GASTRONOMÍA-EN-2009

8/14/2019 GASTRONOMA-EN-2009

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Spain


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Zamora

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Salamanca

Palencia

Segovia

Valladolid Lleida

Girona

Tarragona

Castelln de la Plana

MADRID

Alicante

Cceres

Badajoz

Guadalajara

Cuenca

Ciudad Real Albacete

Crdoba

Huelva

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Almera

Mlaga

Granada

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Soria

Burgos

Ceuta

Melilla

Santiago de

Compostela

Oviedo Santander

Vitoria-GasteizPamplona

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ZaragozaBarcelona

Palma de MallorcaValencia

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Valencia

CARTOGRAFA: GCAR, S.L. Cardenal Silceo, 35Tel. 91 416 73 41 - 28002 MADRID

www.infonegocio.com/gcar - AO 2004

MADRID

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G A L I C I A

C A S T I L L A Y L E N

C A S T I L L A - L A M A N C H A

M A D R I D

E X T R E M A D U R A C O M U N I D A DV A L E N C I A N A

M U R C I A

I S L A SB A L E A R E S

A N D A L U C I A

La Palma

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Gran Canaria

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C A N A R I A S

O C A N O A T L N T I C O

Translation: Hilary DykePhotographs:Archivo TurespaaGraphicdesign: Megacolor,S.A.

Publishedby: TurespaaSecretarade Estado de Turismo

Ministeriode Industria,Turismoy ComercioPrintedby:

GRAFOFFSET,S.L.D.L.:M-30442-2009NIPO:704-09-416-8

Printed in Spain4th edition

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3

The visitor will find that theSpaniards eating habits andapproaches to cooking varygreatly from one region toanother.There is absolutely noconnection between the care,solemnity and gastronomicability displayed when a lunchis organised by a tripasai

(the term used in the BasqueCountry to refer to a lover ofgood food) and the informalculinary approach of theAndalusian, who will be seenin the bars nibbling pescato,or fried fish.

When describing Spanishcooking, it has become commonpractice to divide the peninsulainto six conventional culinarysegments: the North is the placefor sauces; in the Pyrenees,

we find the home of thechilindrones, the typicalaccompaniment used in manyof the regions dishes; next,the area for cazuelas orcasseroles, covering most ofCatalonia; then come the ricedishes, found throughout theeastern region; followed by frieddishes in Andalusia and, in thecentre, the roast.

Although this clear-cut divisionhas its advantages for practicalpurposes, it proves too simplisticin other ways. In this guide,we have preferred to adopt amore detailed approach so as

to give as comprehensive aninsight as possible into Spainsgastronomy, while keeping tothe inevitable pattern ofsegments described above.

Spanish Cooking

irst and foremost,Spanish cooking maybe defined by twobasic ingredients:

garlic and olive oil. As in otherMediterranean cuisines,both elements areindispensable when itcomes to creating different

combinations and flavours.

However, behind this generaldefinition of the unmistakablecharacter common to thecuisines of Spain and itsMediterranean neighbours,there lies a vast range ofvariations.

In the main, Spanish cookingstems from popular roots.Although the art of the goodtable is practised, little is saidabout it, apart from in theBasque Country and Catalonia,and any refined, receptive palateis guaranteed a succession ofunforgettable experiences.

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In Spain, stews are made inaccordance with a quasi-universal method, consisting offilling the stew pan with threekinds of basic foodstuff themeat, pulses and vegetablescharacteristic of each area, andleaving them to cook togetherunder a patient, watchful eye.

When ready, the dish is servedin separate courses, usuallythree, known as vuelcos.First comes the soup, madefrom the stock, then thepulse and vegetables and,lastly, the meat.

The feature common to all Hispanic stews or cocidos is the pulsebrought to Spain by the Carthaginians: the chickpea, which givesthe Madrid and Andalusian stews, to quote just two of the moreoutstanding instances, that certain something.Then again,we must not forget the equally splendid stews fromthe North, made with beans.

A national dish

Madrid stew

he Spanish recipebook contains dishesthat have leapt tointernational fame,like paella and fabada;

others, like gazpacho and theSpanish omelette, have enjoyeda more modest degree ofpopularity.There are, however,

a number of less well-known,highly traditional dishes,scattered all over the country.A case in point is the one thatmight well be considered as thenational dish par excellence; theone that might be seen as beingcharacteristic of the entiregastronomic map in that it isto be found anywhere on the

peninsula, albeit in versionspeculiar to each area.We aretalking about the majestic stew,known as cocido, olla, pote,escudella..., depending onthe region.

TPaella

1/4 kg potatoes 6 eggs 1 dl oil 1 onion

Peel and wash the potatoes and cut into thin slices. Chop the onion. Pourthe oil into the frying pan and, when hot, add the onion. Saut the onion andthen add the potatoes along with salt to taste. Shake the pan gently from timeto time until the potatoes are soft.

Beat the eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and then the potatoes. Mix

well. Pour the mixture into the frying pan and cook on a high light until brown.Turn the omelette over to stop it from drying up inside.

SPANISH OMELETTE


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ecause of the migratory flowsfrom the lands of Galicia to thefour corners of the country,where many Galicians have set

up restaurants and taverns, Galiciancuisine, based on a mixture of land andsea produce, has become one ofthe most widespread in Spain.

Octopus is extremely popular in Galicia, whereit is prepared a feira, a method used in theannual religious pilgrimages. First, it is wellpounded to make it tender and then cookedwhole. To serve, it is cut into pieces and seasoned

s the traditional layoutof Spanish gastronomywould have it, the landsof Galicia,Asturias, theBasque Country and

Cantabria make up the areafor sauces. In actual fact, thecommon denominator in theculinary arts of these regionsis quite simply quality andquantity. Seafood from theCantabrian Sea holds prideof place on the menus,where the diner is tempted bymemorable dishes in which theprime quality of the ingredientsis heightened by touches ofrefined simplicity.

Meat in this, the countrys only sizeable area ofpastureland that remains green throughout the year,is also worthy of special mention. Here, unlike inother parts of the peninsula, the flavoursome stewsare made with dried beans.To liven up his meal,the diner might try any of the light, mild wines,quite different from those found in the interior.When in Asturias, a refreshing option is cider,made from locally-grown apples.

A

Galicia

B with oil, paprika and salt. Then, there is the crusted pie, or

empanada, Galicias most traditional dish. The filling,meat or fish, lends itself to countless variations,

all mixed with lots of onion. It is spreadbetween two fine layers of pastry seasoned

with saffron and brushed with oil so asto retain the moisture.

However, when it comes to seriouseating, the best-known dish awaitingthe visitor to Galicia is lacn con grelos.

Lacnis meat taken from the front leg

Octopus Galician style

Green Spain


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of the pig and then boiled.Grelosare the leaves of smallturnips. The two ingredientsare boiled together and servedwith a spiced sausage and afew potatoes or cachelosper

diner. The turnip leaves givethe whole thing anunmistakable, slightlybitter flavour.

Caldo gallego(lit.: Galicianstock) is a common featureon the Galician dining table.Conceived to fight the coldand damp, it is made fromcabbage, potatoes and driedbeans and, depending on thecooks purse, ham, spicedsausage and pork ribs.

Next comes the superb,vast assortment of seafood,the best in the country.For centuries, Galicia has beenexporting seafood and alsosupplying the capital.

A Corua and Vigo, particularlythe town of O Grove, are aseafood lovers paradise:for a moderate price, he maysavour oysters or spider crabs,crabs, goose barnacles, clamsand lobsters, prepared simplyby boiling.

Deserving of special mentionwhen speaking of seafood isthevieiraor scallop, which isserved in its shell. (It was theshell of the vieirathat the

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Among the cheeses produced in the region,one of the best isthe strong, smoked San Simn or Perilla, not forgetting the mild,fine-crustedtetillas, made from cows milk.

pilgrims used to wear ontheir way to Santiago deCompostela). The dish isprepared by making a mixtureof onion, finely-choppedparsley and breadcrumbs.The scallop, still in its shell,is covered in this mixture andthen baked in the oven.

Turning now to meat, thebullock provides prime cuts,while the Villalba capons,fattened with wheat,wine and chestnuts,

are of great renown.

When it is time for dessert,the sweet-toothed Galicianshave a wide range of delightsto choose from: tartasespiscopales(cakes coveredin fruit), almond tarts, such asthe tarta de Santiago, filloas,a kind of pancake, ring-shapedpastries known as rosquillas,and many more.

As for wines, Galicia is knownfor its slightly sour Ribeiro,served in small porcelainbowls. Top of the list,however, is the excellentAlbario, a white wine madefrom grapes which monksonce brought to the region

from the Rhine andthe Moselle.

The regions drinks alsoinclude the famousorujo,an eau-de-vie made frommarc and used to preparethe most popular local drink:queimada: the orujois pouredinto a deep, earthenware dishcontaining bits of lemon peel,some sugar and a few coffeegrains. The whole thing isthen set alight.

1 kg hake 2 dl oil 150 g onion 2 kg potatoes 1 tbsp flour

Seasoning: salt,garlic, parsley, bayleaf, thyme, paprika

Taking the central part of the fish, remove the scales and clean thoroughly.Cut into thick slices.

Heat the oil in a pan over a high light. Add the finely-chopped onion andfry until it starts to brown, shaking the pan gently from time to time. Thenadd a couple of crushed garlic cloves, a spoonful of parsley and a levelspoonful of paprika. At the same time, add the potatoes, cut into slicesabout 6 mm thick and not too wide. Mix thoroughly, sprinkling with aspoonful of flour. When the potatoes have browned, add just enough waterto cover them.

Add salt to taste, six freshly-milled peppercorns and a crushed clove, alongwith a bouquet garni made up of bay leaf, thyme and parsley.

