Arroz Negro from Valencia - Black Paella
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Spain, known for its vibrant culture, beautiful architecture, and rich history, is also home to a culinary treasure trove that's deserving of as much recognition and adulation - Spanish cuisine. At the heart of this gastronomic feast, is the delicious, tantalizing, and ever so unique 'Arroz Negro' or Black Rice.
This dish, despite its slightly ominous name, is a party of flavours and textures. It is a canvas on which the cook paints with luminous sepia ink, a rich seafood broth and a medley of fragrant spices. In short, this is a recipe that encapsulates the zest and charm of Spanish coastal gastronomy.
Arroz Negro, or black rice, hails from the beautiful seaside territories of Valencia. Predominantly a rice- and seafood-based dish, black rice earns its moniker not from the hue of the rice, but from the use of squid or cuttlefish ink, which lends the dish its characteristic dark colour. This delightful gastronomic marvel is primarily found along the coastal regions of Spain, but has quickly found itself adorning plates and pleasing palates globally.
Ingredients
To embark on this recipe to create Arroz Negro, the following ingredients are needed:
-
300g of Bomba rice.
-
200g of cleaned baby squid and 150g of peeled king prawns
-
1 litre of fish or shellfish stock/fumet - I prefer shellfish (You can buy ready-made or make it fresh)
-
2 sachets of squid ink
-
1 large onion, finely chopped
-
3 cloves of garlic, minced
-
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
-
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
-
Spanish olive oil
-
Salt and pepper to taste
This recipe serves approximately 4 people.
A Friendly Note:
While squid ink is a key ingredient in this recipe and imparts a truly unique flavour, it can be difficult to find in local markets outside Spain. You could explore online options or speciality stores for availability. However, in Spain, you will find it in the frozen fish section of most supermarkets, at least in Valencia.
Step by Step Instructions
Heat a wide, flat-bottomed pan, ideally a paella pan, and add some Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Once heated, add the finely chopped onion and red bell pepper, and sauté until they soften.
Next, stir in the minced garlic and cook until everything is beautifully golden and aromatic. Add the chopped tomatoes, and continue to cook until the tomatoes are softened. Once the tomatoes have reduced, add some water and reduce once again. Repeat this three times.
Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat the shellfish stock until it's simmering. You will need this warmed later.
Returning to your sauteé, it's now time to add your cleaned squid. Cook it for a few minutes until it changes colour. Next, stir in the squid ink, ensuring that it's mixed in thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients. The pan will now showcase a symphony of dark hues.
Now, add the rice to the pan, and stir well to distribute the squid ink evenly. Pour over your simmering shellfish stock, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, on high heat for 5 minutes then reduce to lower heat for a further 13 minutes until the rice is cooked and all the stock has evaporated, but it should still retain a bite - almost al dente.
During the last 8 minutes or so add the raw prawns to the paella - make sure you still have some stock above the surface of the rice.
Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, this allows all the flavours to meld together and for the rice to finish cooking through. It does take a bit of practice so if it doesn't work out the first time, keep trying! Try to use Arroz Bomba, it will be more forgiving on the cooking times!
This hearty dish, although distinct and layered with complex flavours, is fairly simple to create. It encapsulates the beauty of Spanish cooking – the use of straightforward yet flavourful ingredients to create something memorable.
Whether you're a seasoned chef or a home cook, there is always a joy that comes with the unveiling of a dish like Arroz Negro. Cooking, after all, is not just about feeding our bodies, but also wowing our senses.
Arroz Nego is served with Allioli - garlic mayonnaise - click here to learn how to make it.
Pair it with a glass of white Spanish Albariño white wine for a truly ethereal gastronomic exploration!
Enjoy your culinary journey, and remember — the beauty of cooking lies as much in the process as it does in the final dish!
¡Buen Provecho!"
1
Like
Published at 9:50 AM Comments (1)
Cider Chorizo - Spanish Tapas
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Asturias is a breathtaking part of Spain and is mainly known for its impressive landscapes of stunning natural beauty. The high mountains roll down to meet the sea and form a dramatic coastline. However, Asturias is also well known for its vast orchards and its centenary expertise in making some of the world’s best cider. One of the main ingredients in this recipe. The cider from Asturias is natural, bubble-free, cloudy and above all dry. It is an apple cider that goes magnificently well with the local fresh "non-cured" smoked chorizo (at most semi-cured) to bring this Spanish masterpiece to life, a treat for anyone's palate.
Chorizo a la Sidra, is a simple yet delectable delicacy that has won over palates both locally and across the globe. The dish's charm lies in its simplicity: chorizo sausage cooked in cider, combining the meaty, spicy flavours of the sausage with the sweet, tangy essence of cider. It's a perfect example of how a handful of quality ingredients can create a dish far greater than the sum of its parts. Whether you're in Spain or on the opposite side of the world, this recipe will help you bring a taste of Asturias into your home using ingredients that are locally sourced wherever possible.
Ingredients
-
Chorizo: In Spain, fresh chorizo is widely available, seasoned with garlic and pimentón (Spanish paprika) which gives it its characteristic flavour and colour. Ideally, use Asturian Chorizo which offers the best texture and flavour for this dish (readily available in Mercadona and Consum). For those outside of Spain, look for a fresh Spanish-style chorizo at speciality stores, or choose a fresh, spicy sausage available in your local market as a substitute.
-
Cider: Asturian cider, known as 'sidra', is traditionally used in this dish. It's a still, natural cider that's less sweet and more acidic than most commercial ciders available internationally. Outside of Spain, seek out a dry, natural cider to come closest to the traditional taste. Avoid overly sweet or flavoured ciders as they can alter the authentic flavour of the dish.
Instructions
-
Gather Your Ingredients: Purchase fresh chorizo and natural Asturian cider from your local market. A couple of bay leaves are also necessary to round off the flavours with the garlic.
-
Prepare the Chorizo: Prick the chorizo sausages with a fork. This allows the cider to penetrate the sausage and mix with its fats and spices. Don't chop it up!
-
Cook the Chorizo: In a large saucepan or earthenware dish, add the chorizos and enough cider to cover them. Add the bay leaves and the garlic. Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the sausages occasionally to ensure they cook evenly.
