IAN & SPAIN

One of The Best Spanish Omelettes in Madrid

2026-08-29T06:09:03

There are many interpretations of the Spanish omelette: completely cooked through, moist but slightly cooked in the middle and still runny, or almost raw in the middle. It wasn't until I lived in Madrid that I discovered the full potential of whisked eggs and a few potatoes. That's when I discovered 'eggcellence!' Forgive the pun! But in Madrid, they do omelettes differently. They are largely golden and runny. So, if you happen to be fussy about raw egg or harbour a fear of salmonella poisoning, this is where to stop reading.

One of the best places I remember was Bodega de La Ardosa, a taberna which was established in 1892 but its history as a taberna goes back a further 100 years and was even regularly frequented by the famous painter Goya in 1799. A very traditional bar that offers excellent products and popular Spanish tapas made with authentic culinary talent. Joselito ham, squid, salmorrejo, 'ajoarriero', salted cod, the list is extensive ...but I could never resist their very famous Spanish potato omelette, which is made continuously throughout the day due to such high demand. The bar is run by Angel Monje and officiated by his mother, Concepcion Marfil, who has what is considered the "special touch" when it comes to tortilla española. Her omelette has no special ingredients or any secret recipe; it is quite simply incredibly tasty. It all comes down to temperature, timing and quality of ingredients. Orchestrating all three to perfection, she produces an omelette from the Gods.

She uses five medium Monalisa potatoes, seven eggs, half a large onion, Lorietta extra virgin olive oil, from the region Montes de Toledo (variety Cornicabra) and salt. Just before preparing each omelette, she peels the potatoes, washes them and cuts with a knife, widthwise, with a length of about 3 centimetres and a thickness of between 2 and 3 millimetres. She tosses them into a bowl, along with the julienned onion and salt. Meanwhile, she has placed a frying pan with plenty of oil over medium heat. Hot, but not smoking, she adds the potatoes with the onion, where they remain covered by the oil, frying more than cooking, but never over a very strong flame, always medium heat, for about fifteen minutes. During that time, she moves the potatoes every three minutes, so that they are all done equally, homogeneously. After the quarter of an hour, approximately, she takes them out and leaves them in a container to drain the oil, for which he uses a slotted spoon, with which she presses them lightly to help release the oil. She beat the eggs in a bowl until they are fluffy and aerated.

She adds the potatoes and the onion. It is kept together for just half a minute, just enough to be able to mix and distribute the egg, potatoes and onions evenly. She places a small, but deep cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Drizzles some extra virgin olive oil over the pan and spread it all over the base and the side of the pan. When it is hot, but not smoking, she adds the tortilla mix, just half a minute, constantly running the slotted spoon around the outer edges. She turns it over using a plate and cooks the other side for half a minute too, curving the edges in the same way with the slotted spoon. Then she takes out and serves. Sounds simple right? But it takes many many omelettes to achieve perfection and this is utter eggcellence!

Summer's Secret Sauce!

2026-08-07T18:32:03

Summer is in full swing and it's time to start grilling. Whether on a terrace in the city centre, in the country or in an authorised picnic area outdoors, a barbecue is an event that always manages to gather people together. I just love the smell of a barbecue!

Today I want to share a recipe, or should I say, a version of a recipe that I first discovered in Madrid and then later rediscovered in Buenos Aires. OK, it’s not a Spanish recipe as such because the honours belong to Argentina, although there is cause to believe that it originated in the Basque country. But anyway who cares? It’s a recipe that is simple and the star of any barbecue.

When I first landed in Spain, I rented an apartment in the centre of Madrid next to Plaza de Isabel II and on the corner was a restaurant called La Vaca Argentina, in those days fat and calories weren’t on my worry list and I would visit the restaurant several times a week to have a glass of cold beer and a tapas of grilled chorizo sausage with chimichurri. I had already fallen in love with chorizo but it was the chimichurri that was amazing. This fresh, tart and tangy concoction of herbs, garlic, oil and vinegar had me totally won over.

However it wasn’t until I went to Argentina one year that I learnt how to make it, but as is the case with most staple recipes every household has its own variation and depending on what you have available to you. This ‘sauce’ is ideal for grilled meats of all kinds, sausages, pastries, and you can even drizzle it over a margarita pizza giving it a really special touch. It just about jazzes up any meal. The great thing about it is that you can make a decent quantity and it will keep in the fridge for at least a week to 10 days.

The Spanish connection goes back over a century. In the 19th Century, many Basques settled in Argentina and the name of the sauce probably comes from the Basque word ‘tximitxurri’ that loosely translates as "a mixture of several things in no particular order". That is effectively what it is, a concoction of herbs and oil where the order or the recipe doesn’t really matter. However, there is one step that will speed up the final result and that is adding the hot water to all the dehydrated ingredients before mixing with everything else. You should let them sit for about 30 minutes until all the water has been absorbed and the dried herbs have totally softened. From that point on you can mix and match as you wish the rest of the ingredients. This is not a purist’s chimichurri recipe but my take on it, and if you don’t mind me saying say so, it is really tasty!

