Tag Archive for: spanish food

Tortilla de Patatas/Potato Omelet – Traditional Spanish Recipe

 “Tortilla de Patatas” Spanish Potato Omelet is the most common gastronomic specialty found throughout Spain. While there are numerous regional variations, the most common version is the one made with eggs, potatoes and onion.  Tortilla may be eaten hot or cold and is commonly served as a Pintxo or a Tapa.  (More about Pintxos and Tapas) .  This traditional Spanish recipe is quick and easy to make at home, and, it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

 

Ingredients for Tortilla de Patatas / Spanish Potato Omelet recipe Makes 16 tapa servings

  • 2 lbs/ 1 kg potatoes
  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped onion
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt

 

METHOD for Tortilla de Patatas / Spanish Potato Omelet recipe

Peel the potatoes and either slice them thinly or cut into dice.

Heat some oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the potatoes slowly until fork tender, about 30 minutes, adding the chopped onions towards the end. The potatoes should not brown.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt. Place a plate over the potatoes and tip out the excess oil. Combine the potatoes and onions with the beaten eggs.

Add some oil to the frying pan and pour in the mixture of eggs, potatoes and onions. Cook the omelet on a medium heat until set on one side. Shake the pan to keep it loosened on the bottom.

Place a plate on top of the pan. Hold it tightly and reverse the pan, so the tortilla turns out on the plate. If necessary, add additional oil to the pan.

Slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook on the reverse side. When the omelet has set, slide it out onto a serving plate.

Tastes great served with ‘Pan Con Tomate’ literally bread with tomato.  A tasty, and easy, accompaniment: After toasting the bread, rub a peeled garlic clove over the toast, usually half a clove is good for one slice of toast. Then, drizzle olive oil over the bread.  After the garlic and olive oil,  firmly rub half a tomato over the toast, making sure to squeeze out all the seeds, juice and pulp.

Learn to cook Spanish Omelet and similar typical Spanish dishes on our Cookery Tour in Northern Spain.  A fantastic private tour providing an insight into Spanish Food and Drink with some interesting visits to artisan producers and medieval villages, cooking lessons, authentic lunches, gourmet tastings and a guided tour of probably the best market in the World – La Boqueria, Barcelona.

All our Culinary Tours are exclusively private and can be adapted to suit your preferences.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

Pintxos and Tapas – Spanish Food & Culture

The difference between a Pintxo and a Tapa is complicated and depends largely on context and location in Spain. Which came first –  the Pintxo or the Tapa?  Did Pintxos originate in the Basque Country or were  Tapas invented in Andalucia and then perfected in San Sebastian?  The origin of these great Spanish bites is a little hazy, but what IS known is that all over Spain Pintxos and Tapas are a way of life,  Spanish culture at it’s very best!

 

‘Pintxo’ is the Basque word for the Spanish ‘Pincho’, which itself comes from the verb ‘Pinchar’, which means to pierce.  Pinchos are traditionally pierced with a cocktail stick, to attach the ingredients to the piece of bread they sit on. However, as Basque cuisine has evolved, the food is now less likely to be pierced to a piece of bread than before. Each bar is bursting with many different varieties and Spanish tradition suggests to have one or two pinchos with a glass, or two, of the best local Txakoli wine in one bar and move on to the next.  You can find places that serve up to 100 different pintxos at a time. They can be warm or cold, salty or sweet, and traditionally many pintxos come with seafood and goats cheese, although you will find a many combinations such as Tortilla de Patatas, eggs with tuna, croquets and even  mini hamburgers.

Pintxo etiquette, basically, is that you grab your plate and start loading onto it whatever tickles your taste-buds; it can be difficult because normally they all look so good and you want to try everything.  When you’re full and just can’t  manage one more bite the waiter will come to count the toothpicks that are left on your plate. The most common rule is that you pay per toothpick and because of this there is usually a standard price on all pintxos, no matter what they may contain.

Away from the Basque Country, you will find ‘Tapas’ the plural form of ‘Tapa’ which itself comes from the verb ‘Tapar’ meaning to cover.  In Barcelona, and Catalonia, you will however see the word ‘Tapes’ which is the Catalan equivalent for the Spanish ‘Tapas’.

In the old days Andalusian tavern dwellers used a small plate of food to cover their sherry from the fruit flies between sips, hence the connection with the verb ‘Tapar’.   Today, tapas hopping is part of Andalusian life and in Seville, for example, there are more than 4,000 tapas bars – roughly 1 for every 200 locals so you know they know what they’re talking about!  In the many foodie hot-spots you can try a variety of dishes that come freshly out of the kitchen. Plate after plate of hot and cold food appears on the bar to tempt your palate, so maybe try cold roasted pepper salad or anchovies in vinegar, a hot dish of meatballs in sauce or a slice of Potato Omelet.  In many cities in Spain, particularly Madrid and Barcelona, a large portion of, say, calamares, will be called a ‘ración’ and a quarter-size portion a ‘tapa’.