-
Making the sauce: Once the chorizos are cooked, remove them and place to one side. Then reduce the liquid in the saucepan until you are left with a thin sauce, but be careful not to reduce it too much or you will just be left with the fat released from the chorizo.
-
Serve Warm: Once the chorizo is cooked through and the cider broth has reduced, creating a flavourful sauce, it's time to serve. Slice the chorizo into bite-sized pieces, place in an earthenware dish and pour over the sauce. Accompany with plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious cider sauce.
Here is a video that shows the steps perfectly :
Serving Suggestions
Chorizo a la Sidra is traditionally enjoyed as a "tapas" dish, served in small portions that are perfect for sharing. It pairs wonderfully with a glass of crisp, cool cider, echoing the flavours used in cooking. A side of Spanish tortilla or a simple salad can round out the meal for those seeking a fuller dining experience.
Chorizo a la Sidra is a testament to the power of simple Spanish cooking, demonstrating that quality ingredients, treated with respect, can create a dish that transcends borders.
Whether you're cooking in Spain with the luxury of local Asturian ingredients or adapting the dish to suit your local market abroad, the essence of this Asturian favourite can be captured and savoured. So, gather your ingredients and give it a go!
2
Like
Published at 11:09 AM Comments (4)
The Perfect Fried Egg
Saturday, February 17, 2024
While there are a number of ways to fry an egg, from sunny-side-up to over-easy, one method, in particular, is in my opinion, the very best way to go about it.
It’s the way it's done in Spain, and it’s something you should try immediately if you haven't already!
Spanish fried eggs - huevos fritos, are as decadent as fried eggs come. It’s an egg fried very quickly in very, very hot olive oil. Instead of using just a little bit of olive oil or just a non-stick pan, they’re fried in a very generous amount of olive oil (extra virgin please) — and they’re basted in the oil while they cook. The result is a fried egg with a seriously crispy yet delicate white that crunches, with lacy edges and a perfectly just-set yolk that practically melts in your mouth. Perfection. It turns egg frying into an art form.
To prepare this Spanish delight, pour about 1/4-inch (deep) of olive oil into a small, but deep frying pan. Heat it over medium-high heat until it’s extremely hot about 185ºC use a thermometer if you can. Crack 1 egg into a small saucer or small bowl. When the oil is hot, carefully slip the egg in and reduce the heat to medium. Then spoon some of the oil over the egg as it cooks, either with a spoon or a slotted spoon. This will help to speed up the cooking of the egg white on the upper side without having to wait and overcook the yolk as a result. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon after no more than 1 1/2 minutes (when the white puffs up and becomes crispy and golden-brown around the edges, and when the yolk is still wobbly). Be very careful that the slotted spoon doesn't stick to the egg and ruin everything! To avoid this soak the spoon in the hot oil before adding the egg this will even out the temperature between the spoon and the egg. When ready, serve immediately, sprinkle with a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. And of course, always serve with a side of bread. It is unthinkable to serve eggs without bread in Spain. It just simply isn’t done.
Here is a video I found that demonstrates it very well!
Enjoy!
1
Like
Published at 1:07 PM Comments (1)
Platos de Cuchara - Lentejas con Chorizo
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Spain's rich culinary landscape has been attracting food enthusiasts from around the globe for generations. Among the variety of traditional dishes that grace the Spanish table, Lentejas con Chorizo, a delightful combination of lentils and chorizo sausage, reigns supreme. It is undoubtedly one of the easiest 'platos de cuchara' you can make.
This dish, with its humble origins and bold flavour, is a testament to the Spanish approach to cooking: simple quality ingredients, resulting in dishes that are greater than the sum of their parts. If you’ve never cooked Spanish food before, Lentejas con Chorizo is a great place to start. All ingredients are readily available in most supermarkets in the UK and of course, in Spain, there are no issues. If you can't find the brown Pardina Spanish lentils, you can also use small green lentils.
The Origins of Lentajas Con Chorizo
The hearty meal of Lentajas con Chorizo finds its core origins in Spanish rural cuisine. As with many traditional dishes worldwide, it began as a way for peasants to prepare something nutritious and tasty with the few ingredients they had at their disposal.
Lentils were an integral part of the Spanish diet due to their high nutritional value and long shelf life. Similarly, chorizo, a Spanish sausage known for its rich, smoky flavour and striking red colour from the local smoked paprika or 'pimentón', was a staple food item in many Spanish households. Over generations, these simple, accessible ingredients were married together to create the hearty, flavourful dish that we enjoy today.
Gathering the Ingredients
Before you get started, it's essential to gather all the necessary ingredients. Here is what you'll need:
-
2 cups of lentils (soaked overnight)
-
1 large brown onion, diced
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
200g chorizo, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
-
100g pancetta diced
-
1 bell pepper, diced
-
2 carrots, diced
-
1 large tomato, diced
-
2 potatoes, diced
-
4 cups chicken stock
-
2 bay leaves
-
1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
-
Salt and pepper to taste
-
EV Olive oil for sautéing
Add a glass of red Spanish wine and crusty bread on the side for serving, and you have a veritable feast awaiting you.
Cooking Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients
Begin by preparing your ingredients. Make sure all your vegetables are diced, the garlic minced, and the chorizo sliced. Easy access to pre-prepped ingredients makes the cooking process smoother.
Step 2: Begin Sautéing
In a large pot, heat up some olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, toss in your diced onion and minced garlic. Stir often until they become fragrant and the onion turns translucent.
Step 3: Add the Chorizo and the pancetta
Add the pancetta first and fry for a minute or so until cooked. Next, it's time for the highlight of the dish - the chorizo. Add your sliced sausages to the pot, cooking them briefly until they start releasing their flavorful oils.
Step 4: The Vegetable Medley
Then, introduce the bell pepper, carrots, tomatoes, and potatoes to your sauté. Continue to cook these for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Lentils and Spices
Now, add the star of the show - the lentils. Also, add the bay leaves, paprika, and chicken stock or water. Stir until everything is well mixed.
Step 6: Let It Simmer
Lower the heat, cover your pot, and let it simmer for about 40-45 minutes, or until the lentils and potatoes are cooked to your preferred tenderness. Remember to stir occasionally, and add more stock or water if needed.