Leave to cook for 15 minutes and when the potatoes are ready, place in anearthenware dish. Cover with the slices of hake, slightly salted. Now place in

the oven for about 10 or 12 minutes.Serve straight from the earthenware dish.

hake galician style

Typical Galician produce


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of rice for dessert. Consideredby the locals to be the best inthe country, the Asturianversion has its own specialfeature in that it is covered bya layer of caramelised sugar.There are, however, lots ofother sweetmeats, such astocinillos de cielo(made of

eggs and syrup), fayules,frixuelos, carajitos delprofesor, casadielles(frittersfilled with a hazelnut paste)and many others. As forcheese, Asturias is the homeof the strongest in the countryand, possibly, in the world:the famous Cabrales, whichstands apart from other,no less exquisite cheeses,like Gamonedo, Peamellera,afuegal pitu and others.

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here are few otherplaces where thetraveller will eat sowell for it is here,

in Asturias, that one of themost universal dishes ofSpanish cuisine is prepared:the renowned fabada,which has become so popularthat it is sold in tins andexported to places all over

Latin America.

Fabada, so genuinely and inimitably Asturian, consists ofexceptionally soft and delicate dried white beans, known locallyasfabes, and a number of pork products: cured knuckle, ham fatand black pudding. The key ingredients of this magnificent dishare, of course, the fabes, after which it is named, and also theblack pudding, which, in Asturias, is dry and wrinkled andmiraculously comes back to life as it simmers in the stock.The dish is eaten as a single course and in huge portions,as is the norm in Northern Spain.

In addition to this superb dish, the Asturian menu includesother stews in which the ineffable fabesare used. The visitoris strongly recommended to try any or all of the relatively newvariations, in which the beans may be combined with clams(fabes con almejas), with hen, hare, partridge or other smallgame. They are a typical feature atany of the regions restaurants.

Asturias succulent fish dishes

have a mild, unmistakable tasteabout them. First and foremost is thecaldereta, a perfect combination of shellfishand fleshy fish, cooked with other,complementary ingredients. The coastaltowns are the best place to go to trythis dish, although it is not as easyto find asfabada.

Then again, merluza a la sidra(hake in cider) is readily available atmost restaurants. The secret of thisdish lies in the quality of the produceused, the incomparable Cantabrian hake,

and the liquid in which it iscooked, cider made fromlocally-grown apples. Light anddry, Asturian cider is a basicingredient in the regionsgastronomy and is the mostpopular drink at bars andtaverns, where it flows freely.There is something of theritual about the way in whichit is served: the bottle

is held high in one hand whilethe glass is held at an anglein the other. The idea is to letthe cider fall slowly into theglass, without spilling a drop.

Our description of Asturianfish dishes would not becomplete without sparing afew words for the variousways of preparing tuna(ventresca, in which the fishsbelly is used, el rolloand soon). However, the star of theshow as far as tourism andgastronomy are concerned issalmon, for Asturias, with itswell-stocked Naln and SellaRivers, is Spains leadingsalmon-producing region.The classical recipe for the

preparation of the fish isknown asa la riberea,in which cava, a sparkling

white wine similarto champagne,

is used.

Whentravellinground thisregion, it is a

must tochoose cream

Asturias

T

Fabada asturiana

Pouring cider


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lthough Basque

cuisine has onlyrecently risento fame, it now

occupies the position itdeserves at the top of thenational gastronomic rankingand there is no questionabout the regions beinga gourmets paradise.

In the Basque Country, one ishard put to finding somebodywho is not well up on theculinary arts. The Basques arerenowned for their passionate,caring attitude towards foodand their hearty appetite isproverbial. Any time oroccasion is right for havingsomething to eat. It is herethat we find the amarretako,a repast eaten at 10 oclock inthe morning; the amaiketako,eaten at 11 oclock and theaparimerienda, a huge earlyevening meal; and it is herethat the countrys firstgastronomy societieswere founded.

This is a cuisine which, while

based on tradition, has beenenhanced by touches ofurban, modern inspiration.

When speaking of Basquedishes, the first ingredient thatcomes to mind is the humblecod:bacalao a la vizcana(cod Vizcayan style) is, like somany other of the countrysgreat dishes, tantamount to amiracle in that it is so cheap.

It consists of nothing more

than cod, dried peppers andonions. The same may be saidofbacalao al pil-pil, where thecod is gently fried in oil withgarlic so that the gelatine fromthe fish forms a sauce thatgives the dish its inimitablefinishing touch, a toothsomeflavour reminiscent of the sea.This kind of sauce, one of the

great discoveries made byBasque cuisine, is used inlots of other fish dishes.

Other exquisite saucespeculiar to the BasqueCountry include green sauce,served with hake, and blacksauce, which bathes babysquid in their own ink.

After cod comes hake,for which the Basques havedifferent names, depending onsize and origin. As with a lotof other Basque gastronomicproduce, there is strong localrivalry between Guipzcoa andVizcaya when it comesto judging which has the besthake. The truth of the matter

is that there is no equal foreither the one or the other

in the rest of Spain, whetherit is prepared al pil-pil, in greensauce or simply coated withbeaten eggs and breadcrumbsand fried.

Perhaps the tastiest hake dishis the one known as kokotxas,a refined delicacy preparedwith tiny fillets taken from

the fishs head.

Now for bream, slit in half andgrilled or roasted over an openfire, with a soupcon of oil andgarlic. However, if the visitorwants a real treat, he shouldgo for elvers, or young eel,which are briefly dipped intoboiling oil containing garlic andhot red pepper and are eatenwith a wooden fork.

A

The Basque Country

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Baby squid in their own ink

Hake in green sauce

BlancaBerlin/ICEX


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9

Turning to more ordinarydishes, we find marmitako,a seafarers dish made fromtuna and potatoes, andsardines, one of the northsemblems. Here, they areroasted whole, straight fromthe sea. August is the besttime to have them becauseit is then that they are attheir smallest and tastiest.Eating sardines requires acertain amount of courage.Of a strong, lingering flavour,they should be eaten with thefingers if they are to be eatenproperly. The best place, ofcourse, is outdoors, wherethe breeze will carry away

their smell and so prevent itfrom clinging to ones clothes.

Having described the fish

dishes, a few words of praiseare now in order for the meat,which is of excellent qualityand is served in sizeableportions, usually roasted.Brriz is noted near and farfor its T-bone steaks.There is also a varied rangeof poultry dishes, albeitperhaps less characteristic.

Txakol is a wine produced inthe coastal area, in the northof the Basque Country.An extremely tart whitewine, it is ideal with fish andseafood. On the subjectof wines, it is worthremembering that theBasque Country is home tothe Rioja Alavesa, a leadingwine-producing area ofestablished repute, supplyingthe ideal accompanimentfor any of the regionsculinary delights.

On the cheeseboard,the place of honour is heldby the home-made,strong and smoky Idiazbal,

made from sheeps milk.As for desserts, although theBasques, generally speaking,are not sweet-toothed,the visitor will find, amongstothers, filled spongesfrom Vergara, rolled waferbiscuits from Bilbao andpears done in the oven.

600g driedcod 1/2 litre olive oil 1bulbofgarlic 1/2hotredpepper

Soak the cod in cold water for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water severaltimes.

Before starting to cook, hold the pieces of cod under cold running wateruntil they are perfectly clean. Remove the scales carefully. Rinse the fishonce more and place in a pan of clean water. Place the pan on the heat butdo not allow it to boil. When foam starts to form, remove the pan from theheat.

Take out the pieces of cod and lay them on a clean cloth to remove excesswater.

While the fish is drying, heat the oil, preferably in an earthenware dish,adding the garlic cloves, cut lengthwise, and the hot red pepper. (If the dishis not to be spicy, omit the pepper).

When golden brown, remove and set aside on a plate. Place the pieces ofcod skin downwards in the same oil and move the pan back and forth

constantly so that the skin releases its gelatine, which works to bind the saucebeing formed round the fish. Depending on the quality of the fish, thisprocess takes between 10 and 15 minutes.

As the oil retains its heat for a good while, the pan should be removed fromthe heat before starting the process.

When the sauce acquires the consistency of mayonnaise, the fish will beready.

Arrange the garlic and hot red pepper on top of the fish and return tothe heat to warm it up again, remembering to keep moving the pan back andforth to prevent the sauce from losing its consistency. The dish may now beserved.

cod al pil-pil

Zurracapote


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his is an area

whose gastronomicpersonality proveshard to define

because it is so closelyconnected to the approachfollowed in neighbouringregions, with which it sharespractically the same produce.At the same time, the areahas been influenced by a good

number of Castilian culinary

practices. As in the entire

Northern part of the country,it is a place where excellentmeals can be enjoyed.Again, we come across tuna,hake and bream, not forgettingsalmon, which, in these parts,is prepared to an absolutelyoriginal recipe known as arrozsantanderino(rice Santanderstyle), in which rice is

cooked with salmon and milk.

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Cantabria

T Sardines

are also onthe menu,together withanchovies, prepared inearthenware dishes or madeinto a pie, or served in yellowsauce, or simply coated withbeaten eggs and breadcrumbsand fried. Then there are thetraditional rabas, or squids

chopped and fried. The coastis the place to go to savourthe exquisitemarmita.

The regions most popularcheeses include Tresviso, thecured Aliva cheese and othersknown asquesucos, usuallymade from cream.

Nevertheless, it is inconfectionery that the chefsof Santander bring their most

round the EbroRiver lies a highlycharacteristicgastronomic area,

known as the chilindrnarea,although this is only partlytrue. (Chilindrnis a saucemade with peppers, tomatoesand onions, fried togetherlightly). Here, a very goodtable is kept, with solid,plentiful meals. The areaproduces the great wines,the Riojas, along with other,

less well-known varietieswhich figure among thestrongest in Spain, such asCariena. There is also animportant cooked porkproducts industry, the hamsand longanizas(local spicedsausages) being of particularnote.

