Spanish Cooking

Spanish Cooking

Spanish cuisine has become a worldwide phenomenon – and no wonder. Typically Spanish ways of eating – tapas, of course! – and the ongoing appeal of Spanish staples, such as ham, olive oil and paella, and the amazing variety of regional dishes go some way to explaining the phenomenon. The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet and the wave on culinary innovation in places such as the Basque country have further added to the prestige of the Spanish kitchen.

If you are in Spain, don’t hesitate to try the local specialities and to look at what the locals are eating. It’s perfectly normal to point to someone else’s plate when ordering. Or you could ask, ¿Cuál es la especialidad de la casa? What is the house special? Most bars and small eateries do things well but will have one or two dishes that really stand out for the locals.

For most visitors, it’s not the quality of the food but its timing that takes some getting used to in Spain. Especially in the south, the evening meal is taken very late, even after 10pm, and even with small children still up and about. This partly explains the need for an afternoon nap – the famous siesta! Outside the main mealtime hours, many bars serve tapas throughout the day, or have bocadillos (sandwiches) available. Once you find somewhere open for a meal, a typical carta (menu) will be begin with a starter (primer plato) such as sopa (soup), ensalada (salad) or entremeses (hors d’oeuvres). If you can’t face all of this, you could plump for a plato combinado – a meat-plus-three-veg combination. At lunchtime, you might want to go for a “menú del día” – a set menu of the day; this will involve a fixed combination of starter, main (segundo plato) and dessert (postre) and is intended for people working nearby to have reasonably-priced, home-style cooking without needing to go home.

Tapas

No talk of Spanish cooking can go without a major mention of tapas – a selection of small helpings of different dishes that you can mix and match as you wish. At some places, they are lined up on the bar ready to go, but more commonly, there will be a list of tapas posted up by the bar or on a menu. You can choose raciones (larger servings) or media raciones (half rations, so smaller helpings). In the Basque country, they’re renowned for their tapas, but they’re called pintxos instead – the Basque language term. In many bars, notably in Granada or Seville, you get a tapa with every drink you order as a matter of course. This could simply be a small plate with a few pistachios, for instance.

There are many tales of how tapas came to be a thing. One is that, in the 13^th century, King Alfonso X was advised by his doctors to accompany his wine with small helpings of food. He enjoyed it so much that he passed a law making it a requirement for all bars. The name tapa just means “lid”. In the early 20^th century, a strong blast of wind blew sand at King Alfonso XIII at a beachside bar in Cádiz. Supposedly the name stuck when quick-witted waiter placed a slice of ham on the king’s sherry; the king ordered another and the name stuck.

The 101 of Spanish cooking is easy: take the freshest available ingredients and mess about with them as little as possible. Spanish chefs will go for subtle taste combinations rather than sophisticated sauces. This is particularly evident with seafood, carefully chosen meats, and vegetables. Look out for the icons of the Spanish kitchen: olive oil, ham, and paella. Olive oil is the standard base for cooking and is used in all sorts of ways, from drizzling over toasted bread to frying fish. Quality is everything for the right olive oil. Spaniards love their cured meats such as jamón – ham. The best quality will be a bold, deep red and well marbled with buttery fat. Jamón serrano, the most common variety, comes from the white-coated pigs introduced to Spain in the 1950s, where as jamón ibérico, the elite variety, comes from black-coated indigenous pigs descendant of local wild boar. Jamón ibérico de bellota refers to those who have gained at least 50% of their weight during the acorn-eating season. Paella is well deserving of its fame; the main go-tos are the paella valenciana from Valencia where paella has its origins, or the paella de mariscos exploding with shellfish and often needing a minimum order of two in a restaurant. The Valencian paella will contain chicken, white beans and sometimes rabbit. A decent paella can be hard to come by; some restaurants skimp on the expensive saffron, and others know that every other tourist will order it without really knowing what it should be like.

Let’s get started on some easy, tasty Spanish cooking!

1. Gazpacho (Cold Tomato Soup)

A refreshing chilled tomato soup, perfect for summer. It doesn’t sound promising but is truly delicious on a hot day.

Ingredients:

• 6 ripe tomatoes
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 small red pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 250ml cold water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Peel and roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and peppers.
2. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
3. Add cold water to reach the desired consistency.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar.
5. Chill for at least an hour before serving.  Why not garnish with a few herbs?

2. Paella (Simple Chicken & Vegetable Paella)

A simplified version of the famous rice dish. It must be acknowledged that any Spanish family will very much have their own ideas about what the perfect paella consists of; for many, it will be sea food.

Ingredients:

• 125g Arborio or long-grain rice
• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch saffron (or turmeric as a substitute)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chicken until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers until softened.
3. Stir in the rice, paprika, and saffron, cooking for 1 minute.
4. Add the stock and bring to a boil.
5. Return the chicken to the pan, reduce heat, and simmer until the rice is cooked.
6. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

3. Tortilla española (Spanish Omelette)

A classic potato and egg dish.

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 5 eggs
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes until soft but not crispy.
2. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
3. Beat the eggs with salt, then mix with the potatoes and onions.
4. Pour everything back into the pan and cook over low heat until the bottom is set.
5. Flip using a plate and cook the other side until firm.
6. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

4. Pan con Tomate (Tomato Bread)

A simple but delicious tapa.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of rustic bread
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Toast the bread until golden.
2. Rub the garlic over the bread.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half and rub them over the bread.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

5. Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes with Spicy Sauce)

A popular Spanish tapa.

Ingredients:

• 4 potatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 125ml tomato sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Fry or roast the potatoes until crispy.
2. In a pan, heat oil and sauté garlic. Add paprika, red pepper flakes, and tomato sauce.
3. Cook for 5 minutes until thick.
4. Pour sauce over the crispy potatoes and serve.

6. Chorizo al Vino (Chorizo in Red Wine)

A flavourful dish featuring Spanish sausage.

Ingredients:

• 1 chorizo sausage, sliced, and pronounced “choREEtho”.
• 125ml red wine
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Recipe:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the chorizo slices until browned.
2. Pour in the red wine and simmer until reduced by half.
3. Serve warm with crusty bread.

7. Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Prawns)

A quick and tasty seafood dish.

Ingredients:

• 200g prawns, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
2. Add prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink.
3. Season with salt and serve immediately.

8. Pisto (Spanish Ratatouille)

A vegetable stew similar to ratatouille. A lovely way to freshen up your vegetable menu, especially when courgette is in season.

Ingredients:

• 1 courgette, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion and pepper until soft.
2. Add the courgette and tomatoes, cooking until tender.
3. Season with paprika and salt.
4. Serve warm, optionally with a fried egg on top.

9. Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

Juicy meatballs in a rich sauce.

Ingredients:

• 250g ground beef or pork
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 125ml tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Mix meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. Form into small meatballs.
3. Heat oil and brown the meatballs on all sides.
4. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

10. Flan (Spanish Custard Dessert)

A classic Spanish dessert. So much better than cold custard!

Ingredients:

• 470ml milk
• 300g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Recipe:

1. Have your ramekins resting in hot water (bain marie)
2. Melt 200g sugar in a pan on a low heat until golden brown, then pour into ramekins. Bear in mind the potential for burning the sugar!  At Lingua Learn HQ, we were in danger of learning the hard way.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
4. Pour into the ramekins over the caramel.
5. Cover each ramekin with foil.
6. Bake in its bain marie at 160°C for 40 minutes.
7. Allow to cool before serving. The flan will continue to set as it cools further.