Step 7: Season and Serve
Finally, season your dish with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves, ladle your Lentajas con Chorizo into bowls, and serve hot with your Spanish wine and crusty bread.
With these step-by-step instructions, you can bring the taste and tradition of Spain into your kitchen. Whether you're a seasoned cook looking to expand your repertoire or a beginner eager to delve into Spanish cuisine, Lentajas con Chorizo is a simple fool-proof dish for anyone to master.
Enjoy!
1
Like
Published at 10:03 AM Comments (0)
Platos de Cuchara - Fabada
Saturday, January 27, 2024
The Spanish love their "platos de cuchara". It is a fundamental part of the national gastronomy wherever you are in the country and a way of eating that defines real homemade hearty food in Spain.
During the autumn and winter seasons, it will dominate the first course of any "menu del dia". Lentils and chorizo, Cocido (chicken, meat and vegetable stew), Chickpeas and Spinach, meat stews, rice soups and the recipe we will be looking at today, Fabada, are some of the dishes that will be appearing on menus across the country.
Basically, when they say "Plato de Cuchara" they are referring to the fact that you will need a spoon to eat it and bread to dunk in it! So, the season is here and the temperatures are dropping and a hot, filling dish is more appetising than ever, as is dunking crusty bread into a delicious broth.
Fabada Asturiana or simply fabada as it is more commonly known was logically from the northern Spanish region of Asturias. However, like many other dishes, it soon spread all over Spain and is recognised as one of the classic Spanish dishes.
Fabada is made with "fabes" (white beans in Asturian), several types of sausage and pork (chorizo, black pudding, bacon), as well as spices such as saffron and bay leaves occasionally. These extra ingredients are often referred to as the 'compango'.
Records referring to "fabes" go back as far as the 16th century, though its consumption was probably earlier than that. Like many other examples of Spanish food, fabada asturiana has rather humble origins as it was the poorer people who would mix fabes with any meat leftovers that they had from other dishes.
Some historians claim that the fabada recipe already existed in the 17th century, however, there are no documents that confirm this theory. Even though fabes is mainly a rural ingredient, and was cultivated in large quantities, it is believed that the dish itself was actually established in the poorer city neighbourhoods.
Some say it is similar to cassoulet from Languedoc in France that likely entered Spain thanks to the French who took the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James) during the middle ages when french pilgrims stayed at cities and towns along the way possibly sharing their recipes. However, the first written references for Fabada date back to 1884. Whatever the origin, it won't affect how you are going to love this dish.
Fabada is really easy to make, it's cheap and all the ingredients are readily available in all Spanish supermarkets. It is an ideal meal for large family gatherings.... even though they aren't possible right now due to the current coronavirus. Really, it only requires one major skill - patience.....So let's crack on and see how to prepare it...
Ingredients (4-5 portions):
500 grams of large white beans (dried)
250 of cured pancetta or streaky bacon
2 chorizos from Asturias
2 morcilla from Asturias - blood sausages
200 grams of cured ham bone - "hueso de jamon"
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 strands of saffron...more or less
Water
Salt
1. Wash the beans under running cold water and let them drain. Soak them in a bowl of water (they should be completely covered) the night before. Ideally, they should be hydrating for at least 12 hours.
2. Some use the same water to cook the beans, but ideally, I would drain them completely and use freshwater. In a wide casserole pot, add the beans and water until they are well covered, leaving at least 2-3 fingers of water on top.
3. Put the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. When that happens, you will see that a lot of foam rise to the surface, drain all that water and refill with fresh water. This simple trick of changing the water will not only help the flavour but it will also help to reduce what is referred to as the "music of the fabada" - that is, the possible subsequent flatulence, which although we do not like to talk about it, is always an inconvenience.
4. Put the pot back over the heat and let it continue to froth (removing the foam every time it appears). When it starts to boil again with finally no froth appearing, add the "compango": the black pudding, the bacon/pancetta and the chorizo.
5. Add the garlic and the peeled onion and reduce the heat almost to a minimum and simmer. Stir them gently from time to time, better with a wooden spoon, and be careful not to break the beans. Now is also the time to add the saffron - add the strands to a tablespoon of boiling water and stir it well before adding it to the broth.
6. When it has been cooking for an hour, you should "scare" the beans - this is an Asturian expression which means pouring half a glass of cold water over the beans to quickly bring down the temperature helping them cook further without overdoing it. Repeat the same process after they have been cooking for 2 hours.
7. Add a little salt and taste the broth. Try not to overdo it, as the sausages will slowly give off flavour, and you can always rectify with salt at the last minute.
After 3 hours of cooking, they should be ready. Taste a bean to make sure it is tender, and add salt if necessary. Don't be in a hurry, if it needs more cooking time, take it, your palate will thank you for it.
8. Once they are ready, remove the pan from the heat. Of course, the resting time is very important. Let them rest for at least an hour, although there are those who traditionally let them rest from one day to the next (let it cool down and then place in the fridge overnight). This will make the broth even creamier and tastier, a real treat to your senses. If you can, I do recommend it.
9. If you don't have much time to let them rest or if the broth has become too liquid, you can drain off a few beans, crush them and put them back in to give it more consistency, this way the starch will help thicken up the broth.
10. Remove the compango and place it on a separate plate or platter, and cut it so that there is one piece of each type for each person. Serve the beans in a deep dish and cover completely with broth, and add to each plate a piece of bacon, a piece of blood sausage and a piece of chorizo. The onion is normally not served, although if someone wants to eat it, go ahead!
11. Serve them warm and enjoy that creamy broth, but above all, do not forget to dunk your bread!
Enjoy!
4
Like
Published at 10:44 AM Comments (1)
Visit El Puig on 28th January - Fiesta Sant Pere
Saturday, January 13, 2024
‘L’arròs amb fesols i naps’ is a well-known Valencian dish also known as “Caldera”, ‘Olla de San Antón’ ò “Olla Pobre” (poor man’s pot). Whichever way you call it, it is a fantastic dish, which is ever so easy to make. Commonly made all around the Valencian Community during village festivities it is on a par with Paella when it comes to feeding large crowds. Traditionally made in tall cauldron pots, it can be just as easily made at home in a large casserole pot.