‘Pintxo’ or ‘Tapa’ ?  Oh! and, free or not free? These are the questions!

In the Basque Country, you are served ‘Pintxos’.  It is never written ‘Pinchos’ and they are never called ‘Tapas’.  Whether it is served pierced to a piece of bread with a cocktail stick or not (a plate of risotto is still a pintxo) you will always pay for your pintxo.

In Salamanca you are served ‘Pinchos’.  They are usually a piece of meat served on a piece of bread. Though not actually pierced with a stick, this is still close to the original idea of what a ‘Pincho’ is.  You will be served a pincho free of charge, to accompany your drink.

In Granada and Leon (and in some other nearby cities) as well as in some bars in Madrid, a small portion, whether served on bread or not, is a ‘Tapa’. It is free, when served with your drink.

In  Seville and parts of Andalusia, all small portions are called ‘Tapas’ and in Barcelona and Catalonia ‘Tapes’. They are not free.

Join the popular Spanish Tapas Hopping Culture on one of our Private Food and Wine Tours where you can hit the Foodie Hot-Spots in Madrid, San Sebastian, Seville or Barcelona with our local Officially Licensed Guides.

Turron, Traditional Spanish Recipe – An Original Gift

Turron is a typical Spanish, nougat style, delight available all over the Christmas period.  Turron flavors are diverse and there are many different varities including chocolate, truffle, lemon, cherry brandy, whiskey and so much more.   Many people gift turron to family, friends and neighbors, but this easy recipe for traditional Spanish Christmas Turron, including honey and almonds,  can be easily adapted with your favorite ingredients for an original gift this Christmas time.

Ingredients for Traditional Spanish Christmas Turron Recipe:

• 1 cup orange blossom honey
• 1 cup finely ground almonds
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 egg white, beaten stiff

Method for Traditional Spanish Christmas Turron Recipe:

Pour the honey into a saucepan and warm over a medium-low heat to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Stir the almonds into the warm honey and remove from the heat.

Mix the egg yolks, cinnamon, and lemon zest into the almonds. Fold the egg white into the mixture.

Line a dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and smooth to a 1/2-inch layer.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the mixture and then place a cutting board over the paper; place a few items on top of the cutting board to give it some weight.

Once your traditional Spanish  turron has been left to dry for 3 days – cut into 1-inch squares to serve.

This Spanish sweet delicacy is best accompanied with a glass of sweet fortified dessert wine such as Moscatel or even a sweet cava.

If you would like to learn to cook traditional and authentic Spanish recipes with a professional Spanish chef, our private Cooking Tours in Northern Spain will introduce you to the best of Spanish cuisine as well as a range of culinary delights such as Michelin starred dining, exquisite wine tastings and authentic gourmet tapas tours.

 

Spanish “Cannelloni” Canelones – A Traditional Recipe

This very popular Cannelloni dish appears all year round in Spain but “Canelones”, as they are called in Castellano Spanish, may well appear as a starter on special occasions, like Christmas Eve, when they may boast a more luxurious filling of prawns or lobster.   Not to be confused with the Italian Cannelloni which is made with minced meat, and resembles a bolognese sauce,  Spanish Canelones are most frequently enjoyed as the star dish on Boxing Day in Catalonia when they are normally stuffed with the roasted meat leftovers from the previous day.

Here’s a traditional recipe, for an all-round dish,  Spanish Canelones:

Ingredients for traditional Spanish Canelones recipe:

  • Approx. 20 squares of cannelloni pasta
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • ¼ lb ground veal
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 3 oz. Jamon Serrano or prosciutto, finely chopped
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus ¼ cup for topping
  • ½ oz. black truffle, very finely chopped
  • Pinch of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 egg, beaten

 

Béchamel sauce ingredients:

  • 4 cups of milk
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • ½ tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt

 

Method for traditional Spanish Canelones recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Add salt , and one by one add the pasta to the water, cooking until al dente, about 12-14 minutes. Drain the water, and move the pasta to a cheese cloth to cool off. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the butter on a high flame until it melts and becomes foamy. Add the veal and pork and cook on high until it is completely browned. Add the jamon, cooking until it softens. Drain the fat from the pan. Add the milk, flour and parmesan, combine well. Add the truffles, salt, pepper, nutmeg, combine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often. Take the pan off the heat, and let it cool. Stir in the egg.

