My last recipe from the very distinctive mountainous region of Spain that is La Alpujarra is one which you will find on many a restaurant menu there. And it is one of the more involved recipes. This recipe is not for the impatient nor one to be produced quickly.
I have written about so much Spanish food, and many recipes which I, personally, enjoy. Meals I have raved about and sung the praises of as loudly as possible.
One of the annual ceremonies celebrated in the city of Granada is that called the Moors and Christians. It marks the time when the city was invaded and the Moors were driven from Granada.
The restaurants locally all serve a meal of the same name. Very popular in Andalucia and the first of a trio of recipes I will publish that owe much to the culinary influence of the Moors.
So many ingredients of Spanish cooking can be traced back to the time when the Moors ruled Spain.
Pumpkins do grow in Spain and they grow big. This weekend I have seen many a neighbour carrying home huge pumpkins in readiness for cooking several dishes with them for Halloween.
One easy to prepare dish is a tasty and refreshing pumpkin soup. Here is the recipe.
I was left home alone for a month recently and with no time to undertake supermarket shopping in Spain. No need to worry.
Providing you have a good local weekly market, a fishmonger or mobile fish van, and just so long as you have ingredients and spices to hand in your kitchen; almost anything is possible.
Herbs can play a big part in Spanish cooking. I like to use them with paella in particular and with rice in general. Here is a recipe for Cuban style rice which has become very popular in Spain. Here you can use sprigs of thyme or oregano. I favour the latter as this herb offers more flavour. This rice is served in restaurants as far apart as the Canary Islands and Catalunya.
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.
If your not convinced about the merits of eating salt cod (Bacalao) on its own, then why not try it in a Paella? It's a great way I have found to enjoy the cod while sampling a Spanish classic. Certain cuts of Bacalao are ideal for cooking with rice. As mentioned in the earlier article about Bacalao, meals cooked with salt cod are broken down into those cooked with or without tomatoes. This one is in the former category.
Here Nuria provides a delicious recipe for the dish Squilla Mants. A Mediterranean crustacean that has been rarely used as the star of the dish. If you can find it fresh in your Market, buy some and try this rice or simply grill them and pour some extra virgin olive oil and salt on top.