The Ebro

A

Sobaos pasiegos Picn cheese from Tresviso-Bejes

Bream done in the oven

original ideas into play, asshown by the unbeatablenatillas(a kind of custard),

whose extraordinary virtuelies in the simplicity of theingredients: eggs and milk;or the sobaos pasiegos, bunsdrenched in butter and eggs.However, reigning supremeon the dessert trolley is thequesada, one of the greatachievements of Spanishconfectionery, made fromfromage frais, honey and milk.The only snag is that it doesnot keep long.

his region is knownfor having one of thesimplest cuisines inSpain. In Aragon,

the mainstay of the diningtable is meat, served in thetraditionalchilindrnsauce,which goes just as well withchicken, lamb, pork and evenother meats, although perhapschicken is the best choice.In the mountainous regionof Upper Aragon, shepherdstraditional meat dishes are

Aragn

T

Ternasco


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the favourites: ternasco(baby lamb which has notgone to pasture), kid enespeto(roasted on the spit),shepherds lamb stew and a

dish known as esprragosmontaeses(lit.: mountainasparagus), which are, in fact,calves tails.

Towards Zaragoza, we findthe astonishingly succulentmagras con tomate, thin slicesof ham lightly fried and bathedin tomato sauce. Then there isan endless list of variations

with which to accompany lasmigas(lit.: breadcrumbs),a dish commonly found inthe interior of the peninsulaalthough nowhere beyond theborders of Aragon is it servedin so many different ways:with bits of ham, spicedsausage, ham fat, blackpudding; with chocolate and

with grapes. The dish isalways made from good,wholesome, country bread,cut into small pieces andbrowned with theaccompaniment of oneschoice. In some places,the pieces of bread aresoaked in water or milkbefore they are fried.

Among the delicacieson the Aragonesemenu, we find perdices

con chocolate(partridge withchocolate), a surprisinglysuccessful combination whichhas become popular in otherparts of the country; trout

from the rivers of thePyrenees, thought to be thebest and delicious when fried,and the splendid hams fromTeruel, cured in the bitter coldof the mountainous region.A curious soup that datesback to the seventeenthcentury, when it was knownas Aragonese soup, is stillenjoyed in this part of the

country. With liver and cheeseas its main ingredients, it iscooked in the oven and servedwith slices of toasted bread.

Among the vegetables, thereis one which is peculiar to thehilly area of Moncayo: borage,tastier than chards or spinach.

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All kinds of greens are

grown here and are usedto advantage in thevegetable hotchpotch.

On the more exotic side, astranger to these parts will befascinated by a much-lovedtraditional dish: lambs headbaked in the oven; not tomention the humble culinarycreation known as regaaos,consisting of a bread roll filledwith a couple of herrings andstrips of red pepper.

Aragonese wines are as

plentiful as they are good.The visitor may enter any baror tavern, confident that hewill find wine of exceptionalquality. The best-known insideSpain is Cariena, with upto 18 vol.

When it is time for dessert,a good choice is peaches inwine, frutas de Aragn(chocolates filled withcrystallised fruit) andguirlache(almond brittle).

2 chickens,weighing600 g each 4 large tomatoes 4 small green peppers 1 largeonion

2dl oil 150g semi-cured ham 1glassof wineSeasoning: garlic, hotred pepper, salt

Cut the chickens into pieces and lightly fry until golden brown. Set aside.Prepare a fried mixture of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, hot red pepper

and lots of finely-chopped garlic. Add to the chicken, mixing well. Allow tocook for five minutes. Now add the semi-cured ham, cut into thin slices, andcontinue to cook for another five minutes. A small glass of white wine may beadded with the ham.

chicken chilindrn

Sweetmeats

Fried dish from Aragon


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Rioja cuisine is remarkablyvaried and replete withdishes made from the producegrown in the areas marketgardens.Particularly noteworthy

is the local vegetablehotchpotch.

It is a cuisine with a personalityand style of its own, the terma la riojana, being added toawhole range of meat, poultryand vegetable dishes, such as,for instance, callos a la riojana,a local tripe dish.

Potatoes with spiced sausage,stuffed peppers, chops roastedover a vine shoot fire andchitterlings are just some of thedishes on the La Rioja menu.

As for dessert, the dinerhas a choice of traditionalconfectionery, including asweet known as fardalejoand delicacies made frommarzipan. La Rioja producessome of the best fruit, used bythe cooks to make some quiteremarkable combinations.

hen speaking of

this region, there isno alternative thanto start with the

product that has traced itscharacter and made it famous beyond Spains borders: wine. Riojawine has a long history behind it, with documents dating back tothe twelfth century. Even today, it is still made in the traditional wayat many cellars. For the most part, the wines produced in the Riojaarea are reds and ross of a moderate alcoholic strength, between12 and 14 degrees, highly aromatic and mild on the palate.

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n this area, cuisinedraws on the bestof several sources,

having beeninfluenced by Basque,French and Aragonesecooking. The visitor will notbe disappointed by thehighly-varied, broadspectrum of dishes,particularlytrucha a lanavarra(trout Navarre style),which has become popular

throughout Spain as thebest way to prepare the fish.However, for those insearch of excellence,Navarra, where the dish wasoriginally conceived, is theplace to go. The recipe isquite simple: the fish is leftto soak in wine for a whileand then filled with a sliceof ham, dipped in flour andfried lightly.

In the area round La Ribera,vegetable hotchpotch,consisting of asparagus

and artichokes combinedwith broad beans and peas,becomes an unforgettableexperience. Naturally, thereare variations on this basicrecipe and it is not unusualfor the dish to containpieces of meat or ham.The region also producesother delicious vegetables,

such aspochas(early whitebeans) and piquillopeppersfrom Lodosa.

Meat dishes include chopsNavarra style and cochifritonavarro(small pieces of friedlamb). Among the stews,we find the Brussels sproutspotage, which bears a closeresemblance to the Frenchgarbure. This is a dish fortrue vegetable-lovers as itcontains Swiss chard, spinach,mallow, sorrel and lettuce.

Wild fowl dishes aredeserving of a specialmention when speaking ofNavarra, where they areheld in great esteem. This isunusual in present-daySpanish gastronomy, mainlybecause of the scarcity of

the right ingredients. It isextremely popular in thisregion to go on wild fowlshoots, quail, turtle doveand wood pigeon being themain prizes.

They are all used to producesucculent dishes. The besttime to eat quail is September,which is when they are attheir biggest. Here, they arewrapped in vine leaves andthen roasted. Turtle doves areseasoned with herbs and then

grilled or roasted over an openfire. Both recipes use one partoil to one part lard, alongwith vinegar and red wine.Like partridge, quail and turtledove may also be preparedthe old way, by bathing themin chocolate sauce, likewise

used in hare and rabbit dishes.Although these dishes are notvery common nowadays, theyare still prepared for specialoccasions.

The regions range of dishesis rounded off with theRoncal cheeses, consideredto be among the best in thecountry, and a highlycharacteristic sausage knownaschistorra, prepared overan open fire and eaten as astarter or a mid-evening snack.

Trout Navarra stylePeppers

La Rioja

W

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Navarra

La Rioja produce


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f all the cuisines onthe peninsula, thatof Catalonia isunquestionably the

most sophisticated, completeand richest. Through time,more has been written aboutCatalonian cooking than aboutany other of Spains regionalcuisines. It is, in a word, aprivileged domain on accountof its geographical position,which, in the course ofhistory, has brought it intocontact with other countries,

especially France and Italy.

The mainstay of its principaldishes consists of four basicsauces: first and foremost,samfaina, followed by sofrito,picadaand ali-oli. Samfaina,a sauce made from a highlycharacteristic, lightly-friedmixture of tomatoes, peppers

and aubergines, is servedwith a whole range of dishesand is strictly Catalonian.Sofrito, however, made withgarlic, onions, tomatoes and

parsley, is widely used inSpanish cooking in general.Picada is prepared with garlic,parsley, roasted almonds andcrushed pine seeds; and lastly,ali-oli, an admirable dressingwhich probably dates back toRoman times. Consisting of

olive oil and garlic, patientlymixed together in the mortaruntil a creamy paste isformed, it goes perfectly withmeat and fish alike.

In Catalonia, the visitor willcome across a number ofrice dishes, a choice of meatdishes, especially poultry,although veal is a good choice

in Girona, and also lots offleshy rock fish, skilfullyprepared to produce thetastiest of meals. He willalso be struck by a vastassortment of sausages,especially the one known asbutifarra, which, roasted orfried with mongetes(whitebeans), makes for a modest

yet flavoursome dish peculiarto the area. Vic is the place forsausages, above all salchichnand fuet. Another widespreadculinary tradition ispan con

tomate, consisting of rubbing tomato into a slice of bread andsprinkling oil and salt on top. It may be served with a slice ofham, an omelette or whatever happens to come to hand.

Although wines are superb throughout the region, top of the listcome the ones from Priorato: unusual, full-bodied, mild reds,difficult to find outside Catalonia. Another typically Catalonianfeature is the porrn, or glass jar with a long spout for drinking

from. The drinker holds his head back, tips the jar and allowsthe wine to trickle to the back of his throat. The porrnis notso common as the bota de cueroor wineskin but, whichevermethod is chosen, the wine somehow tastes better than whenit is drunk from a glass.

hen surveying Catalonia as a whole, the gastronomewill find his paradise in Girona, which lies partly in thePyrenees and partly on the Mediterranean and is azealous custodian of its culinary traditions. In the inland

area, known as Empord, poultry dishes take centre stage.

It is the place for huge, imposing turkeys, geese, ducks andpoulards served with elaborate, unforgettable stuffing madefrom pears, turnips, apples, olives The Christmas turkey,stuffed with sausages,butifarras, raisins and pine nuts, is knownto all. As the area was once densely populated with game, thereis a long-standing tradition of dishes such as rabbit with herbs,hare with chestnuts and partridges Olesa style. Cooks takepleasure in mixing different flavours: sweet and savoury, fishand meat. A good example of this is the craziest dish in theentire Hispanic recipe book: the little-known mar i muntanya(lit.: sea and mountain). Extremely common on the Costa Brava,it consists basically of chicken and lobster, although it lendsitself to countless variations.