You will need the following:

1 Cup of chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons of dried oregano

2 Finely Chopped dried Ñora peppers

1 Tablespoon of crushed dried chilli flakes

1 Tablespoon of dried basil

4 or 5 Freshly peeled garlic cloves, finely minced (or put through a garlic press)

¼ Cup of red wine vinegar

½ Freshly squeezed lemon (juice only)

5 Chopped sun dried tomatoes

¼ Cup hot water

½ - ¾ Cup of mild olive oil (add to taste – if vinegar is too strong)

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1 Teaspoon sweet Paprika

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix and then fill a sterilized jam jar with all the mixture and let it macerate in the fridge overnight before using it. It is always best after about 6-8 hours. Then just drizzle it over whatever you want! I highly recommend what is called a ‘Choripan’; a grilled chorizo sandwich with chimichurri sauce.

Absolutely incredible! Enjoy!

Ultimate Spanish Summer Recipe

2026-07-31T19:46:07

To be absolutely honest, with the heat in full blast I only feel like eating cold soups and salads, which can quickly get quite monotonous. So, I thought I might share a local "salad" from the Mancha. A salad, which is also enjoyed in Andalucia and no doubt has many variations the further south you go. It is called Pipirrana. Now, I have no idea why but I do know that it was able to keep a man alive for almost 50 years. My father in law lived off it literally every day. In fact, I don't really have memories of him ever eating anything else. It was his staple for as long as I knew him. He passed away many years ago but the tradition carries on in our household from time to time. One thing is for sure, it is a balanced meal.

Ingredients to make Pipirrana 2-3 servings:

Very ripe tomatoes - best plum tomatoes 750 g
Green pepper - 1/2
Boiled eggs - 3 large or 4 medium
Garlic - 1 small clove without the germ/root
Coarse salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Picual or Hojiblanca extra virgin olive oil - 50 ml (if you don't have either, any EVOO will do)
Tuna in olive oil - 1 medium-sized can
White wine Vinegar - 2 tsp - but best add to taste - little by little. I like it quite strong so I tend to add more.

Steps:

1. Peel the tomatoes by scalding them in boiling water (all you need to do is cut a cross into each end of the tomato and then leave them in boiling water for a couple of minutes). Then we cut them into small cubes/chunks taking care to collect all the juice released. This is one of the secrets to a great Pipirrana. So the easiest thing is to actually cut them up in the actual bowl you are going to use for mixing all the ingredients.

2. In a mortar, we put the garlic clove, the coarse salt - you can use fine salt, but in the mortar, the coarse salt helps the blending -, a small handful of the chopped green pepper and the yolks from the 3 or 4 eggs. We grind and mash everything together and then finally add the oil, which we will add little by little until it is emulsified. You can do this in a food processor too if necessary.

3. We add the rest of the chopped pepper and the chopped egg whites to the tomatoes and pour over the dressing. Add the vinegar and slowly blend in to taste. You may want to add more salt at this point if necessary.

4. Add the drained tuna to the bowl and mix well, cover with a plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. The best thing is to prepare it at lunchtime and let it rest until dinner, or do it overnight.

Naturally, this recipe is open to manipulation so you can add to it whatever tickles your fancy. When you are ready to serve, just get some fresh crusty bread and start eating and soaking up that wonderfully rich dressing.

I warn you, it is extremely refreshing and extremely moreish!

Enjoy!

Beyond the Paella: Uncovering the Soul of Valencian Gastronomy

2026-07-18T11:38:51

When most visitors think of the Valencian Community, the image of a sizzling paella pan immediately springs to mind. And rightly so—Paella Valenciana, born in the rural fields around the Albufera wetlands, is an icon that has rightfully earned its place as a symbol of Spanish culture and unity.

However, limiting your palate to just one rice dish overlooks the "pantry of the Mediterranean." The Valencian culinary landscape is defined by the unique harmony of its three great environments: the huerta (fertile orchard lands), the rugged mountains, and the life-giving coast.

The Three Pillars of Valencian Flavours

Valencian cuisine is not just about the food; it is a historical record of the region’s diverse inhabitants. From the irrigation systems left by the Moors to the ingenuity of local fishermen, each dish tells a story.

1. The Legacy of the Huerta

The fertile plains surrounding Valencia provide the foundation for the region’s diet. Products like the garrofó (a local lima bean), fresh artichokes from Benicarló, and citrus fruits are the backbone of the pantry. Many traditional vegetable-heavy dishes, such as esgarraet (a salad of roasted peppers and salted cod) or titaina, reflect a long tradition of "farm-to-table" eating long before it became a modern trend.

2. The Bounty of the Albufera

The Albufera lagoon is the heart of Valencian rice production and the birthplace of several essential stews. Perhaps the most rustic and traditional of these is All i pebre. Translating literally to "garlic and pepper," this potent, flavour-packed stew of eel, potatoes, garlic, and paprika was the humble sustenance of fishermen. It is a testament to the region’s history of "making do" with what was abundant in the local waters.

