We are delighted to hear that our good friends at Celler de Can Roca Restaurant in Girona have received yet another award!    Yesterday, in Paris,The International Academy of Gastronomy, formed by 22 individual countries, held its General Assembly and  Joan Roca of our beloved Celler de Can Roca in Girona  received  The Grand Prix de l’Art de la Cuisine 2011.  Joan Roca said he was thrilled with the award, which really just reconfirms the massive part that Spain takes in International cuisine today.

Could this perhaps be a fore-runner for the April awards in which his restaurant, Celler de Can Roca,  might just be proclaimed “The Best Restaurant in the World”?

The Assembly also awarded with the prize of Chef de L’Avenir 2011 ( Chef of the Future)  three other Spanish chefs  -Ramón Freixa, from the restaurant of the same name in Madrid, Angel Leon of Restaurant Aponiente in Puerto de Santa Maria and Josean Martinez Alija at Restaurant Nerua at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a great favourite of our clients!

Many congratulations to all!

January in Northern Spain can be lovely!   This weekend it was so beautiful – yes, a little on the chilly side, but oh with a big and strong sun shining down on the whole garden, that we decided that a barbecue was in order, albeit we were definitely going to eat everything inside!!! Afterwards it occurred to me that you may like to share my recipes, so here goes – though they are not really for beginners as there is insufficient detail.

Well, that time is here again in Spain – Calçot time.   I have written in past blogs about the glorious Calçot – like a large spring onion, something like a leak – but different.   They are a feast in themselves, but onto the rest of the barbecue.   The men wanted rabbit – no, it is not for me, but here in Spain rabbit is very popular, low fat and thus a cholesterol friendly meat.   In addition, it is cheap, so I don’t usually grumble and always make something else for my meal.   For me – well, very young lamb which is in season here at the moment – a small leg and shoulder make enough for me and the men to share as well.

But back to the rabbit, which is so low in fat that it really does need well oiling – as well, I always stuff the tum with herbs – sometimes Rosemary – lots of it, still on the branch, or Sage – again lots of it.   Add half a dozen black peppercorns and a couple of good lumps of butter;  take a long pointed sate stick and seal the two sides of the stomach together with “stitches” – you may need two sticks – it depends really on the extent of the opening.

Now, take a mortar and throw in some mixed peppercorns, black, red and green, a good large teaspoonful of glorious Spanish Pimenton Dulce Ahumado (Smoked Sweet Pepper) some course salt, a scant teaspoon of Cumin and mix well together, stomping on the peppercorns with the pestle to break them down.   Add some Spanish Virgin Extra Olive Oil and then smother your rabbit in the luscious and colourful mixture.   If you have time, do leave it to “marinade” for an hour or so – if not, well, it isn’t the end of the world.

For the baby lamb – I use part of a super recipe Rick Stein has in his recent book of recipes on Spain –originally a recipe for cooking goat, Rick says he has done this with lamb in the UK, but did not mention whether the lamb was as young as that which we get in Spain.  A good handful of rosemary leaves, a good handful of parsley leaves, course salt, grated rind of a non-waxed lemon (sorry to boast but I cut one off my tree!), three cloves of garlic.   You need to “smunch” this for quite a while to achieve a really good gooey mass before adding some lovely Spanish Virgin Extra Olive Oil – not too much, just enough to make it maleable. Take a small roasting tin – add 250ml (or thereabouts) of dry white wine (I used Albariño as I was ready for a glass myself), pop the lamb on top and then smother the top of the lamb with the gloriously green mixture. Again, if you have time to let it marinade, do so, if not – it will still be great!

Turn your oven on to 180ºC. and when it is hot, pop your lamb in and the timing is up to you – half an hour for very pink, 40/45 minutes for not so pink – I am a heathen, like it well cooked and crispy on the outside, so leave it, albeit at a lower heat, for 1.5 hours -and then to see if the men have got the barbecue going well……it is time for the Calçots.