Catalonia

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Girona

Bread with tomatoes and ham


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city with a longgastronomic traditionbehind it, Barcelonareached its heights

in the culinary arts in thenineteenth century, whencountless restaurants,considered to be amongthe best in Europe, startedto spring up in the city.

Any description of Barcelonasdishes inevitably begins withescudella i carn dolla, which,

up to the 1930s, was eatenon a daily basis in the city.Nowadays, although it isstill regarded as the typicalCatalonian dish par excellence,it is not readily available atrestaurants.

Escudellais the Catalonianversion of thecocidoandfollows the same principle ofcooking meat and vegetablestogether. It consists of twovuelcos, or courses: a thin

noodle and rice soup and then,the meat and vegetables.Unlike othercocidos, it containsno spiced sausage or black

pudding but is made insteadwith white and blackbutifarra.It also features the famouspilota, a ball made from mincedmeat, parsley, breadcrumbsand egg. This version of thecocidoquite possibly containsmore ingredients than any ofthe others made in the restof Spain. I quote the full list:

bullock meat, hen, fat bacon,pigs ear and trotter and non-fatham, white and blackbutifarra,ham bones, marrowbone,chickpeas, beans, potatoes,cabbage, egg, turnip, carrot,garlic, flour, pepper, cinnamonand parsley.

It was the people of Barcelonawho invented the tastyfideosa la cazuela(noodles cooked inan earthenware dish). As usualin this part of the country, this

As far as fish are concerned,Girona, along with its CostaBrava, surpasses the otherCatalonian areas with itsmagnificentsuquets, a

fishermans dish made froma variety of rock fish cookedin a thin stock and served in athicksofrito. Also recommended are the glorious, thick anglersoup and the lobster, unequalled in the rest of the region.In Girona, it is prepared with roasted almonds and garlic,grilled over an open fire and served withali-oli.

1 kg broad beans 1/4 kg fat bacon 3 spiced sausages 1 dl oil 1onion 1 glass eau-de-vie

2 glasses white wineSeasoning: garlic,salt, pepper,mint

Shell the beans and start to cook in salted water. When the beans are half-done, pour away most of the water, leaving just enough to cover them.

Mix the oil with a couple of cloves of garlic, the onion (finely-chopped),pepper and mint and stirfry gently. Add the glass of eau-de-vie and place thebeans in the mixture. Now add the fat bacon and the spiced sausages, cut intothin slices, and return to the heat until cooked.

broad beanscatalonian style

dish is accompanied by avariety of flavoursome morsels,such as pork ribs, sausages,butifarra, ham and fat bacon,along with the customarysofritoof onions, peppers and

tomatoes.In addition to theescudellaandbutifarrawith beans describedin the introduction, typicalCatalonian dishes includethe mouth-wateringhabasa la catalana(broad beansCatalonia style). The beans,the areas favourite vegetable,are prepared with lots of herbsand spices (thyme, rosemary,mint, cinnamon and bay leaf)andbutifarra.

For dessert, a classical choiceiscrema catalana, similar tonatillas(a kind of custard),covered with a layer of

caramel. The most traditionalsweets, however, are thecakes, prepared all year roundfor the various feast days: pade pessic,coquesfor St. JohnsEve,panellets, made fromalmonds and pine seeds andeaten typically in November;and, at any time of year, meli matwith cottage cheese.

San Sadurn dAnoia is theplace where the famouscavas, or sparkling wines,are produced.

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Barcelona

Beans with butifarra

Beans Catalonia style


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leidas cuisine isreminiscent of the

solid, mountaindishes, in which

meat, game and delicioustrout are the key ingredients.The best place to enjoy allthis is a Pyrenean eatinghouse with a first-class cook,remembering that meals of

this sort have to be orderedin advance. The diner will

thus have the chance to trycassolada, a combination ofpotatoes, vegetables, fatbacon and ribs; or lambshead and trotters with girella;lambs hooves with turnips;and, above all, the superbhare and chamois civets.

hemenuinthisprovince temptsthediner with dishes likerabbit with garlic and

tunnyfish boiled with potatoes,bull, made with tunnyfish,courgettes and snails, notforgettingthe cod fritters and

balls. One of the more original dishes is theone known as calots,sweet, youngonions grown from theshoots of an oldonion. In Vallsand the area surrounding Poblet andSanta Creus, they areknownbythenameof calotada. It is a traditional yetexotic dish in that theonions,fresh from the garden,are roasted on a tile. They are thenserved straight from the tile with an oiland almond sauce.

However, thesalient featureof Tarragonas cuisineis riceandadelectable sauce. Ricedishesinclude a traditionalseafarers dish,rossejat, prepared with fish stock; black rice with cuttlefish; and,above all, one of Spanish cuisines greatfishandricedishes,onewhichisverymuchinthebackgroundandyetisthekingofthemall:arroz abanda.Awordofwarning:itshouldbeeatenonlyatrestaurantswhereitisknowntobe a speciality.In Tarragona, thearea round Cambrilsis thebest

bet. Arroz abandaisadishfordiscerning palates:it maybeservedonitsownor,ifpreferred,accompaniedbythefishwith

whichit hasbeenboiled. Inthisrecipe,theseafoodusedmustbeoftopqualityandofasmanydifferent kinds as possible:

grouper, angler, conger eel,giantprawns,Norway lobster, squid,lobster Thecompletedishconsistsofa smallportionofrice,cookedinthesamepanasalltheotheringredients,andaseparatedishcontainingtheseafood,which is served withali-oliandanothersauceknownas romesco, Tarragonas great

contribution to Mediterraneancooking.

Romesco,asaucefoundallalong the Mediterraneancoastline, may be boughtready-made. As it is exported,it nowappears in cookerybooks roundthe world. There issomewhat of a controversyabout true romescosauce and

its many variations:some saythat allthat is required is oil, hotredpepper and bread; otherspreferto add garlic, almonds,

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Lleida

Rice is a common ingredientin the recipes of this area,

where it is eaten with rabbit,cod and pork. True toCatalonian tradition, the riceis always served in lots ofstock. Among the rangeof sausages, we find thetruly Catalonian girellaandthexolis.

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Tarragona

cognac and vinegar and thencook all theingredientstogether. As the case may be,

romescosauce takesits namefrom the special hotred pepperused in its preparationand,together with ali-oli,istheunquestionablechampion ofMediterraneaneating habits.

Tarragonais thehome of Prioratowines, excellent redsof about14 vol., togetherwithothers ofupto20vol., approachingthe

moscateltradition which weshallfindintheeasternpartofthecountry, or Levante.

Mussels


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uisine in this areahas been built roundrecipes fromLa Mancha, Valencia

and Murcia and it is not easyto find truly local dishes inbars and restaurants. A casein point is paella alicantina,which is prepared with

chicken and rabbit instead ofwith seafood. The same istrue of other dishes, which,

astronomy in thisgeographical areacan be defined inone word: rice.

The Valencian has learntto handle this foodstuff sowell that he infallibly obtainsperfect results, whether he

combines it with a long listof other ingredients orprepares it practically onits own.

In a word, rice is anexperience in itself inValencia, the origin of oneof the greatest dishes inuniversal gastronomy, paella,now the most famous dish in

Spanish cuisine. However, itis made in so many differentways in so many differentplaces that, at times, it doesnot lend itself to easyrecognition.

n the inland area ofthis province, roundthe Maestrazgo, arange of meat dishes

is available, especially lamb,and high-calorie potages madefrom potatoes, cereals and

flour, almonds and walnuts.Then there is roast kid, stuffedmeat and tripe. As for stews,the one known, incidentally,as Castelln, with whitebeans, bullocks meat and fatbacon, is found all over theprovince. Nevertheless, thecommonest dishes are theones based on rice, some ofwhich are extremely original:

rice with green beans andsnails and the most unusualarroz empredrado, made with

tomatoes and cod andcovered with white beans.Both inland and on the coast,rice marinire is a favourite,although, while they are bythe sea, seafood-lovers mayalso like to savour the giant

prawns, known to beparticularly succulent in thisarea.

The cheeses are also worthtrying, although they arelittle known outside theregion. For somethingdifferent, the diner mightordercoll, curds made withthe pistils of wild artichokes.

Popular sweetmeats includemostatxonesand puntas dediamante.

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nevertheless, are worthmentioning: bajoques farcides,or peppers filled with rice,pork, tomatoes and spices;potages made with pulse,rice, potatoes and broadbeans; and la pericana, awinter dish which is eatenduring the olive harvest to

test the quality of the oiland is made up of cod,oil, dried peppers and garlic.

For a special meal preparedin honour of a guest or tocelebrate an occasion, we findthe originalcocido de pelotas.With a perfectly-balanced,appetising aromacharacteristic of all the dishesin this region, cocido depelotasis prepared with

chicken or turkey, lean porkand bacon fat, chickpeas andspices and served with the

Giant prawns

Ternasco

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Comunidad Valenciana

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Alicante

Castelln

Typical Valencian kitchen


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s far back as thefifteenth century,Valencia wasrenowned for its good

food. Nowadays, however,any description of Valencian

gastronomy must refer firstand foremost, almostexclusively in fact, to paella.

Paella is a recent invention,dating back to themid-nineteenth century,when it was first made inthe area round the Albufera.

As with other Valencian rice

dishes, the secret of a goodpaellalies in the cooks abilityto give the rice that very

festivepelotasor balls,

made from beaten egg, leanpork, blood, breadcrumbsand parsley.