In the Valencian village of El Puig de Santa Maria, cooking rice in the town square has become a yearly tradition as it marks one of the highlights of their patron saint festivities - feeding the village. San Pere is a rather unusual festivities with numerous spectacles - apart from enjoying a hot plate of hearty rustic food - they also have the rather unusual tradition of throwing rats around the town square, yes! Rats! Fortunately, it is not on the same day so there is no chance of a stray rodent flying into the cooking pots! San Pere is celebrated on the last Sunday of January each year, this year it falls on the 28th.
Usually cooked over a log fire made with orange tree wood, it is custom to prepare this on the day of the villages’ patron saint and a plate is handed out to anyone who wants one. It is not unusual to see Falleros preparing it during the Fallas festivities too.
In English, we would call it ‘Rice with beans and swede’ although it does have some meat in it as well. The basic ingredients include pork (ear, snout, trotters, nowadays some lean pork is included and sometimes bacon), white sausage, onion morcillas, white beans, swedes (also known as yellow turnip), and edible cardoon, round Valencian rice, paprika and salt. As with many dishes born out of poverty, this one is no different, nowadays it isn’t unusual to find versions which substitute some of the cheaper cuts of pork for beef or lamb which also reduces the fat content and calorie count! Additionally, other areas such as L’Horta near the camp de Turia will substitute the white beans for garrafón, the large flat bean used in paellas. However, in all cases the essential ingredient that always characterises the flavour of this dish is swede, which gives a lovely sweet touch to the broth.
This rice broth or ‘arroz caldoso’ as we would call it is without a doubt the most widely established dish in the Valencian Community especially this time of year. It is, after the paella, probably the most popular rice dish for the locals and still greatly unknown by foreigners but the ritual behind this recipe does stir up a lot of curiosity. It is enjoyed throughout the L'Horta Nord (the northern region of Valencia famous for its vegetable fields)
In Vinalesa, a village in L’horta Nord they prepare their version of this dish on the 13 and 14 of October during their annual festivities. It is a recipe that is traditionally cooked by men, as with paella, in fact in Spain, men normally prepare any recipe that involves firewood. It’s sort of like the caveman syndrome. If it needs fire it’s a man’s job if it needs sweat, it for the women, that’s why the women the day before have to peel all the vegetables and are known as the ‘peladores’ or ‘the peelers’ while the men cut up the meat and prepare the wood. It’s kind of like a barbecue back home; it’s a man’s thing isn’t it? Nonetheless, all are happy and a huge quantity of food is prepared and given out to all the village.
In Godella, the Clavarios de San Antonio prepare this rice dish, en Masalfasar they also make this dish for the day of San Anton which has just past and they call it Poorman’s Pot: ‘Olla Pobre’. In Almàssera they call it ‘Caldera’, en Estivella they prepare it for the day of San Blas, en Alaquas they celebrate ‘El Porrat’ en honour of San Francisco de Paula on the 23rd of March and hand out this dish to anyone who happens to pass by. In Foios, Villarmarxante, Olocao and practically every other village in the community will have a special day for preparing this rice broth. It is unique and well worth trying. After the paella, it doesn’t get much more Valencian.
Here is the basic recipe for 6 people :
300g Round Rice from Valencia
300g White Beans (soaked in water overnight)
300g Pork pieces (ears & snout)
300g Lean Beef in 3 large pieces
1 Pig’s tail cut into pieces
3 Pigs trotters cut into pieces
200g Pork Pancetta / un-smoked bacon
2 Onion Morcilla
1 Large White sausage – Blanquet
3 Medium-sized swedes
2 sticks of edible cardoon
3 medium-sized Potatoes
2 tsp. Paprika (de la Vera)
Saffron
Salt
The process is really very simple. Fill a large deep stew pot with 3 litres of water. It should fill the pot to about ¾’s of its maximum volume. Start to heat up the water on a medium heat with a large pinch of salt.
Once the water is hot, add all the meat to the water, cut it up previous into manageable pieces, but not too small so they are easy to remove afterwards if you don’t want to eat them. I am not a great fan of ears, snout or trotters, so I just use them for flavour and separate them afterwards. I prefer the beef and pancetta with the morcillas and the white sausage. It is important to remember to create a cross on either end of the morcillas with toothpicks otherwise they will disintegrate in the broth. Once all the meat is in, let it cook for an hour or so.
Now you will need to add the swedes and the cardoon. Don’t chop the swedes up too small; they should be in medium-sized chunks/pieces. Let it cook on low heat for another hour.
Now we will add a pinch of saffron and the paprika. Remember we should always cook the paprika before adding it to any dish, so get a small frying pan and add a little extra virgin olive oil, heat up the oil and add the paprika, stir it and fry it for a few seconds and then add a ladle of stock to the pan from the pot, stir around and pour it all back into the stew pot and mix in.
Now we need to add the potatoes and the beans. Cut the potatoes into medium-sized chunks. After 10 minutes we will need to add the rice but check for salt before doing so. Once the rice has been added stir in and cook(simmer) for a further 15 minutes and then remove from the heat. If the rice is still a little tough it will continue cooking in the stock so don’t worry.
That’s it. Serve up in a bowl or deep plate with a mixed salad and fresh crusty bread with a glass of red wine. It is also customary to eat this with raw sweet onion cut into pieces and sprinkled onto the plate. Then again if you find this too complicated and happen to be within driving distance of El Puig, why not pop along on Sunday 29th and get a plate from the experts?
ENJOY!
http://www.elpuigturistico.net/puig/Web_php/index.php
2
Like
Published at 9:26 AM Comments (0)
Lobster Rice Caldoso - Just in time for Christmas
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Christmas is almost here and seafood will undoubtedly be on the menu in Spain, so if you fancy preparing something a little different “ arroz caldoso de Bogavante” could be a special alternative.
To be honest it is quite confusing to give a decent translation for this dish, yes, it is Lobster Rice but it is not dry like paella is, it is cooked so that the lobster and the rice are left with a reasonable amount of broth or seafood stock making it almost soupy without being a soup! It is in essence a rice stew: a combination of solid food ingredients (lobster and rice) that have been cooked in liquid (seafood fumée) and served in the resultant gravy - according to the dictionary! However, one thing I can assure you is that this is one special stew!