If you live here in Spain you will buy your Calçots in a large bundle.   No need to clean them, they will be well cleaned by the heat of the barbecue flames – because flame it must to cook the Calçots properly.   Place them in a row on the fire and turn them when they are blackened on one side – in fact turn them until they are black all over apart from the green stalk.   The Calçot is ready when a little juice starts to spurt from the side.   Whip them into your living room on a large platter – they are ready to eat.   Did you say sauce with them?   Yes, you need sauce – I am a frightful cheat and buy it in a glass as it is quite a bit of work to concoct, but if you feel adventurous, there are loads of recipes for Salsa Romesco on the internet and actually there is one on this blog too.

Now we hardly sit down to eat our Calçots as there is an urgency to the dish – I use thin rubber gloves, the men usually just wrap the root end of the delicacy in newspaper and pull – if the Calçot is cooked properly the root and the blackened outside of the onion will shed itself in one go and there you have it – a deliciously sweet white morsel – dip it in the sauce – raise it above your head like asparagus – open your mouth wide and pop it in…..words cannot describe……they are just gorgeous!

Towards the end of the cooking time of the Calçots your barbecue will be starting to whiten off beautifully and now is the time for your rabbit.   Keep an eye on it and turn it frequently – brushing with the oil left on its original platter.   It will need a good half an hour to 40 minutes – maybe even an hour, it really depends on the size, but you can tell when it is cooked through – push the legs apart, in the same way in which you might check a chicken to see if it is cooked – if they start to break apart it is done.

Back to the lamb and when it is ready to your liking, take it out of the oven and place it on a warmed plate.   Cover with silver foil and then a couple of thick tea towels and give it a good 20 minutes to half an hour to rest.

This meal is just great served with a vegetable rice – make it like a paella, but with no seafood, meat or chicken – it is the perfect accompaniment.

To drink?  What better than a bottle or two of Spanish DO Rias Baixas Albariño, fresh, lemony, crisp, I just love it to bits.

Enjoy!

Madridfusion the International Gastronomy Summit, brings together elite chefs and experts in the culinary field to discuss avant-garde trends, the evolution of tastes and new food habits.

The latest culinary creations are launched, new ingredients are discovered and styles, trends and products are merged together. Fusion, deconstructuion and globalization are the watchwords of the summit, which turns Madrid into the world capital of gastronomy.

The Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX) also participates at Madridfusión through the Foods From Spain and Wines From Spain program, promoting Spain’s wealth of good food and wine to the international press. ICEX also uses this summit to unveil its Young Chef’s Culinary Scholarship in Spain, (Programa de Formación de Jóvenes Chefs Extranjeros en Gastronomía Española).

24 Jan – 26 Jan 2012
Palacio de Congresos de Madrid
Avenida Capital de España Madrid, s/n
28042 Madrid

Gastronomy and products distinguished with the food quality mark are taking part in the 15th Extra Virgin Oil Show and the 49^TH Les Garrigues Fair, which will be held from 20 to 22 January 2012 in the Les Borges Blanques Oil Pavilion Lleida, The Fair promotes gastronomy and food quality and having gained a reputation for being the extra virgin oil capital of Catalonia, this event in Les Borges Blanques becoming the benchmark for top quality oil in the Mediterranean.

The fair attracts over 120 exhibitors representing more than 40 different brands of Arbequina extra virgin olive oil from cooperatives and private presses. This year, the organization is expecting more than 60,000 visitors to attend.

20 Jan – 22 Jan 2012
Les Borges Blanques Oil Pavilion
Lleida
Catalonia
Spain
patronat@firaoli.com
http://www.firaoli.com/

The celebration originates from the New Testament where it is stated that the kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Balthasar, travelled by night from afar to bring gifts to Jesus, whom they recognized as the Son of God. As well as being regal, the Three Kings are depicted as wise men, whose very wisdom is proved by their acknowledgement of Christ’s divine status. Arriving from three different directions, the kings followed the light provided by the star of Bethlehem, which lingered over the manger where the Virgin Mary gave birth for many days.

In 1885, the Spanish government called for a parade to mark the very special holiday. While the traditional scriptures tell of gifts of myrrh, gold and incense, these days the Kings bring sweets or in Spanish caramellos. It remains a beloved tradition and also the longest standing parade in Spain.