Once the meat is cool enough to handle, evenly divide the mixture between the pasta. Put the mixture at one end, and roll the pasta up. (If you are using the pasta tubes, simply stuff them with the mixture.) Place the rolls in a 9 inch square baking dish, in a single layer. Cover with the Béchamel sauce (method below), and top with the remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling and the cheese is crispy and golden brown.

Béchamel sauce method for traditional Spanish Canelones recipe:

  • Heat the milk in a medium pan until almost boiling, being careful not to scorch the bottom.
  • Melt the butter in another medium saucepan.
  • Add the flour slowly, stirring out any lumps, until it is smooth.
  • Cook until it is a light golden color, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the hot milk to the butter pan, very slowly, rapidly whisking until smooth.
  • Add the salt pepper and nutmeg, continuing to whisk until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat.

 

Serve with fresh crusty bread.  Note that this pasta is also quite versatile with it’s filling, spinach and ricotta cheese being another favourite combination seen worldwide.

If you would like to learn how to cook traditional and authentic Spanish recipes with a professional Spanish chef, our private Cooking Tour in Northern Spain will introduce you to the best of Spanish cuisine as well as a range of culinary delights such as Michelin starred dining, exquisite wine tastings and authentic gourmet tapas tours.

 

Adiós Paella – Hello Traditional Spanish Fideua

Some people are just not into rice, so eating Paella in Spain can be a bit of a chore.  Don’t lose heart, there’s a new kid on the block, and in the constant meal ordering table battle of “Paella or Fideua?” this noodle sister is climbing up the ranking.   Try it out with this easy step-by-step Spanish Fideua recipe, to see for yourself why the long reigning Paella throne may need to be shared.

Ingredients for traditional Spanish Fideua Recipe:

  • 10 oz. fideos (or angel hair broken into 2″ pieces)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 12 small clams or mussels, scrubbed under cold water
  • 6 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 oz scallops (large ones cut into quarters, small ones cut in half or left whole)
  • 8 oz monkfish or other firm white fish, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
  • (up to) 3 cups fish or chicken stock or bottled clam broth, or as needed
  • 1/4 tsp saffron threads
  • salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

 

Method for traditional Spanish Fideua Recipe:

Scrub the clams under running water to remove grit and sand. Place in a bowl; cover with salted water; soak for 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Break the pasta into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

Toast saffron in a small skillet over medium heat for 1 minute, then set aside, ready to crumble into the fideua later.

Heat the oil in a paella pan or large 14″ skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat until soft and translucent but not brown, for about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the clams, shrimp, scallops and monkfish and sautée for 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups of fish stock with crumbled saffron and bring to the boil. Stir in the pasta and return to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cook, without stirring, over medium heat until the noodles are tender, about 20-25 minutes (discard any mussels or clams that do not open).

Preheat broiler. Brown the fideua briefly under the broiler, then cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle parsley over it, then serve your traditional Spanish Fideua directly from the pan at table.

Serves 4.

Ideally serve with Allioli (pure garlic mayonnaise) and a chilled Spanish White  Albariño, Verdejo de Rueda, or Chardonnay, or maybe even a Brut Reserva Cava or a fresh Rosé.

On a Gourmand Breaks Private Culinary Tour we frequently prepare traditional Spanish Fideua, and other delicious local dishes, as an original alternative to the well-known Paella.

Spanish chefs, in the last few years, have brought Spanish cuisine up to the mark with an abundance of Michelin stars flying around.  So, if you would like to learn how to cook like a professional then Spain is your destination, with all it’s wonderfully fresh and diverse ingredients, it’s the best place to learn! Contact us  for more information and to request a quote!

Seasonal Spanish Recipe – Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms

Traditional Spanish Recipe – Scrambled Eggs with Wild Mushrooms

Rovellons

As mushroom season hits Spain once again, wild mushrooms are in fashion!  Following on from our recent blog post  Mushroom Hunting In Spain, here is a traditional Spanish recipe for a very simple and tasty breakfast or starter dish.

The proportions below serve two for breakfast, with a side-by-side presentation featuring the mushrooms (we are using Rovellons) and eggs as separate flavors.  However, this traditional Spanish recipe is really quite versatile and can include any edible wild mushroom type and be assembled as scrambled eggs,  “remenat de bolets” in Catalan,  or as an omelet.  What’s more, with more cream or half-and-half and by doubling the quantities, it can also be converted into a quiche filling or a frittata.  Here is the basic recipe, the interpretation of it is up to you.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for traditional Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms recipe:

  • 2 cups Rovellons (Lactarius deliciosus) cleaned and coarsely chopped
  • 1 small clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 T. olive oil
  • 2 T. flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 T. good dry sherry
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 T. cream or half-and-half
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh parsley to decorate, chopped

 

Method for traditional Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms recipe:

Beat egg, cream, and salt and pepper. Set aside. Heat 2 T. of olive oil in skillet and saute mushrooms, onions, and garlic over a medium-low heat until the mushrooms are cooked and the liquid has evaporated. Add sherry, salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking and stirring until liquid has condensed into a sauce.  Remove mushroom mixture and keep warm. Clean and reheat skillet. Add and heat remaining oil, then pour beaten eggs into skillet. Stir with wooden spoon periodically until the eggs are cooked soft. Place the scrambled eggs on one side of a serving platter and place the mushroom mixture on the other side. Sprinkle parsley over all and serve.

