarla a la mezcla. Añadir el cardamomo y el jengibre. 

5. Tamizar la harina e incorporar en dos tandas removiendo con movimientos envolventes. 

6. Rellenar un molde alargado de 20 centímetros de largo y hornear 50 minutos. 

7. Exprimir los cítricos y cocinar junto al azúcar durante cinco minutos, hasta obtener la textura de un sirope líquido. Verter sobre el bizcocho al sacarlo del horno. 

8. Dejar enfriar y desmoldar.

Almidón resistente: por qué enfriar los carbohidratos es bueno para ti y para tu dieta

(Un texto de María Corisco en El Confidencial del 18 de octubre de 2018)

Arroz, patatas, legumbres... recalentados. Meter estos alimentos en la nevera después de haberlos cocinado es una excelente estrategia para alimentar tu microbiota.

 

Si alguna vez te has sometido a una dieta de adelgazamiento, lo más probable es que te hayan retirado las patatas, el arroz, las legumbres… ¿El motivo? Su alto contenido en hidratos de carbono de rápida absorción, es decir, con un índice glucémico alto. Y es un error, porque tener sobrepeso u obesidad no es una cuestión de comer o no cereales o patatas, y muy especialmente cuando están asados o cocidos. La clave: el almidón resistente, que es además un excelente festín para las bacterias intestinales y que puede,
incluso, ayudarnos a mejorar los problemas de inflamación provocados por el exceso de peso.

Pero empecemos por el principio. “El almidón es la forma en que las plantas almacenan su energía -explica Jesús Sanchís, dietista-nutricionista profesor e investigador de la Universidad de Valencia y coautor del libro ‘Alimentación prebiótica’ (Ed. Plataforma Actual). Este hidrato de carbono se presenta en los alimentos como si se tratara de un ‘ovillo’ formado por dos estructuras diferentes. Cuando cocinamos las patatas, boniatos o el arroz o los cereales, ese almidón se transforma y se hace muy biodisponible para los humanos”. Es lo que se conoce como gelatinización, que hace que nuestras enzimas lo digieran con facilidad y que sea rápidamente aprovechado por nuestras células. Unos copos de avena recién hechos para el desayuno, una patata que acaba de salir del horno, el arroz o el trigo sarraceno recién cocinados están llenos de almidón. Y nosotros lo absorbemos con suma facilidad.

Pero todo cambia con algo tan sencillo como enfriar estos alimentos: “Se modifica por completo su estructura, de forma que las cadenas de amilosa que se habían salido del ‘ovillo’ se enrollan entre sí produciendo la retrogradación del almidón”. Se forma así un almidón que resiste al proceso digestivo: las enzimas no son capaces de digerirlo, de romperlo en sus unidades mínimas (glucosa) y queda disponible para que bacterias, hongos y levaduras lo puedan fermentar. “Ya no seremos nosotros, sino nuestros microbios intestinales los que se den todo un festín”.

De ese modo, el almidón resistente se convierte en una especie de fibra que actúa como un prebiótico. Al fermentar, produce distintos gases y ácidos grasos de cadena corta (AGCC): acetato, propionato y butirato. “El papel del butirato es muy importante, ya que cumple funciones a nivel del sistema inmune, antitumorales y antiinflamatorias. La sociedad occidental, enferma de disbiosis, ha perdido bacterias productoras de butirato y el almidón resistente aumenta su población”.

Esto va a ser de especial interés en el caso de la obesidad y el sobrepeso, ya que se trata de patologías que van unidas a una inflamación crónica de grado bajo. “Si una persona quiere mejorar su peso -y no hablamos de cuestiones estéticas, sino de salud-, lo importante es tratar la inflamación. Y se puede conseguir aportando almidón resistente o fibra fermentable, que mejorará el sistema intestinal que tienen alterado”.

Cómo prepararlo

 
Aprendamos a prepararlo y a sacarle el máximo rendimiento. Para ello hay una serie de normas: el enfriamiento debe hacerse en nevera, ya que la temperatura óptima de retrogradación es de 4-5ºC. De los diversos modos de cocinados, cuenta Lucía Redondo, dietista-nutricionista, el ideal sería, en el caso de las patatas o boniatos, “la cocción al horno y con piel, ya que de este modo no pasa al agua nada del almidón; también es recomendable no partirlo en trozos pequeños, para que no quede demasiada superficie
expuesta. Una buena idea es llenar una bandeja del horno con boniatos o patatas y hornearlos; después, cuando ya están atemperados, se meten en la nevera. Así podemos tener algo preparado para poner en el plato en cualquier momento”. El arroz, las legumbres o la avena, lógicamente, tienen que ser hervidos. “Un consejo más: el arroz, mejor de grano largo”.

La pregunta es inmediata: ¿y tenemos que comerlo frío? No solo no hace falta, sino que, incluso, es preferible recalentarlo. Así se desprende de un experimento que realizó el célebre médico y periodista de la BBC Michael Mosley junto al doctor Chris Val Tulleken. Ellos utilizaron espaguetis y se los dieron a probar recién hechos, fríos o recalentados a tres grupos diferentes de voluntarios. Tras hacerles muestras de sangre cada 15 minutos, valoraron qué ocurría con los valores de glucosa en su sangre. El hallazgo
les sorprendió: “Vimos que, al recalentar el espagueti, el almidón se volvió todavía más resistente y hubo un incremento mucho menor en el nivel de glucosa”.

Hemos tocado un tema importante: el del almidón resistente y su relación con la insulina y el metabolismo de las grasas. En este sentido, la investigadora Nuria Salazar Garzo, del Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, apunta que “recientes estudios clínicos y en animales han demostrado que el almidón resistente mejora la resistencia a la insulina y los problemas asociados con el metabolismo de los lípidos”. Era una idea comúnmente aceptada que la microbiota se considerara un mediador clave en el efecto beneficioso al consumo de almidón resistente, pero en un estudio internacional, publicado en la revista 'Microbiome' y en el que colabora Salazar Gago, “demostramos que la administración de almidón resistente a dosis moderada mejora la resistencia a la insulina de manera independiente a la microbiota intestinal”.

Más allá de estos mecanismos, aún en investigación, lo que parece claro es que el almidón resistente podría ser útil para personas con resistencia a la insulina. Pensemos que muchas personas con diabetes no toman carbohidratos como el arroz o la patata por su elevado índice glicémico. “Pero al enfriarlos, en el proceso de retrogradación, se reduce este índice glicémico y, en consecuencia, la cantidad de glucosa que se va a aprovechar. Es una estrategia interesante”.

Un par de consejos más: el primero, "al recalentar estos alimentos, no hay que pasarse en la temperatura, porque se ha comprobado que, si se calienta demasiado, el proceso se revierte; hay artículos que recomiendan no exceder los 130ºC, mientras que otros ponen el límite en 170ºC". El segundo, tener cuidado si se sufre algún tipo de enfermedad intestinal. "A las personas con SIBO, por ejemplo, no les conviene el almidón resistente -advierte Jesús Sanchís-. En ese caso interesa eliminar microbios, por lo que no les interesan fibras fermentables. Si tienes hinchazón y gases, primero trátatelo".