With festive lights brightening the streets and nativity scenes in various locations, Spaniards celebrate the arrival of the Kings on 5th January each year with a joyful parade called the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos. The kings ride upon horses or elaborate floats and throw sweets to the children lining the streets. This is also traditionally the big opportunity for children to ask the Kings for presents.

Later that evening, just before going to bed, children leave out their shoes in a spot where the Kings are sure to see them. The religious monarchs, just like Father Christmas, certainly love their sweets, so Spanish children often set out Turron, chocolate and sweets to entice the Kings as well as hay to feed their camels. When morning arrives, the children scream with delight to discover that the Kings have nibbled the sweets, the camels have eaten the hay and next to their shoes there are presents, brightly wrapped and waiting to be broken into. To follow,another Spanish Christmas tradition a breakfast of Roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped cake decorated with fruits symbolizing the precious gems that adorned the royal trio’s dramatic clothing.

Feliz Navidad from Gourmand Breaks!

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas and a Healthy & Prosperous New Year 2012

Christmas is really a rather religious time in Spain. It officially begins on December 8, with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is celebrated each year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in Seville with a ceremony called Los Seises or the “dance of six”.

A very important Christmas symbol in Spain is the Nativity scene, which can be seen in plazas in both cities and small towns throughout the country and which are also displayed prominently in the doorways and entrances of many Spanish homes.  In many small towns there may even be a live Nativity scene, with actors and actresses playing the parts of Mary and Joseph and the three wise men as well as live animals.

In Catalonia a very typical character is the “Tío de Nadal”. It is a hollow log, about thirty centimeters long with a broad painted smiling face, enhanced by a little red sock hat and often a three-dimensional nose.  Beginning with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), the tradition is to give the Tió a little bit to “eat” every night and usually cover him with a little blanket so that he will not be cold at night.  On Christmas day the Tió is placed partly into the fireplace and ordered to “poop” presents. To make him “poop”, he is beaten with sticks, whilst the family sing the various songs of Tió de Nadal.

Christmas Eve in Spain, called “Nochebuena”, just like in many parts of the world, is celebrated with two very important traditions, eating an enormous meal and going to Christmas mass.  There is a wide variety of typical foods one might expect to find on plates across Spain on this night and each region has its own distinct specialties.  Among typical dishes served on Christmas Eve and during the days that follow are roast lamb and suckling pig (typically served in the regions of Castilla León, Castilla la Mancha, and Madrid),  turkey or duck (commonly prepared in Andalucía) and an enormous variety of seafood, including shrimp, lobster, crab and various types of fish such as hake, trout, sea bream, sea bass and salmon (common in many regions, but mostly on the coasts).  For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them are turrón and marzipan, desserts made of honey, egg and almonds that are Arabic in origin, as well as polvorones, delicious almond based biscuits and a variety of nuts and dried fruits.  To drink  -  a glass of cava, the Spanish equivalent of champagne.  After the meal, many Spaniards get their second wind and go to midnight mass, known as “La misa del Gallo”, or “Rooster Mass”, named such because the Rooster  is known as the first to announce the birth of Christ.

On Christmas day people spend time with their families, they eat another large meal, and children enjoy the gifts that they have received from “Papa Noel”, the Spanish equivalent of Santa Claus.  The custom of giving gifts on this date is not as popular as it is in many countries, as Spaniards traditionally wait until Three King’s Day to exchange gifts.

New Year’s Eve, or Nochevieja, in Spain, is quite an impressive spectacle.  In all plazas one can see a similar scene that includes church bells and grapes.   When the clock strikes 12, the church bells sound 12 times, and at this moment all Spaniards eat 12 grapes, one for each toll of the bell. This lively celebration will go on until the wee hours of the morning.

January 6 – Dia de Los Reyes in Spanish – is virtually as important as Christmas itself in Spain, especially for children, as this is the day when they get their presents! The fun starts the evening before, when the three kings Melchor, Gaspar, and Balthasar  lead their procession through the streets, throwing sweets to the children. The next morning, the children wake up to find their presents have been left

Everyone also eats Roscón, a sweet, donut-shaped bread (though much bigger than a donut) covered in glacier cherries and sugar, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the three kings. A plastic toy is buried inside the mixture, so don’t dive in too quickly. He or she who finds the toy gets good luck for the next year (double the luck if they also ate the grapes on New Year’s Eve!)