Elche, the city of palm trees,guards its own specialtreasure: an original rice dishrequiring the help of all thefamily on account of itspainstaking, delicate

preparation. Known asarrozcon costra, it has becomepopular throughout Levante,although it is here in Elche,its place of origin, that it isenjoyed at its best.

All the same, it is in dessertsthat Alicante has made aname for itself. The areaproduces superb dates, which

are distributed all over Spain,and also that ancient fruit, the

pomegranate, which is,

unfortunately, slowly slippinginto oblivion. But, above all,Alicante is known worldwidefor its nougats, or turrones.

It is almost certain that thissweetmeat is of Arab origin.Alicante produces two kinds:the one named after it,Alicanteturrn, whole

almonds embedded in asolid mixture of honey andsugar; and the Jijona turrn,in which the almonds arefinely ground. Other turrones,

soft in texture, like the

chocolate, fruit and coconutvarieties, are moderninventions which bear noresemblance to the traditionalturrnother than in nameand shape.

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special texture. The grainsshould be loose, dry and softand take in the flavour comingfrom that array of ingredientswhich, like some of theCatalonian dishes, banishes

from our minds any clichsabout Spanish gastronomybeing too austere.

The truth of the matter is thatthere is no set recipe for thislegendary dish, the standard-bearer of the countrysgastronomy. In any event,a good paellamay containchicken, pork, crustaceans,

molluscs, eel, squid, beans,peas, artichokes and peppers,not forgetting the saffron, the

golden secret to a good ricedish, shared by the chefs ofValencia, Milan and Marseilles.

After the glowing paellacomes a vast assortment of

rice dishes, with all kinds ofaccompaniments. We find arrozamb fessols i naps,orricewithbeans andturnips served in lotsof stock, until recently themarket gardeners usual meal.A rich variation on the sametheme contains pigs trottersand ear and black pudding.The dish is known familiarly asarroz en oros y bastos, literally,

rice with gold coins and clubs,twoofthesuitsinapackofSpanish playing cards.

Rice dishes

Turrones

AValencia


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Then there are special rich dishes for days offasting, made with dried kidney beans andpotatoes; with snails and spinach; with cuttlefishand cauliflower; or with chickpeas and a coupleof slices of tomato and so on. The complete list

would go on forever. However, for the sake ofbrevity, we shall just mention two great classics:rice Alcira style, baked in the oven and similarto the Elche dish, described above; and ricerosetxat, also done in the oven.

Although rice in its many forms is top of thebill, the Valencian menu also offers fish dishes,bathed in a popular sauce calledall-i-pebre,a combination of garlic, oil and paprika. It goesparticularly well with eel, prepared in thesepartsal ast, i.e., roasted or grilled on skewersmade from the wood of the ash tree.Red mullet and cuttlefish are also extremelycommon. As for fowl, duck from the Albuferawere once considered a great delicacy andtoday, although they have disappeared from thearea, some excellent recipes have survived,including the old, Valencian way of doingpato a la naranja(duck in orange sauce).

The Valencians are also fond of desserts,many of which are made specially for feast days:roasted almonds, toasted bread, monasde Pascua, a typical Easter sweet, arnad(made of gourd and sugared chestnuts),suspiros, sweet egg rolls and a huge varietyof sponges and pastries.

Valencia boasts a wide range of white wines,light and dry in Albaida, Cheste and Liria, where

olorosois also produced. For reds and ross,the best places are Utiel and Requena, whereannual harvest festivals are held.The locals set up a fountain flowing with freered wine. Our description of Valenciangastronomy would not be complete without afew words for one of the areas most populardrinks, horchata, or orgeat, made from earthalmonds. A sweet, light, refreshing drink,it is enjoyed in summer all over Spain.

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As this paella is prepared with seasonal ingredients, it lends itself to many variations. However, therecipe given below may be considered as standard.

Ingredients for six portions:

600g rice 480 g rabbit 600 g chicken 24snails 180 g shredded tomatoes 180g garrofobeans(specialfor paella) 180g tabellabeans(ordinarywhite beans)

6 tbsp olive oil Afew strands ofsaffron 1 tbsp sweet paprika Salt andyellow paella colouring 200g ferraura(specialgreenbeansforpaella)

Preparation: Heat the oil, with a pinch of salt, in the paella pan and add the chicken and rabbit. Fryon a low light until golden brown. Now add all the beans, fry a little longer and add the tomato. Whenthe tomato has fried, add the paprika and quickly pour in 2.5 to 3 litres of water.

When the water comes to the boil, add the snails (cleaned and cooked beforehand), the saffron, thecolouring and a little salt. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes and then spread the rice evenly round the pan.Cook on a high light for six minutes and then turn the heat down and continue to cook until ready.

Note:The correct amount of water and the right temperature cannot be determined with accuracy.

With paella, it is a question of practice making perfect.

valencian garden paella


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Produce from Mar Menorand La Huerta

espite the fact that

Murcian cuisine isextremelycharacteristic of

Spain, with great respect forits own traditions, it is alsoone of the lesser known.Naturally enough, here wefind a Levante style ofcooking, based on marketgarden produce with a subtleArab touch. The way in whichthe Murcian chef uses hiskey ingredients, the pepperand the tomato, differsgreatly from the approachof his Aragonese and Riojacounterparts.

There is no lack of rice dishesin the region and some saythat, as far as this speciality

is concerned, Murcia beatsValencia. Indeed, the visitorto Murcia will be spoilt forchoice: rice with chicken,rabbit, grey mullet (one ofthe regions characteristicfish, whose roe make for adelicious titbit, a greatfavourite with the locals) andall kinds of vegetable; not to

mention the delicious arrozal caldero, made with fishcaught in the area.

The quality of Murciasvegetables is excellent.They are enjoyed at their bestin the magnificent hotchpotchand in dishes like friedartichokes with tomatoes,aubergines in marinade and

cauliflower in a cream sauce.Broad beans are added to

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omelettes, stir-fried or eaten

raw in a salad dressing.The visitor should also makea point of trying michirones,or dried beans cooked withhot spices.

Omelettes are made with anastonishing variety of fillings:from broad beans, asmentioned above, to garlicshoots, peppers andtomatoes. Asparagus and ahost of other ingredients areadded to scrambled eggs.The market garden produceis so exquisite in this areathat a very simple dish,consisting of lettuce heartssplit into four and dressedwith oil, lemon and pepper, isknown by the high-sounding

name of garden partridge.

Fish dishes are beyonddescription, ranging from thesmall, good-tasting Mar Menorprawn and the pricey greymullet roe to the moreaccessible gilthead withpeppers and sea bass coated insea salt and baked in the oven.

Stews and potages in theLevante style are common,while meat dishes revolveround lamb, chicken andrabbit, often prepared with

tomatoes and peppers.Murcia is also known forits unusualpastel de carne,made from veal, spicedsausage, hard-boiled eggs,brains and minced pork, allwrapped in light puff pastryand baked in the oven.It has a simpler, more modernversion, calledpastel de Cierva.

Murcia produces its ownpeculiar range of sausages,such as the smooth,spicy longanizasand blackpuddings, which seem

to have a lingeringsweetness about them.

As in Valencia, Murciansweetmeats have comeunder strong Arab influence.So much is this so thatthere is one known as pande Al(lit.: Allahs bread).Other delights include fig

bread, walnut cakes, tocinode cielo, made from eggsand syrup, roscos de vino(a kind of doughnut drenchedin wine) and a range of jamsand syrups.

Murcia

Gourd dish

Murcia produceMurcia salad


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Wine production covers both ends of the scale: on the onehand, we find Jumilla, one of the strongest in the country;and, on the other, unbeatable ross and clarets, unquestionablythe best on the peninsula, alongside the Cigales wines fromValladolid.

6 redmullet 6 whiting 3/4kg grey mullet 1 seaspider 1 anglertail 1 rubio (abony, saltwaterfish) 2oras (avarietyof hotredpepper)

1 John Dory 1 onion 1/2kg potatoes 400 g rice 200 g ali-oliSeasoning: garlic,bay leaf

It is these fish, found in theMar Menor, thatgivethe dishits very specialflavour.Place the angler tail, sea spider, rubio, John Dory, together with the onion, cut

intofour,acloveofgarlic,abayleafandthepotatoesinapanofsaltedwater.Bringtotheboilandsimmerforhalfanhour.Thenaddthewhiting,redmulletandgreymulletand leave to simmer for another 10 or 15 minutes. Fry the oras and chop finely,mixingthemwithtwoclovesofcrushedgarlic,andaddtothepan.

Remove the pan from the heat and take out the fleshy fish, the angler tail and thepotatoes. Taking care to remove the bones, leave these ingredients in a little stock,neartheheat.

Straintherestofthestock,crushinganyremainingpiecesoffish.Cookthericeinthestock.Whenthe rice is cooked,thereshould still be plenty of liquidin thepan.

Thericeis servedasthe firstcourse,followedby thefish, whichshouldbearrangedonaseparatedishwiththepotatoes.Servewithastrongali-olisauce.

rice in themar menor style

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ssociated for

culinary purposeswith fried dishes,Andalusia has a rich,

traditional cuisine which isnot necessarily found in allof its eight official provincesand is not easily accessibleto the visitor.

It is here that the countrysbest wines, known toforeigners better than anyother in Spains vast range,are produced. The winesfrom Jerez, in the provinceof Cdiz, are possibly themost acclaimed in universalliterature, from Greek textsdating back to the fourthcentury B.C., through thecenturies to Shakespeare and

down to the present day.

The unique winemakingmethod smacks of themiraculous in that the winedoes not come from a givencrop, as is usually the case,but from a succession ofmixtures that have evolvedthrough time. The result is a

range of wines with subtlevariations. A total of 10 typesare recognised under officialclassification.

They are wines to be

sipped and savoured at leisurewhile having a quiet chat.They may be drunk alone oraccompanied by a tapa, atasty morsel or snack madefrom anything and everythingand of which the Andalusiansare particularly fond.