Presentation ideas: for traditional Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms recipe:

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms

Mixed together for a tasty breakfast or starter

Mushroom Scrambled Egg Tapa

Served on a slice of crusty bread as an appetizer

 

Perhaps you would like to learn how to cook delicious Spanish delicacies, such as this, on one of our Private Customized Culinary Tours.

If you are in Barcelona on one of our tours we can include a private guided visit to the wonderful La Boqueria Market to see the infinite selection of Spanish mushrooms available!  On our autumn visits here we stop at the famous Llorenç Pelras stall to buy rovellons.

Alternatively,  hunt for your own wild mushrooms on our Mushroom Hunting Getaway Tour.

Spanish Iberian Ham

Iberian pigs in la Dehesa

If there’s one thing you’ll learn for certain as you browse cafes, fine dining establishments and the plates of all the natives around you, it’s that Spaniards are proud of their ham, or jamón iberico. With one taste of this rich specialty, you’ll already know why, but a little background on what makes it so special will further astound you. Instead of being crowded into dirty farms, the pigs that make jamón iberico are raised free range in a forest called a dehesa where there is about one hectare of space for each pig there. These forests, which take up 2 million hectares of land in Spain, is full of ancient oak trees with pastures that have have been kept clear and intact by workers for centuries also. The pigs only graze on fresh acorns, or bellotas, dropping from the trees and the fresh herbs growing around it. So much of their diet is made up of acorns, in fact, that some studies have shown jamón iberico has much more of the healthy kind of fat found in nuts than unhealthy saturated fat. Nutritionist Grande Covián even called the Iberian pig “an olive tree with four legs.” Read more

Forum Gastronomic Girona 2013

forum gastronomic girona 2013

These days, we attended our February date with the Forum Gastronomic  here in Girona – a fascinating event  dedicated to professionals in the world of gastronomy and  one of the pioneering culinary conferences in Europe. The Forum Gastronomic has consolidated as a must for foodservice  professionals who want to swap information about trends Read more

Traditional Spanish Style Calçots

calçots

It’s February, which means Calçotada season here in northern Spain! Eating these delicacies is a messy affair, so best enjoyed outside in the open air – perfect for Covid times!

 

What is a calçot?

The glorious calçot, one of Catalonia’s local delicacies, is similar to a leek or spring onion & very tasty when barbecued, often times accompanied with Romesco sauce. They’ve become such a beloved staple of local cuisine that they’ve earned a Protected Geographic Indication label from the European Union!

 

How to best cook calçots…

When in Spain you will buy calçots in a large bundle. No need to clean them, they will be well cleaned by the heat of the barbecue flames – because flames are essential when cooking calçots properly. Place them in a row on the grill and turn them every few minutes until they are blackened all over apart from the green stalk.  You will know when your calçots are ready, when a little of their juice starts to bubble from their blackened roots. Whip them off the barbecue and wrap them in several layers of newspaper. The newspaper allows them to steam a little as they cool, so that the outer leaves come off easily for eating.

 

How to eat calçots

Peel off the blackened outer layer, then dip the inner part in Romesco sauce. Romesco sauce is a spicy tomato-based garlicky sauce; which is perfect when matched with the subtle taste of calçots. Lift the calçot above your head so it hangs down vertically, tip your head back and lower the calçot into your mouth. Be warned that this is a pretty messy business!

If you are interested in learning more about traditional Spanish foods, we offer private cooking classes as well as the opportunity to enjoy eating many delicious local dishes. Our TOUR NAME gives you the opportunity to indulge in all kinds of local Spanish flavours and a chance to experience Gourmet cooking classes with professional local chefs – in true Catalan style!

 

Our Essential Guide to Pinchos in San Sebastian

The traditional “pintxos crawl,” moving from bar to bar: tasting, drinking and socializing is nowhere more prevalent as a way of life than in San Sebastian, where pintxos are ingrained in the city’s culinary history. These ´pintxos´consist of small bite size tapas, usually ‘spiked’ with a skewer or toothpick, often onto a piece of bread. As a result of the evolution of these wonderful creations by some of Spain´s top chefs, San Sebastian is currently the world’s most exciting culinary destination, and whats more, it holds more Michelin stars per capita than anywhere else.

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