I’ve cooked many rice dishes over the years and untold “calderetas” (stews) so the techniques are straightforward, it has always been the fact that I knew I would have to kill the lobster while it is still alive that always held me back. However, I figured it was time to tackle this dish once and for all.
When making a Lobster Stew you need to chop up the lobster while it is still alive so the meat doesn’t toughen. So be prepared for this! In reality, it is a very easy dish to make but the real secret is in the seafood stock, which must be prepared beforehand. It is the same stock you would use for seafood paella, so that was one of my specialities. In fact, the recipe is exactly the same for a Lobster paella only we would use less stock and let it dry out.
So, off I went to stock up on ingredients and there are quite a few, even though it is a rather simple recipe, the one I made was for 4 hungry adults, so adjusted the ingredients accordingly. (five could eat easily from this recipe, though). I might add that if you decide to go ahead and try the dish you could buy the ingredients frozen ahead of time as prices will soar the closer it gets to Christmas. The results will still be very good, although live lobster is always much better. You decide...
For the Seafood Fumée (stock) you will need the following:
400g of small raw unpeeled prawns/shrimps (Gambas arroceras or Gamba blanca)
500g of raw unpeeled “langoustine/scampi/Norway lobster/Dublin Bay prawn” (whatever you want to call it! In Spanish: Cigalas)
400g of Mantis Shrimps that look like aliens but are just for flavour! (Galeras)
4 large Scarlet (Cardinal) prawns - (Carabineros in Spain) – these are quite pricey so you can omit them if you want, but if you want a no-holds-barred stock, I highly recommend them, they are intense in flavour.
600g of white fish bones with head, such as hake or monkfish which are very flavourful.
2 tbsp Fresh chopped parsley
1 large onion chopped into quarters
2 peeled cloves of garlic (whole)
100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Picual variety
50ml Brandy ó Cognac (sherry will do as well)
50ml White wine (preferably Albariño)
1 tbsp Paprika
2,5 litres of water approx.
Salt
Scampi / Cigalas
Carabineros / Scarlet or Cardinal Prawns
The first thing we do is peel the prawns, langoustines and carabineros, putting the meat from the tail to one side and reserving the heads and the shells. The meat we will add with the lobster, later. It is a waste to use it in the stock as the real flavour comes from the heads and the shells. I don’t peel the mantis prawns because it’s such an ordeal and they don’t tend to have much meat in them.
Then we place all the heads, shells and mantis prawns in a large deep saucepan on high heat, as this is where we will make the stock. Pour in the olive oil, I recommend using a Picual variety as we are heating to high temperatures at first and this will withstand the heat better. When I made this recipe I used “Oro Bailen” which is available in most supermarkets and a very good olive oil for the price.
We cook the shells and heads for about five minutes until they have all changed colour and start to brown a very little, you will experience a fantastic smell as you are doing this, of sweet seafood. Then we add the cognac or brandy, and flambé the shells, to burn off the alcohol. If you use Brandy you can’t flambé it, so don’t worry the alcohol will evaporate as the cooking proceeds.
Add the wine and stir for about 2 minutes then add the paprika, stir it around and add half a litre of water immediately so the paprika doesn’t burn. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Next, we need to get a hand blender and blend in all the heads and shells with the stock. Do this in short actions, we don’t want all the shells to disintegrate into tiny pieces we just want to break them all up into small pieces so that they release every ounce of their flavour, we’ll pass it through a sieve later. Now drop in the quartered onion, the cloves of garlic and the fresh parsley, add the fish head and bones and add the rest of the water.
We want to end up with 1,5 litres of concentrated stock at the end of all this so, add a litre first and that will give you a guide as to the minimum amount we will need once we’ve reduced the stock. Let the stock simmer for a minimum of 1 hour until all the fish bones have separated and any meat that was there has fallen off, skim the foam off the top as needed.
Now we pass all the stock through a sieve to remove the bones and the broken shells. I suggest you pass it through the sieve twice to make sure you remove everything. Now the last step is to salt for taste and slowly reduce the stock to the required amount so it is lovely and concentrated. As I mentioned, we want a minimum of 1,5 litres for this recipe which will be used for 500g of rice, It is always best to leave a little in reserve just in case.
Once the stock is ready put it to one side. You can make the stock the day before if you want, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
Now the next step! These are the ingredients you will need for Lobster rice, as I mentioned it serves 4 hungry adults!
2 medium-sized lobsters ( approx 500-600 g each)
The peeled seafood from earlier
500g Round Valencian Rice ( If possible Bomba), the same rice you would use for a paella.
4 sundried Spanish Ñoras (dried capsicums)
3 mature medium sized plum tomatoes
1 medium-sized red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. paprika
0,2g ground saffron
50ml Brandy
50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh parsley
Salt
Now we are at the moment of truth. Time to kill! But just before that, we need to get everything ready. Capsicums always come dried, well they do here in Spain at least, so they need to be soaked in water overnight so they can soften.
Once softened, we remove the pulp from the capsicums with a teaspoon and place it in a bowl, discarding the tough outer skin. We scald the plum tomatoes in boiling water and then immediately place them under cold water to easily peel off the skin and then finely dice it. Chop the onion and garlic cloves up finely too. Mix it all these ingredients together; capsicum pulp, onion, tomatoes and garlic, now we are ready to move on.
Make sure the stock is hot and keep it hot, as we must add it hot to the pan. For this you will need a deep wide pan, in Spain we use a pan similar to a wok only that it has a larger base.
The lobsters' time is now up, say a prayer, give them a blessing and ask them for forgiveness, as they are about to serve you very well indeed! A lobster will stay alive for just over a day in the fridge if you keep it moist, so a good trick is to get two kitchen cloths, soak them in water and a place one on the base of the vegetable drawer inside the fridge, lay the lobster on top of the cloth and place another wet cloth over them. When you buy them make sure they are healthy, a good telltale sign is asking for them to be held up in front of you once they are taken out of the tank, they should hold their claws up high as if surrendering, if their claws are sagging down towards their body, they are weak and I would reject them.