From wine, we move ontoham. The best in the country,unmistakable and undoubtedlysuperior to any of the other ofthe peninsulas hams bearingthe same name, is producedin Jabugo, Huelva. Not farbehind as regards quality isthe ham from Trevlez,Granada. Both should beserved in paper-thin slices.

Now for the renownedpescato fritoor fried fish,an art in which the people ofCdiz and Mlaga are theexperts, although it is commonthroughout Andalusia.

In Cdiz, this food is availableat specialised bars and tavernsknown asfreiduras. It has a

certain something about itthat cannot be set down in arecipe. Perhaps it is the wayin which the fish is cut, thetemperature of the oil or the

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Andalusia

Andalusian restaurant

Fish roasting on spits


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mixture of aromas given offby the different fish as theyall sizzle together in the samefrying pan: mojarra(a type ofbream), sole, mullet, red

mullet, whiting and manymore.

Things are different at the

Mlagafreiduras, where thefish is, nonetheless, equallydelicious. Here, the anchovyholds pride of place. Fried intheir dozens, the anchovieshave the appearance of seafoam or, in Spanish, espuma de mar, the name appearing onmenus to refer to a dish of chanquetes(young anchovies).

Fried fish is also popular in Seville. Here, the fish is cut intopieces, covered in a special batter known as adoboand thendipped into the frying pan.

Another important feature of Andalusian gastronomy isgazpacho, a favourite dish with Spaniards during the summer.It is a soup which may be prepared in lots of different ways,although Crdoba is perhaps the best place to try it.The traditional ingredients are bread, oil, garlic and waterand, very often, tomato, but it may be livened up with peppersand cucumber.

Among the many, well-established variations, we might quotesalmorejo cordobs, one of the traditional dishes to havemiraculously survived the passage of time in this province.Like all Andalusian gazpachos, it is a cold dish and is madefrom tomatoes, bread, oil, garlic and pepper. It has theconsistency of a thick pure.

Back in Mlaga, we find ajo blanco, not sowell-known as the typical Andalusian versionbut equally refreshing and perhaps more

original. Ingredients includealmonds, oil andcloves of garlic, allwell-spiced andpatiently crushedin a mortar untilthey blend into apaste to whichcold water isadded. It is thengarnished with a

few grapes to give ita touch of refinement.

If the visitor has a liking formore substantial dishes, heshould head for the provinceof Cdiz, whose cuisine is,beyond any doubt, the richestand most varied in Andalusia.Here, apart frompescato fritoand the best crustaceans andmolluscs to be found alongthis coast (giant oysters, babyprawns, shrimps, tiny clamsand crabs), he may choosefrom dishes like kidneys insherry, pigeon pie, cows tailJerez style and squid withbroad beans. He may also

have the courage to try anage-old, traditional dish, awhole new experience forthe palate: caldillo del perro,which, strange as it mayseem, translates literally asdogs soup. Served at barsand taverns in fishermensdistricts, it has a tastesomewhere between tart

and salty. Although fewingredients are required(onion, freshly-caught whitingand orange juice), it is by nomeans easy to prepare.

Amid the hoard of grandAndalusian recipes, we comeacross two dishes fromGranada, home of the areasother great cuisine. We are

referring to habas a lagranadina(broad beans

Jabugo ham

Sacromonte omelette

Fish roasting on spits


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Granada style) and theSacromonte omelette.The beans are preparedwith Trevlez ham and theAlbaicn bouquet garni, madeup of bay leaf, mint andparsley. The recipe, togetherwith the Catalonian version,is the best in Spain forpreparing this vegetable.

The refined Sacromonteomelette, made for specialoccasions, should not beconfused with the one knownaspaisana, commonly foundon menus at bars andrestaurants. The Sacromonte

omelette contains fried,breaded brains, veal or lambtesticles, potatoes, sweet redpeppers and peas, all finelychopped and sautd beforelanding in the pan where theeggs await them. The dish isa ritual associated with thefamous gypsy cakes ofSacromonte; hence its name.The Granada omelette is avariation, containing lambssweetbreads and chickenkidneys and livers preparedin white wine.

Another top dish in Granadaiscazuela de fideos, a spicycombination of noodles,broad beans and cod,prepared and served in an

earthenware dish. Along thecoast, round Motril and

Almucar, it is worthwatching the preparationof the popular moragas desardinas(roasted sardines)and espetones de boquerones(anchovies). The fish are leftwhole and pierced by a stickwhich is then sunk into thesand. They are left to roastover the heat from live coalsplaced beneath them.

In Almera, cuisine has comeunder the influence of bothMurcia and Granada.Similarly, in Jan, anotherborderline province, dishesare a mixture of featurestaken from the recipes ofLa Mancha, Granada andCrdoba. One of Jans most

traditional dishes is espinacasal estilo de Jan, where themain ingredient is spinach,prepared in plenty of oil witha mixture of crushed driedpeppers, garlic and breadcrust. In this, the countrysleading olive-growingprovince, olive oil is usedlavishly, especially in saladslike pipirrana,made withgreen peppers, onions andtomatoes, cut into smallpieces and sometimesprepared in a marinade.

As for Crdoba, traditionalrecipes have, to a largeextent, been forgotten andnowadays, the regions greatdish isestofado de rabo de

toro(a potage made with thetail of a bull or a bullock).

Naturally associated withbullfighting, it makes for aheavy, succulent meal, albeitsomewhat on the greasy side.

Apart from the gazpachosdescribed above, the provinceis known for its veal withartichokes, pigeons witholives and pigs trotters donein the oven. Then, of course,we have the wines, which,with their own, peculiarpersonality, rival thoseproduced by the provincesrenowned neighbour, Jerez.Crdoba wines are dry andextremely aromatic, of highalcoholic strength. They carrythe appellation dorigineMoriles-Montilla and there

are four types: fino,amontillado, olorosoand oldoloroso. The hills of Montillaproduce the best: MontillaAlbero and Moriles Albero.

Another importantwine-producing provinceis Mlaga, with its moscatel,one of the masterpiecesof national production.Made from the grape of thesame name, there can belittle doubt that it is the finestin the world. Mlaga wine

has the consistency of aliqueur, warm in flavourand dark in colour. It iscommercialised under fourdifferentappellations: Mlaga,Mlaga Virgen, Lcrima Christiand Pedro Ximnez.

In Huelva, as if themagnificent Jabugo hamwere not enough, we alsofind a range of fish dishes:porgy in onions, sardinesin pepper, porgy in paprika,clams with rice and thevarious ways of preparingchocos, a kind of squidcommonly found on thiscoastline. Chocosare tastierand make for a greaterdelicacy than their more

familiar relatives.

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And lastly, Seville, the officialcapital of Andalusia. It washere that the tapa, a tastysnack eaten at practically anytime of day, was invented.Although this custom hasspread throughout thecountry, nowhere else hasthe art of the tapabeenmastered with such skill

and variety.

If, after a round of tapas, thevisitor still feels ready to facea meal, he will find a numberof typically sevillanodishes tochoose from: the renownedhuevos a la flamenca, a wise,yet simple recipe which hasbecome popular all overSpain and, in the process,has been subject to countlessvariations. Essentially an eggdish, huevos a la flamencarequires careful preparation.The eggs are baked in theoven, on a bed of tomatoes,spiced sausage, ham, greenbeans, chips, asparagus,finely-chopped sweet redpeppers and peas. The dish

should be eaten as soon asit comes out of the oven.

Other Seville dishes include menudo gitano, where themain ingredient is tripe; cocido a la sevillana, where the meatis fried and served with beaten eggs; veal filled with a mixtureof wine and olives; and duck with olives.

Andalusia has an endlesslist of sweetmeats steepedin Arab tradition, which,in many cases, has beenadmirably preserved by thenuns belonging to the manyconvents in the area,especially in Seville.This province producesAndalusias most popularsweetmeat,tortas de aceite(olive oil cakes), once anessential part of anybodysbreakfast in the countrysleading capitals and nowcommercialised all overSpain. We also findpolvorones, traditionalduring the Christmasseason; cortadillos, with afilling made of pumpkin

and syrup; alfajores,mostachones(spongesfor dunking) and, fromthe convents, yemas deSan Leandro(made fromsugar and egg yolk).

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1/4 kg tomatoes 2 peppers 1 clove of garlic 5 tbsp oil 2tbspvinegar

150 g breadcrumbs

Chop the garlic and pepper into small pieces and crush well with a mortarand pestle, adding a little salt. Add the tomato, also in pieces, and the bread,soaked beforehand, and continue crushing.

Add the oil gradually, stirring the mixture constantly at the same time.When all the oil has been absorbed, add cold water and then strain. Now add

vinegar and salt and serve well chilled with croutons.

andalusian gazpacho


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24

should make his way to themagical triangle formed bySegovia, Soria and Burgos,making Segovia a priority.The Castilians always roast

their lamb suckling in anearthenware dish.The method is quite simple:they spread lard all overthe lamb, spray it withsalted water and then roastit until it is just right.

Visitors keen to trysucking pig should head forthe area round Segovia,Arvalo and Pearanda deBracamonte. To meetcustomary requirements,the pig should be between15 and 20 days old andweigh from three to fourkilos. Preferably, it should beroasted in an old-fashioned,thyme-fired oven and, when

cooked, it should be tenderenough for the chef to beable to slice it with theedge of a plate in what has

s in the case ofAndalusia, a vastarea is covered bythe cuisine of

Castile-Len. Here, however,eating habits change littlefrom one province to another,with the exception of Lenand Salamanca. The otherprovinces (Burgos, Soria, Avila,

Segovia, Zamora, Valladolidand Palencia) fit perfectlyinto the gastronomic divisionwe are about to describe,generally accepted as thearea of the roast.

