In northern Europe you may associate oranges only with summer. But in Spain they are used in cooking almost all year long. And there are so many meals in which you can exploit the benefits of citrus fruits, especially oranges, limes and lemons.
I have written on this site about the origins of the Sobrasada sausage and the fact that the island of Majorca lays claim to being the home of the Sobrasada. No sooner had I done so than a Catalan friend called me to say "it's not their sausage, it's ours."
I never thought I would be arguing over a sausage!
My Alicante born and bred friend Esteban knocked me up a paella with a difference recently. Being a Valenciano he's rightly proud of what they can achieve with rice in that part of Spain. So it was that he cooked for me, and served in his coastal garden, a crusty paella or - as they call it in Valencia - Paella con Costra.
It was at the northern tip of the Costa Brava that I sampled this culinary combination. Chicken with Prawns. I did wonder if this would be a marriage made in food heaven. It was. Chiefly because of the superb picada seasoning in which it was cooked. It was a daring recipe produced by the Catalan chef and here is that recipe for you to try at home.
This is an inventive recipe I came across in Girona, an area of Spain where chefs try something different and produce new tastes. I am not a fan of mustard or honey, but this meal converted me to the joys of both. It has been a favourite meal ever since.
Spain is not known for serving curried dishes. But they are gaining popularity. If you make this excellent recipe for Spanish friends, be sure to make the curry element a mild one. The recipe delivers excellent tapas for four people.
The Spanish love their Chinese food. The cities of Spain each play home to plenty of Chinese restaurants - and they are very busy. I was amazed when i first discovered this. So, as someone who has always liked spicy Chinese food, I went in and joined a packed lunchtime throng of Spanish diners. I was underwhelmed.
When i was on a tapas tour yesterday, someone mentioned to me how rare it is to be served chicken as a tapas. I hadn't thought about it before, but they may have a point. Tapas that actually has some chicken meat, and not just bones on a plate for which you need to send out a search party in order to find the chicken. They also mentioned how they would love to taste chicken with a bit of a curried kick to it. Here then is a recipe that is tasty, spicy and full of chicken.
You know by now that we are fans of the sherry triangle in Spain. This corner of Andalucia includes Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Much sherry is produced there. So many Spanish meals can be improved with a drop of sherry. But, crucially, you love sherry in your food. Here's a recipe for Chicken Livers in Sherry.