Merry Christmas from Gourmand Breaks in Spain!

Barcelona was chosen to celebrate the presentation party of the new Spain Michelin Guide 2012, which took place last night at the Palace in all its splendor.  The party continued at the bar “Rien de Rien” – a coincidence or a very appropriate joke under the circumstances? The closing of many restaurants, including El Bulli, resulted in the Michelin Guide Spain 2012 showing poorer results than ever this year. As expected, there is no new 3 star restaurant in Spain and Raco de Can Fabes in Sant Celoni has lost its 3^rd star following the sad death of Chef Santi Santamaria this year.  Together with the retirement of El Bulli from the Guide, which closed its doors last July, this leaves Michelin Guide Spain 2012 with just 5 three starred restaurants for the coming year, three in San Sebastian – Arzak, Akelare and Martin Berasategui and two in Catalonia – Celler de Can Roca and Sant Pau.  Xavier Pellicer, who is the leading chef at Can Fabes said that “the stars always belong to the chef and we are proud that we still have 2 stars and will work hard to recover the third star next year.”  Everything wasn’t bad news at the Michelin stars Spain 2012 announcement  – the very young chef Jordi Cruz (the youngest to obtain a Michelin star) has recovered the second star for Abac in Barcelona (lost last year after Xavier Pellicer left for Can Fabes);  the chef Quim Casellas of our beloved Restaurant Casamar in Llafranc has obtained his first star for the establishment which he runs together with his sister in their family hotel and which offers creative cuisine based on products from the immediate region.  Another of our favourite restaurants, Nerua in Bilbao at the Guggenheim Museum has gained their first Michelin star as well.  It’s a bit of a Michelin paradox, though,  that Chef Josean Martinez Alija, of Nerua, who has been one of the most revered avant garde chefs in the world for quite some years, only now has received his first star in the Michelin Guide Spain 2012. Some of the ever present candidates for a third star, Quique Dacosta ( of a restaurant of the same name in Denia)  y Andoni Luis Aduriz ( of Mugaritz restaurant at  Errenteria, the Basque Country)  are still waiting, whilst they receive the recognition of gastronomes all over the world, who place them in the highest position.

The list of Michelin starred restaurants in Spain for 2012 is as follows:

Michelin 3 star Spain 2012:

• Sant Pau (Carme Ruscalleda, Sant Pol de Mar, El Maresme, Barcelona)
• Arzak (Juan Mari Arzak, San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa)
• Akelarre (Pedro Subijana, San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa)
• Martin Berasategui (Martin Berasategui, Lasarte, Gipuzkoa)
• El Celler de Can Roca (Joan Roca, Girona)

Michelin 2 star Spain 2012: :

Newly granted:

• Abac (Jordi Cruz, Barcelona)
• Club Allard (Diego Guerrero, Madrid)
• Diverxo (David Muñoz, Madrid)

Existing:

• Mugaritz (Andoni Luis Aduriz, Renteria, Gipuzkoa)
• Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta, Denia, Alicante)
• Miramar (Paco Perez, Llança, Girona)
• Azurmendi (Eneko Atxa, Larrabetzu, Vizcaya)
• Freixa Ramon (Ramon Freixa, Madrid)
• Calima (Dani Garcia, Marbella, Málaga)
• Casa Marcial (Ignacio Manzano, Arriondas, Asturias)
• Lasarte (Martin Berasategui, Barcelona)
• Atrio (Cáceres)
• Sant Celoni (Oscar Velasco, Madrid)
• Sergi Arola Gastro (Sergi Arola, Madrid)
• La Terraza del Casino (Paco Roncero, Madrid)
• Les Cols (Olot, Girona)

Michelin 1 star Spain 2012: :

Newly granted:

• Casamar (Quim Casellas, Llafranc)
• Nerua – Guggenheim Bilbao (Josean Martínez Alija, Bilbao)
• Maralba (Almansa)
• Rodrigo de la Calle (Rodrigo de la Calle, Aranjuez)
• Choco (Cordoba)
• Marqués de Riscal (Francis Paniego, Elciego)
• Lillas Pastia (Carmelo Bosque, Huesca)
• Es Fum (Thomas Kahl, Palmanova)
• Jardin (Macarena de Castro. Port d’Alcudia)
• Annua (Oscar Calleja, San Vicente de la Barquera)
• Solana (Ignacio Solana, Ampuero)
• Casa Marcelo (Marcelo Tejedor, Santiago de Compostela)
• Silabario (Alberto Gonzalez, Tui)

Losing one star this year:

• Koldo Miranda (Koldo Miranda Avilés)
• Drolma (Fermi Puig, Barcelona)
• Lluçanès (Angel Pasqual, Barcelona)
• A Reixidora (Javier Gonzalez, Bentraces)
• Gadus (Thierry Enderlin, Cala d’Or)
• La Solana (Gonzalo Pañeda, Gijón)
• La Broche (Angel Palacios, Madrid)
• Café de Paris (Jose Carlos Garcia, Málaga)
• Tierra (Ismael Delgado, Torrico-Valdepalacios)
• Ramiro’s (Ramiro Ruiz, Valladolid)
• Ikea (Jose Ramon Berriozabal, Vitoria)

With many thanks to El Mundo for a fabulous photograph

The Spanish makers of extra virgin olive oil, Castillo de Canena, based in Canena (Jaén, Andalucia), have received yet another award, one more to add to the many they have received over recent years.  This one is just about the most prestigious yet!

In the 2012 edition of the  Flos Olei, the definitive Italian olive oil Guide headed up by Marco Oreggia, Castillo de Canena  receives an amazing 97 points out of a possible 100 – the highest number of points given to any of the 1000 olive oils reviewed.  Flos Olei, considered the olive oil equivalent of Robert Parker’s guide to the world of wine, had already awarded the Jaén based olive oil 96 points in its 2011 edition.

Marco Oreggia’s well known guide to the world’s best extra virgin oils has a very strict evaluation process, which is based on detailed tastings of oils produced in as many as 20 different countries.

How many people we wonder would love to cook like famed Spanish Chef Ferran Adria, but really wouldn’t dare.   Now comes your opportunity with a new Cookery Book just published, The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria. This book does not contain the spheroids, foams and complex cooking methods of El Bulli Restaurant methods, but is in fact a compilation of the restaurant’s ever thoughtful staff meals.  The recipes are very usable and include ingredients that are not only readily available, but consciously inexpensive, which can’t be a bad thing in these times of crisis. In Adria’s words, “At El Bulli we were 75 people between chefs and waiters and I have created cheap practical menús for everybody at 3 or 4 Euros per  menú that everyone will like and they are elaborated in half an hour – màximum 50 minutes…..my favourite dish from the book was noodles with mussels.”

Despite the fact that in our opinion the names of the recipes lose something in the translation from Spanish to English (they sound much more basic than they really are) for example, Rice in a rich sauce  with crab:Tomato and basil salad , coconut cake is one “menu” which is truly delicious but very cost conscious;  another “menu” is fried eggs with asparagus, chicken wings and fruit sangria – sound simple?   Yes, they are, but the recipes are designed to suit both the cookery beginner and those with considerably more experience behind them.

The book is emblazoned with absolutely super photography, each recipe including many instructional photographs – always a fantastic help! There is a photo gallery of key pieces of kitchen equipment used in the recipes; a list of all the spices used in the book. Tips to make the most of ingredients and buying tips to assist you in recognizing freshness. The cookery advice is to the point, but still has meticulous instructions, even if the advice simply covers poaching an egg.

In a recent interview with Adria in La Vanguardia, a prominent Spanish newspaper, he was asked if he ever cooks at home, to which his reply was, “The chef cooks at his restaurant, not at home.  I go to La Boqueria, I buy mushrooms, seafood, fish and cook it a la plancha or poach it and serve it with extra virgin olive oil – it is hardly Cooking!” We doubt very much that his home cookery is quite as simple as he claims!