The first thing that comesto mind when speaking ofCastilian cuisine is thechickpea because, althoughit may seem rathercommonplace, it has beena basic foodstuff in the dietof this regions inhabitantsfor centuries.

Indeed, this pulse, brought toSpain by the Carthaginians,is the main ingredient of allthe Castilian stews which,

until not so long ago, were

eaten daily in all homes.They always containedcabbage and, dependingon the household budget,black puddings, spicedsausage and meat.

Castilian cookery books alsocontain recipes for otherpulses of equally fine quality,such as beans and lentils,prepared with spiced sausageand pigs tail and/or earthroughout the region.

Having spoken of pulses,now is the time to look at thebread and the wine. Bread isthe emblem of Castile land

of bread and nowhere elsein Spain is it baked so well,although today, it hasperhaps lost the importanceof yesteryear. Wine, however,is still as great as it ever was.Castile and Len overflowwith superb wines carryingcertificates of quality(Rueda, Ribera de Duero,Toro, Bierzo, Cigales andCebreros). There is a fullrange of whites, ross andreds, all top quality andhighly acclaimed.

Nevertheless, amid thebroad spectrum of Castilianand Leonese culinary artsand customs, there is one

which outshines the rest,at least from the point ofview of the tourist: thetraditional sucking pig andlamb roasts.

In Castile and Len, there

are two itineraries for thosewishing to enjoy either onboth of these roasts. If lambis preferred, the visitor

Castile-Len

A La Granja beans

vila desserts

Roast lamb

Roast sucking pig


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become a spectacular riterequiring a certain degreeof skill.

Having said all this, it shouldbe pointed out that, despitethe fact that Castile is a gooddistance from the coastline, ithas some excellent fish dishes.One that has become popular

all over Spain is the cod dish,bacalao al ajoarriero, so namedbecause it used to be thestaple diet of the Leonesemuleteers as they journeyedthrough Extremadura,Andalusia, Navarra, the Northand La Mancha.

Cod is not the only fish to befound in this regions recipebooks for the Castilians andLeonese are also extremely

100 g oil or 1 tbsp lard 100 g diced ham 100 g stale bread,cut into slices 1tsp sweet paprika

3clovesof garlic 6 eggs 1l water

Heat the oil and add the garlic, cut into fairly thick slices. Before it startsto brown, add the ham and the stale bread. Fry gently for a couple of minutesand add the sweet paprika, followed by the water and a pinch of salt. Whenthe pan comes to the boil, poach the eggs.

castilian

garlic soup

fond of trout, which abound

in the rivers. Nor is there anyshortage of crayfish, servedexquisitely in a mouth-wateringred sauce. The best crayfishare said to come from theTormes River, although itis on the banks of thePisuerga River that an annualfiestais held in honour ofthe creature. Unfortunately,stocks are slowly beingdepleted on account of itswidespread popularity. The listof Castilian dishes goes onto include hen fricassee,stewed partridge and quail,garlic rabbit and, from vila,delicious veal. However,we must not forget thepopular Castilian soups, madewith bread, stock (from a

chick pea stew, if possible),ham and garlic. In somerecipes, a poached egg is

added. In Castile and Len,garlic is a fundamentalingredient and, althoughit is used to the same extent

in other parts of the country,here, there is a difference:it is treated as a food in itself.

Having surveyed the general scene, we should now take aclose look at cooking in two areas, which, while part of Castile

in geographical terms, are to be considered separately whenit comes to gastronomy. We are referring to the provinces ofLen and Salamanca.

Crayfish from the Pisuerga

Cooking in Len


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o complete the gastronomic mapof Castile, we should mention thecheeses, which, while not sorenowned as those of La Mancha,

are not far behind when it comes to quality.Castile produces first-rate, creamy, curedcheeses, in addition to a soft type on the lines

of cottage cheese, quite uncommon in therest of the country. The best-known are theones from Villaln, in Valladolid, and Burgos.

Burgos cheese

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he people ofSalamanca are greatmeat-eaters and arealways ready to eat

anything from pork, beef andlamb to poultry and game.Their cuisine successfullycombines pulses with meatto produce filling, wholesomemeals. Restaurants keepzealously to local tradition,

T

Specialit ies from Salamanca

Sweetmeats includealmendrasgarapiadas(sugared almonds)from Briviesca, in Burgos,popular the length and breadthof the country;mantecadas,a kind of bun made in Astorga,in the province of Len, and

yemas de Santa Teresa, asweet made of sugar andegg yolk in vila.

his land, proud of itsnoble past and repletewith reminders of the

Middle Ages, whenthe great feudal lords and therich monasteries brought

refinement to local eating habits, has a twofold gastronomy.Firstly, in the region of El Bierzo, we find dishes of a markedGalician influence: empanadas(fish or meat pies), lacn congrelos(salted boiled ham with turnip shoots) and octopus,prepared in exactly the same way as in Galicia. Secondly, in the

area round Astorga,known as lamaragatera, we find

cocido maragato(the local version ofthe chick pea stew),the Riao vegetablehotchpotch and thecod dish describedabove, bacalao alajoarriero.

T

Cooking in Len

one of the main dishes beingchanfaina salamantina, madewith rice, giblets and lambsinnards and bits of spiced

sausage. Guijuelo is noted forthe prime quality of its hamsand spiced sausages. We alsofindfarinatos, a sausagewhich is fried and served witha couple of eggs, and a widevariety of meat dishes, each

with a character of its own:stewed calfs tail, stewedtongue, ragout, calfs jowlsfried in beaten eggs and

Easter sweetmeats

Salted boiled ham withturnip shoots

Len produce

T

breadcrumbs, lambhotchpotch, roast kid, stuffedchicken Salamanca style anda long etcetera.

Cheeses and sweetmeats from Castile and Len

CarlosNavajas/ICEX

E d


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he pork products ofExtremadura are asource of nationalpride. Fed until

only recently on acorns fromthe areas meadows andreared freely all over the

countryside, Extremaduraspigs produce sausages,hams and spiced sausagesof incomparable quality:hams from Montnchezand spiced sausages fromanywhere and everywhere,made in so many differentways, sweet and sour, hot,sweet, fat, medium-sized,thin and twisted into plaits.Nor must we forget lomoembuchado, a long, hardsausage made from theloin of the pig, the whitesausage, the originalmorcillas patateras(blackpuddings made fromdifferent parts of the pigand boiled potatoes) andthe pt, made in Mrida

and distributed in manyparts of Spain.

The region has a highlytraditional, albeit short, list ofdishes: caldereta, a Cceresdish whose main ingredientis kid; frite, a lamb dish morecommonly found in Badajoz;pot stews; migas(based on

breadcrumbs); and gachas(a form of porridge).

To make caldereta, the kidis chopped into pieces andfried. It is then seasonedwith paprika and stewed.Before serving, it is dressedwith a mixture of crushedlivers, raw garlic and redpeppers. This is a shepherdsdish, formerly cooked in aniron pot over a campfire andenjoyed in the shade of aholm oak. Frite, also a countrydish, is associated with

pilgrimages. It is made by

frying pieces of lamb yearlingseasoned with paprika to givethem a red colour. Whenserving, a tiny amount of theoil used in frying is allowedto drop onto the plate.

These are meals for high daysand holidays. More everydaydishes include the exquisitelambs tails Extremadura style,made in the pot with a thicksauce which complementsthe tender, juicy tails.

As might be expected,practically all the parts of thepig are used in one way oranother, in addition tosausage-making. We findpicadillos(minced pork

dishes), ears fried in beateneggs and breadcrumbs andserved in a sauce; tails withtomatoes; lean pork withpotatoes;pastorejos, slicescut from the pigs jowl andserved with fried eggs;and a kind of thick,wholesome soup knownascachuela, consisting ofthe pigs blood, liver, stomachand so on. Handed downthrough time by shepherdsand goatherds, all thesedishes are meant to be eatenby those with a strong

27

stomach and are certainly

not recommended for peoplewith digestive problems.

While speaking of traditional,country cooking, we shouldspare a few words for migas(lit.: breadcrumbs), anextremely attractive, humbledish, eaten and enjoyed allover the inland area of Spain.In Extremadura, where it isprepared with particular skill,the dish used to form part ofthe dailydiet in manyhouseholds. First, thebreadcrumbs are softened inwaterandthengentlyfriedwithpiecesofstreakyfatbaconanddried peppers.Nowadays, migasare a speciality prepared aswell asever atbars and

restaurants, but they must beordered in advance.

E

Extremadura

Shepherds breadcrumbs (Migas del pastor)

Cod in the convent style

A

.deBenito/ICEX


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1 kg kid (or lamb), cut into small pieces 1 kids (or lambs) liver 1 glasspitarra(local home-madewine)or a suitable substitute

1dl oil 1 sweet redpepperSeasoning: garlic,bay leaf, black peppercorns,paprika, salt

Heat the oil in an earthenware dish, fry a couple of garlic cloves andreserve. Now add the meat, a soupcon of paprika and a few bay leaves andallow to brown. Pour in the pitarra or substitute and leave to cook until itevaporates. Now add the water gradually, making sure that the saucethickens well.

When the meat is tender, roast another three garlic cloves and, using apestle and mortar, crush them well, together with the garlic reserved earlier.

Add the liver (roasted beforehand), a few black peppercorns, a drop of oil andthe sweet pepper. Pound well with the pestle until a consistent mixture isobtained. Add the mixture to the meat and leave to cook until the sauce is ofthe right thickness. Serve.

kid or lamb casseroleextremadura style

(CALDERETA EXTREMEA)

In the gazpachomade in

Extremadura, the tomatoesare left in pieces instead ofbeing crushed with the restof the ingredients. Unlike theAndalusian version, this onecontains onion. Then there isthe original, quite fascinatingsoup known as sopasengaadas, made frompeppers, pickled springonions, figs and grapes.