There are many ways to chop up a lobster but I quickly learnt my first mistake, not pulling the claws off first. If you don’t, it is much harder to take them off once you’ve cut it in half. So hold the lobster firmly by the head and twist the claw firmly at the base where it is joined to the body, it should just pop off. Remove both of them, hit them with a rolling pin to slightly break the shell (don’t bash them!) in each part of the arm and claw and then put them to one side, you can take the elastic bands off now. Next, we need to separate the tail from the head and cut it in half lengthways, you will need a large sharp knife for this. Finally cut the head in half lengthways and we are done. The last thing you will need to do is remove the stomach, it is right at the tip of the head and is a small sack, sometimes with sand in it. Take it out and throw it away. You needn’t remove anything else, the green innards that look like brains, aren’t in fact brains and will add to the flavour, but if you find that a bit sickly, wash it out, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t include it. Heat the pan and add the olive oil (Picual) and then place the lobster pieces shell down in the pan and fry them until the shell goes pink turn them over and seal the meat briefly and let it release the juices, fry for a few minutes, we just want to flavour the oil. Remove the lobster and put it to one side.
Then we add to the pan the tomato-onion-garlic-capsicum mix and stir fry it in the oil for about 5/6 minutes until it is nicely cooked. Add the brandy and stir, let it simmer for a minute or so and then add the paprika, stir it in and almost immediately add all the rice. Stir in the rice so it soaks up all the ingredients in the pan and keep stirring it for a couple of minutes then we add the stock. Add 1.5 litres of stock, stir it in and put the lobster and the peeled seafood which we reserved earlier, back in. Add the saffron and some chopped parsley to the pan, slowly stir it in and taste for salt. Add if necessary. Now we just wait for approximately 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. The pan should not run out of stock, if you see the stock going below the rice level, add a little more, but make sure it is always very hot. Remove from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. It is now ready to serve! It is truly a fantastically special dish! I hope you enjoy it!
0
Like
Published at 5:13 PM Comments (5)
Pisto Manchego - The old faithful
Monday, December 11, 2023
At this time of year, the only thing I feel like eating is hearty simple homemade food. Apart from the region of Valencia, one other Spanish region that has had an important influence on me is La Mancha. For those who do not know this region, it is located on an arid but fertile, elevated plateau south of Madrid, spanning the elevated plateau of central Spain from the mountains of Toledo to the western spurs of the hills of Cuenca, and bordered to the South by the Sierra Morena and to the North by the Alcarria region. La Mancha includes portions of the modern provinces of Cuenca, Toledo, and Albacete, and most of the Ciudad Real province.
The name "La Mancha" is probably derived from the Arab word اal-mansha, meaning "the dry land" or "wilderness". The name of the city of Almansa in Albacete also has the same origin. The word Mancha in Spanish literally means spot, stain, or patch, but no apparent link exists between this word and the name of the region.
One regional dish I would like to share with you is Pisto Manchego. Similar to the French ratatouille, Pisto Manchego is a mixture of slowly fried regional vegetables. It is ever so easy to make and conserves well in the fridge so there is no problem making a little extra for the cold days ahead. It is great as a main dish served with a couple of fried eggs or as an accompaniment to poultry, meat, sausages or even rice. I like to serve it with fried eggs and with toasted “glass bread” topped with olive oil, basil leaves and mature manchego cheese, just divine. “Glass bread” (Pan de cristal) is a relatively recent creation as far as I know and is spreading across Spain as a premium bread, but it is available in some supermarkets too, I buy it regularly from Consum and Mercadona. With its extremely fine crust and almost zero dough density, its appearance and texture is a revelation. What makes this bread different is that it is translucent, almost transparent. The air bubbles in its dough are enormous and they give it a unique lightness and crispiness. Its taste is very gentle and neutral, and it will bring out the flavours in any good olive oil. A deluxe accompaniment for this very rustic and traditional dish…
So this is what you’ll need to make enough for 4 :
2 Medium courgettes.
3 Green peppers.
1 Red pepper
1 Medium aubergine
1 Large onion.
1 Kg ripe plum tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons of Paprika de la Vera
Sal.
Brown sugar.
Extra virgin olive oil - #Suggestion# - Oro de Bailén Reserva Familiar or Casa Juncal from Mercadona (considerably cheaper but still good)
Preparation:
The first step is to cut up the peppers, courgettes and aubergine into small pieces, diced is fine.
We start frying the diced peppers in a frying pan with a little oil. Once fried, we put them in a pot and put them to one side.
It is very important to drain all excess oil well after frying; the pisto should not be full of oil and greasy.
Do the same with the courgette and aubergine and add them to the peppers in the pot.
Next chop up the onion and fry it also separately. When the onion is almost cooked make an opening in the centre and add the garlic, cook for a minute or so and then add the paprika, stir the paprika into the oil quickly for about 30 seconds and then mix in with the onion and garlic. Remove from the heat, drain it and add to the pot with the other vegetables.
Now you need to add the tomatoes to the pan. So first you will need to scald them in boiling water to remove their skin and then chop them up finely, also removing the part of the stem so there are no tough bits left in. Add the tomato with a little olive oil, 1-teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar to remove the acid and fry for about 40 minutes over medium-low heat. If your tomatoes are not particularly good in flavour, and nowadays that’s quite common, you may want to add a tablespoon of tomato concentrate or half a brick of “tomate frito”, whichever you can get your hands on. Hopefully, you have great tomatoes in your area and you won’t need it. Now add in all the vegetables and simmer for another 15-20 minutes or so until all the water from the tomato has reduced and you have a thick consistency. That’s it.
Serve hot with a couple of fried eggs, fried in abundant extra virgin olive oil to crisp up the edges and a plate of toasted "Pan de cristal" (glass bread) drizzled with olive oil, a couple of fresh basil leaves and a thin slice of cured manchego cheese. To finish it off, a glass of Tempranillo red wine from Valdepeñas and you have a meal fit for a king!
Enjoy!
2
Like
Published at 12:29 PM Comments (0)
Largest Nativity Scene in Spain
Saturday, December 2, 2023
The Monumental Nativity scene in Xátiva has been declared the largest in Spain. When Christmas arrives, this Valencian city really takes the tradition to another level.
Each year the ‘Monumental Nativity’ grows a little more to show and interpret all the scenes from the Birth of the Messiah. It covers an area of 1600m2, it is approximately 70m long and 20m wide. This year it will be opening on 5th December.