A few fish dishes appear onthe menus, such as river fishin garlic,characteristic of theprovince of Badajoz.The fish iscooked in a mixture similar totheoneusedingazpacho,withlots of crushedgarlic,and, assuch,the dish might well bedescribed as a fish gazpacho.

Codisfoundinacoupleofrecipesoriginatinginthe regions convents:recado de patatas,prepared with a sauce andpotatoes coated withbeaten eggsandbreadcrumbs; and bacalao alconvento, or codwithpotatoesand spinach anda drop of stock.

Also popular in the regionare frogs legs, coatedwith beaten eggs andbreadcrumbs, fried andserved with a tomato sauce.

Desserts include a choice offruit from the area roundDon Benito, while the JerteValley is known for its

extensive cherryorchards.

The regions gastronomy

has been enhanced bysweetmeats evolved byshepherds and goatherds,who use flour and lard astheir main ingredients.We find roscas de candelilla(a form of doughnut),bollosde chicharrones(a flat rollmade from lard, eggs, flour andaniseed or cloves),escaladillas(made from a dough drenched

in orange juice and then fried),sponges, bollos de leche(milk buns) and huevillos(a small, egg-shaped delicacy).

Although Extremaduraproduces good wines, theyhave not, generally speaking,been commercialised.Rough, of a high alcoholic

strength, they have somehowdeveloped their ownpersonality. Caamero wine

is just starting to find itsway onto the market.

White wine is made inMontnchez, Cillero

and Ahigal, whileHervs is the

place for clarets.

Montnchez ham

L M h


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s far as gastronomy isconcerned, La Mancha,like Castile, covers anumber of provinces:

Toledo, Albacete, Ciudad Realand, with their own, individualfeatures, Madrid, Guadalajaraand Cuenca. The dishes,made to recipes handed down

through the ages, are plainand satisfying.

La Manchas cuisine, proudof its own personality andtraditions, combines modernideas with a deep respect forrecipes laden with history.This approach is the secretbehind most of the great

dishes deriving from Hispanicgastronomy.

Coming first in our descriptionof La Manchas cuisine are thegazpachos, a dish also foundin other areas of the country,such as Extremadura, Alicante,Murcia and Teruel. However,the origin of this dish lies herein La Mancha, in Albacete tobe more precise, where it maybe enjoyed at its best.

In La Mancha, gazpachosare a winter dish made from awide variety of ingredients.Although the dish is traditionallyassociated with shepherds, itcontains plenty of everything.Found only on the menus of

the more stylish restaurants,of which, fortunately, there isno lack in the region, gazpachois very much a seasonal affair.

Like all La Manchas recipes,

it goes back through thecenturies, appearing inDon Quixoteas galianos,and requires a long,painstaking preparation whichhas something of the ritualabout it. First of all, a large,flat piece of unleaveneddough, the torta, is made.Nowadays, ready-madetortas from La Roda, known

astortas de Ceceo, areavailable at shops in Madrid.The dough is baked slowlyin a fully-heated oven until itmeasures half a metre oreven one and a half metres,depending on the occasion,and should be no thicker thanthe edge of a coin. Great careis taken so that it does not

break. It is allowed to cooland part of it is crumbled andpart, broken into small pieces.In the meantime, pieces ofrabbit, hare, pigeon, chickenor any other poultry thathappens to be to hand arecooked with peppers andtomatoes. All this is carefullyspooned on to the crumbleuntil all the liquid is absorbed.It is usually served on thepieces of bread, althoughsome cooks prefer to removeany sizeable pieces of meatand serve them as a secondcourse. Strictly speaking,the termsgalianosandgazpachosrefer to thepieces of bread soaked inthe stock and the tiny bits

of poultry. The result of thisrather elaborate recipe is aflavoursome, extremelydelicate dish.

Far commoner and subject

to endless imitations ispisto manchego, so popularthat it now appears as aregular thing on meal tablesall over Spain. There aremany variations, all ofArab origin, but the trueLa Manchapistoconsistssolely of green and redpeppers, tomatoes and a tinyamount of courgette. It is

sometimes livened up withonion, ham, beaten egg ortuna marinade.

Moje manchego, a cold,runny dish containing blackolives, is not to be confusedwithmojete, made frompotatoes sizzled in oil withgarlic, paprika, tomatoes

and bay leaf. This rather plaindish is sometimes mademore tempting by theaddition of a poached egg.

Other regional dishescommonly found on themenus of traditionalrestaurants include asadillode pimientos, red peppersroasted and bathed in adressing of garlic, tomato andoil; salpicn, chopped vealmixed with onions, tomatoes,garlic, parsley and pepper;and the popular dried cod

dishes, tiznaoand ajoarriero.To make tiznao, the cod is

first cleaned, crumbled andgrilled. It is then cooked in anearthenware dish containingthe ubiquitous pepper,tomato, onion and garlic.

All over La Mancha, thevisitor will be greeted by thepopular garlic soup, madewith or without cumin seedsand paprika. This soup will bedescribed in greater detail alittle further on. A dish madefrom breadcrumbs, migas depastor, differs little frommigasprepared elsewhere.When soaked in milk, theyare called canas(white) and,when done in chocolate,they are known asmulatto,on account of their brown

colour.

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La Mancha

A

La Mancha gazpacho

Marzipan


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The people of La Manchaare extremely fond ofmarinades, made both withmeat (chicken and partridge)and with fish (trout and tuna).Worthy of special mentionis the aubergine marinade,

made in Almagro to an Arabrecipe and frequently foundall over inland Spain at fairsand taverns.

Some provinces have theirown particular speciality,like stewed partridge,morterueloand tojunto.

In Toledo, home of the redpartridge and, for sometime now, a national andinternational game reserve,this fowl is stewed in askilful yet extremely way,using bay leaf, pepper andgarlic. Morteruelois a greasy,toothsome dish for those witha hearty appetite. Associatedtraditionally with the provinceof Cuenca, it contains plentyof pigs liver, giblets, gameand spices and is reminiscentof foie gras on account of itscompact, creamy texture.

Lastly, Ciudad Real makes itsown, special contribution tothe cuisine of La Mancha inthe form of what is known,

to use the authentic term,

astojunto(lit.: all together).To make this dish, found in allthe provinces of La Mancha,wild rabbit is cooked untiltender with garlic, onions,green peppers and a generousamount of oil, all together, asit were. Based on a similaridea istocrudo(lit.: all raw), asalad made with a variety ofingredients. An excellent kidrecipe is used in the province

of Guadalajara, where themeat is roasted country-stylewith thyme and mountainherbs or done in garlic.

Cheeses are an importantitem in the gastronomy ofLa Mancha. Of excellentquality, they are made fromsheeps milk and are producedall over the region. There aretwo types: cured and creamy.The cheese of La Mancha,one of the most popularamong Spaniards, lendsitself to a singular methodof preservation: if stored in

jars of oil, it keeps for up totwo years, in addition toacquiring a special taste thatis pleasing to the palate.

The regions sausages arealso worth trying.

The sweet-toothed willenjoy the mantecados

(made from flour, almondsand lard), the bollos de aceite(small buns made with oil)and the honey-coated, friedpastries. Nor should theymiss the bizcoch manchega,a sponge soaked in milkcontaining sugar, vanilla andcinnamon, and the bizcochosborrachos(sponge cakessoaked in a liqueur). In pride

of place, however, is themarzipan from Toledo, madewith sugar and almonds.

La Mancha is a majorproducer of top-quality winesbearing the appellationsdorigine of Valdepeas andLa Mancha. These are thewines that are usually served

in Madrid and all over theregion during the chateo,a custom consisting of goingfrom bar to bar and having aglass of wine at each.

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Aubergines,tomatoes,courgettes,peppers,onions, oil or lard(Proportionsas required)

Cut the onion into medium-sized pieces and chop the peppers into smallsquares. Fry lightly and, when they are almost cooked, add the courgettes andthe aubergines, diced beforehand. When all the vegetables are tender, add the

tomatoes (skinned and chopped into small pieces). Allow to reduce until friedand add salt to taste.

pisto manchego

Typical Almagro dishes

M d id


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ow it is time to

turn our attentionto Madrid, which,although located

in La Mancha, has its ownparticular gastronomy onaccount of its statusas the nations capital.

Traditionally, Madridscuisine is a reliablecompendium of dishes

peculiar to each and everyregion in Spain. The citysrestaurants combine theirmagnificently preparedregional dishes with a widerange of ideas taken frominternational cuisine.

However, so as not todiverge from the purpose of

this guide, our descriptionwill keep to what may bestrictly considered asMadrid gastronomy.

First of all, it should bepointed out that Madridcuisine is very much onthe lines of the cuisines ofLa Mancha and Castile, albeitadapted to suit the characterand needs of a capital city.

It is in Madrid that garlicsoup, which is eaten andenjoyed all over Spain, hasreached the category of agastronomes dish and hasbecome a constant inrestaurant reviews.Meanwhile, the regional

versions still retain somethingof the Madrid spirit of tastysimplicity. When AlexanderDumas visited Spain, he was

so taken with garlic soupthat he tried to introduce

the French to it while singingthe praises of its health-givingqualities. The fact of thematter is that the soupconsists solely of bread,garlic, oil and paprika, thesuccess of its preparationdepending entirely on theskills of the cook.

As for fish, although bream isessentially a Christmas dish, itis also eaten at other times ofthe year. In Madrid, it is simplysprinkled with breadcrumbsand parsley, garnished withlemon and done in the oven.Although this recipe bears noresemblance whatsoeverto the Basque method, theresult is equally delectable.

The other two treats onthe Madrid menu are cocido

(chick pea stew) and tripe.Madrid people have theirown recipe for tripe (callosa la madrilea), usingtomatoes, onions, bay leafand thyme as the basicingredients, to which blackpudding, spiced sausage andbits of ham are frequentlyadded.

Madrids cocidois knownnear and far as being oneof the best, perha

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GASTRONOMÍA-EN-2009