It is such a wonderful creation and even if you are not particularly religious it is still a worthy way to spend the afternoon or the evening. If you have children in the family they are sure to love it. This unique spectacle in Spain has become a tourist attraction of the first order bringing tens of thousands of visitors every year.
However, if you do decide to visit there is some important information about this particular Nativity scene that makes it rather special, and you should know:
• Ecological: Throughout the year, City Council workers collect materials that will later be used to assemble the nativity scene. In addition, some of the tools used are of an ethnological character and are yielded by the locals to build the necessary scenes.
• Live animals: One of the great attractions is that in the scene there are live animals: ducks, geese, bulls, sheep, donkeys and turkeys among others. These animals are under veterinary control that care, at all times, for their welfare.
• Solidarity: The fruits and vegetables used and which are usually donated by local businesses are later donated on to charities that work with the needy in the local area. Visitors also throw coins in the fountains and once the event is over, all is collected and allocated to local NGOs.
• Falleros Artists: The majority of the figures are life-size and have been elaborated by traditional Fallas artists, making this nativity scene a genuinely Valencian one. At nightfall, the nativity acquires a special magic with bespoke lighting throughout.
If you happen to be in or near Xativa this Christmas, visiting the nativity scene is really a must.
1
Like
Published at 10:35 AM Comments (1)
Spanish Cheeses You Need to Try
Friday, November 24, 2023
Of the more than 100 different cheeses produced in Spain, 27 are protected by the "Denominación de Origen Protegida" (D.O.P.) label. In English the most widely used expression which means the same is the description "P.D.O" - Protected Designation of Origin. Several others are still waiting for this status to be granted to them by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In Spain all varieties of cheeses are made: from fresh to extra cured; coagulated with the help of enzymes, lactic acid or a mixture of both; of diverse sizes and shapes; with rinds of various colours, engraved with splendid designs and patterns, covered with mould, smoked, spiced or rubbed with oil. It really is a world of scent and flavour.
Spanish cheese-makers use three types of milk: sheep, cows and goats. Blends of these kinds of milk are also used to produce their cheeses. This great variety of cheese comes as a result of climatic and geographical differences and from farming customs steeped in age-old traditions. You will find on this page all of the most important characteristics of all D.O.P. cheeses, as well as those of the most representative cheeses of each category: sheep's milk cheese, cow's milk cheese and goat's milk cheese in addition to various blends and blue cheese, in a sampling of Spain's enormous cheese heritage, which is a reserve of the culture and traditions and places Spain among the most important cheese-producing countries in the world. Here are 10 for you to discover:
Queso Manchego
The Manchego is produced in the La Mancha region of Spain, which is also home to Don Quixote. It is made from unpasteurized sheep's milk. It is one of the popular cheeses from Spain, made from sheep's milk. It also comes under the PDO guidelines.
The traditional use of grass moulds leaves a distinctive, characteristic zigzag pattern on the Manchego cheese. Authentic Manchego is only made from the Manchego sheep's milk. Manchego cheese is made from both pasteurized and unpasteurized milk. The farmhouse version is produced from unpasteurized milk while the industrial version is made from pasteurized milk.
The rind is inedible with a distinctive, traditional herringbone basket weave pattern, pressed on it. A typical ear wheat pattern is pressed onto the top and bottom wheels of the cheese. There are specific differences in Manchego cheeses, depending on their ageing period.
Semi Curado - Young Manchego cheese is aged around 3 months are supple and moist. The flavour is fruity, grass, hay with a tangy note.
Curado - Manchego cheese aged for 6 months acquires a caramel and nutty flavour. It has a distinct acidity.
Viejo - Manchego cheese aged for a year becomes crumbly in texture while the interior of the cheese acquires a butterscotch colour. It has a sweet, lingering taste.
Manchego cheeses are best paired with a sherry. Cheeses similar to Manchego are called 'Manchego like cheeses', but the producers cannot legally name the cheese as Manchego.
Queso Cabrales
Cabrales, also known as Queso Cabrales, Queso de Cabrales or Cabraliego, is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) awarded, Spanish semi-hard, fatty blue cheese, prepared within the administrative region of Cabrales Council and some towns in the Upper Peñamerella region. Both these areas are located at the foot of the Picos de Europa Mountains in Asturias.
The cheese is a mixture of raw cows, goats and sheep's milk aged for between two and four months in naturally formed limestone caves. Chilly and humid conditions in the caves facilitate the growth of bluish-green penicillium mould on this highly prized cheese. Unlike other blue cheeses injected with penicillium, Cabrales cures from the outside of the cheese to the inward.
A finished Cabrales can be characterized by its strong, penetrating aroma and sharp, acidic, slightly salty taste. It pairs well with red wine, fresh figs, salami, sweet sherry and dry sausages. The cheese is treasured as a base for sauces, for melting over grilled or roasted meats and goes well along with baguette slices, crackers, or fruit.
Earlier, a traditional Cabrales was sold wrapped in moist leaves of Acer pseudoplatanus. But today regulation requires the cheese be sold in a dark-green-coloured aluminium foil with the stamp of the PDO Queso de Cabrales. Careful because when you leave the cheese for too long you get small white worms coming out of it, but this doesn't stop some eating it!
Queso Torta del Casar
Torta del Casar PDO is a Spanish cheese made from raw sheep’s milk in the Extremadura region, near the Portuguese border. Named after Casar de Cáceres, its city of origin, the shepherds who made the cheese used to call it ‘atortao’ because it was shaped like a cake or ‘torta’. Torta del Casar is a very rare cheese since it is made from milk of Merino and Entrefina sheep that yield very low milk and it takes a herd of sheep to make 1 kg of the cheese.
Torta del Casar is a vegetarian product coagulated with cardoon, a wild thistle which adds a slightly bitter note to the rich and slightly salty tasting cheese. The cheese is aged for at least 60 days upon which it develops a semi-hard, yellow to ochre crust and a soft, spreadable, creamy, almost runnier paste. Its insides are yellowish in colour and the aroma very unique. Torta del Casar should be enjoyed as an appetizer or a dessert, spread on bread with a glass of dry, red wine.
Queso de Valdeón
Valdeon is a Spanish blue cheese produced in Valdeon Valley of Castile-Leon region of northwestern Spain. Made all year round with cow or goat’s milk or a mixture of both, the cheese has very dense blue veining and comes wrapped in maple or chestnut leaves. Since leaf wrapping is no more allowed these days, it comes wrapped in leaf printed aluminium foil. Queso di Valdeon has been awarded a status of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) to regulate the production, processing and preparation of the cheese. In 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food granted the cheese an award for best Blue Veined Spanish Cheese.
A bold and salty cheese, Valdeon uniqueness lies in its manufacturing process, which includes long and traditional maturing in the cold, damp cellars until the cheese reaches a mature or medium mature age. The pate of Valdeon has a soft, granular texture and pale yellow colour and is full of small cavities filled with blue moulds. Covered by a coarse, inconsistent rind in dark grey shades with little red marks, Valdeon is very strong and spicy in taste similar to Roquefort. A powerful smelling cheese, Valendon's greasy, buttery paste is perfect for preparing any kind of blue cheese sauce. The rich smell of the cheese makes a good companion for fresh fruit and strong red wine or sherry.
Queso Gamoneu
Gamoneu or Gamonedo is a Spanish PDO cheese produced from a blend of cows, sheep's and goat's milk. Originating in the high altitude areas of Asturias, there are two varieties of the cheese depending on the location where it is made and seasonal production. Gamoneu made from June to September in the cabins of Los Picos de Europa and Cangas de Onis is called Gamonéu del Puerto. On the other hand, Gamonéu del Valle is made in small dairies in the lower areas of both these councils all year long.
Gamonéu is a fatty cheese with a yellowish-whitish pate and greenish-bluish Penicilliun outcrops on the edges. Its thin rind is a distinctive sienna colour acquired during the smoking process. Texturally, Gamonéu is hard or semi-hard, firm and friable with small, irregular eyes scattered spread throughout the pate. The taste is slightly spicy and smoky with a buttery, nutty persistent aftertaste. Its aroma is clean with soft hints of smoke that intensify with maturation.
Queso Idiazábal - smoked
Idiazabal is a traditional, farmhouse, hard cheese made from raw milk of Latxa or Carranza sheep in the Basque and Navarra regions of northern Spain. Named after the village of Idiazabal, the cheese received Spanish D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) in 1987.
In summer, the sheep migrate to higher pastures to graze on the blossoming, new grass. During this time, the artisanal cheesemakers milk the sheep, make the cheese and leave it in the rafters to mature. At the end of summer when the cheesemakers return back to the lowlands with their sheep, the cheese has ripened and is ready for sale.
Idiazabal is produced in the shape of a cylinder, with a smooth and hard natural rind that is pale yellow to amber in colour. The cheese has a compact texture, with a few pinprick holes. It is dry, but not crumbly, and feels pleasantly oily in the mouth. The rind carries the marks of the wooden moulds in which it was drained. The characteristic, smoky flavour is the result of the cheeses having been stored near the fireplaces. There were no chimneys in the simple mountain huts, so the cheeses absorbed the sweet, aromatic smoke. The taste of the cheese is reminiscent of burnt caramel and bacon. It pairs well with red wine and cider.
Queso Tetilla
Tetilla is a typical Galician cheese made from the herd of Friesians, Alpine Browns and Rubia Gallega cows. Since 1992, it has been one of the four kinds of cheese that received DOP recognition. The name Tetilla is Galician for “small breast”, which describes the shape of the cheese – a pear-shaped cone topped by a nipple.
This cheese has a pale yellow, thin, natural rind or sometimes no rind can be seen at all. Its texture is soft, thick and smooth with scatterings of air pockets. Yellowish ivory in colour Tetilla has a creamy mouthfeel with buttery, slightly bitter and tangy flavours surrounding the palate. The maturing, which takes place between 10 and 30 days, happens in the hot and humid climate of Galicia.
Try Tetilla with a dry full-bodied wine, sherry, young whites, manzanilla and especially the Galician whites - albariño or Ribeiro. Spanish love their cheese with quince paste, fruit, crackers, baked dishes and bread.
Queso de La Peral
La Peral is a gently blued pasteurized cow and sheep milk cheese from Asturias in northern Spain. This rare and delicious cheese has been produced for a little over a century. The sheep milk component gives this firm cheese a little olive oil flavour and a pleasantly pungent aroma. Also known as Queso Azul Asturiano, La Peral is made by the Lopez Leon family. The wheels are aged for sixty days just to the point that the blue begins to develop. La Peral resembles an Italian Gorgonzola. It has a slightly crumbly texture that leads to a refreshing finish on the palate. Along with other bigger wines, we recommend that you try pairing this outstanding blue cheese with Tempranillos, Cabernet Sauvignons, Gamays, Ports or Spanish dessert wines.
Queso de Los Beyos
Los Beyos is one of our speciality cheeses from Asturias, aged for 2 months and made from pasteurized cow`s milk. Los Beyos is truly an artisanal beauty produced in the mountains of Amieva. It takes its name from "el desfiladero de los Beyos". This place is a beautiful but extremely narrow and curvy mountainous area in Asturias that follows through into Castilla-Leon. There is a constant debate as to which specific area in Asturias is where this cheese originated. Dense and compact. Rustic and artisan. We hope you find the texture and flavour as interesting and as much as a rollercoaster ride as we do. The cheese itself is drier and flakier but still retains a cured and rich flavour with a sharpness that does not linger for very long. And good news! Los Beyos pairs just as nicely with a Martini as it will with Chardonnay and Tempranillo.
Queso Zamorano
Zamorano is a famous Spanish sheep’s milk cheese made in the region of Castile-Leon, Zamora. This hard cheese takes almost 6 months to mature fully. It has a pale-yellow colour with a crumbly texture and contains 45% fat.
Zamorano has a buttery and nutty taste, which is served as a table cheese with White, Red as well as Zinfandel wine. It gets characteristic flavour because of the breed of sheep – the small, scruffy Churra and the Castilian sheep.
Due to a distinctive zigzag pattern and cylindrical shape, Zamorano appears similar to Castellano or Manchego.
There you have it, 10 fantastic cheeses from Spain that must be savoured if you are a cheese fanatic!
1
Like
Published at 6:34 PM Comments (3)
Spam post or Abuse? Please let us know
|
|