3. The Coastal Improvisation: Fideuà

While rice dominates the inland fields, the coast gave us Fideuà. Legend has it that the dish was born in the port of Gandia in the early 20th century. A ship's cook, intending to make a seafood paella, realised they were out of rice. Ingeniously, they substituted noodles, and a new coastal classic was born. Today, it remains the ultimate seaside alternative to paella, celebrated for its unique texture and deep fumet (fish stock) base.

Ancient Traditions and Modern Refreshers

Beyond the main courses, Valencia holds a deep connection to its past through its unique sweets and beverages, many of which are legacies of its Muslim history.

Horchata (Orxata): Made from chufas (tiger nuts), this drink is a direct descendant of the region's Moorish past. It is not just a drink; it is a cultural institution, typically served ice-cold and paired with fartons—long, sweet buns designed for dunking.

Sweet Traditions: From Arnadi (a pumpkin, almond, and sugar cake) to various types of coca (sweet flatbreads), Valencian confectioners rely heavily on almonds and honey—ingredients that have been staples of the region for centuries.

El Esmorzaret: If you want to truly experience Valencian culture, you must participate in esmorzaret. More than just a mid-morning snack, it is a ritualised "brunch" legacy of the farmworkers. It is a social event where locals gather in traditional bars to enjoy hearty bocadillos, pickles, and local olives—a true gourmet experience for those who know where to look.

Why Valencian Cuisine Matters

Valencian gastronomy is a benchmark for sustainable, locally sourced eating. With 16 recognised Designations of Origin (D.O.) for products ranging from olive oil to turrón, the region protects its culinary heritage with immense pride. Whether it is the celebrated World Paella Day in September or the simple act of visiting a municipal market to buy seasonal produce, Valencian food is a living, breathing tradition.

The next time you sit down for a meal in Valencia, look past the tourist menus. Seek out restaurants that highlight the "D.O. Comunitat Valenciana" label on their olive oil or rice. It is the surest sign that you are eating food that is deeply rooted in the soil of the region, rather than a generic interpretation designed for passing holidaymakers.

From the rustic eel stews of the Albufera to the sweet, nutty refreshment of a glass of horchata on a scorching afternoon, the Valencian Community offers a staggering depth of culinary history.

What is the most memorable dish you have discovered while travelling through the Valencian region? Share your favourite Valencian food experiences in the comments below!

This is one beach you need to visit...

2026-06-19T21:45:11

Playa de Gulpiyuri is one of the most amazing beaches in the world and also one of the most unusual and unique beaches you will find. This beach is certainly on my agenda for my next visit to Asturias. Recommended by a friend, this beach is a jewel and I thought I would share it with you all in case you plan to pass through Asturias one day.

It is located near the coastal town of Llanes, on the coast of Asturias, Gulpiyuri Beach is unlike anything I have ever seen, or even imagined existed outside of Dali painting or a fantasy film. Imagine walking through the country and stumbling over an idyllic beach right in the middle of a green meadow and 100m from a cliff face. However, while you may find other beaches completely hidden from the open sea, around the world, this one is actually fully tidal and even has waves bathing the small strip of golden sand.

So how on earth did this beach come about? It appears the salt waters of the Cantabrian Sea bored through the cliffs, creating a series of underground tunnels and caves that constantly feed water to Gulpiyuri Beach. The beach originally was a cave that collapsed, creating an inland exit for the seawater which also carried sand with it and over time this gem was created. The water from the nearby Bay of Biscay comes in through the underground tunnel network and washes upon Gulpiyuri in gentle waves adding to the charm of this magical beach. The crystal clear water of this beach is irresistible, but you may find it a little cold, because the water tends to remain underground for a while, before washing up on the Beach. Because it’s only 50 meters in length it isn't very big, but it's big enough to enjoy it and small enough to be secluded and hard to find. If you don't have a GPS you'll need help from the locals to get there.

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Horchata Time!

2026-06-12T20:27:27

For those who are not so familiar with this summer refreshment, I thought I would share some of its history and how it is grown in and around Alboraya, next to Valencia.

It is made from chufa, which in English would be the tiger nut and as a drink it goes back thousands of years. Old civilizations such as the Egyptians left samples of this healthy product in their tombs and sarcophagi. Also, diverse Persian and Arab authors already mentioned in their writings the digestive benefits of the chufa. But it was in the 13th century when the Arabs introduced their crop in the Mediterranean area.

Valencia was and continues to be the only area in Europe where chufa is grown. Currently, it is farmed in 16 towns around the area known as L'Horta Nord (or the Northern fertile land), which surrounds Valencia.

Alboraya is the world capital of Horchata and if you ever happen to be passing through Valencia I highly recommend you visit Horchateria Panach on the main road that runs through Alboraya. It is as good as it gets and also at an unbeatable price.

The chufa is cultivated in sixteen Valencian towns in the L'Horta Nord area, where a few specific climatic requirements combine and make it the only area of Spain where such a unique tuber is cultivated. About 5.3 million kilograms of tiger nut is produced in this area, of which 90% are covered by the Denomination of Origin.

The tiger nut from Valencia (Cyperus esculentus) is a herbaceous plant of around 40 to 50 centimetres in height. It has a rhizome radicular system from which some little roots grow and in the tips of these roots, the tiger nut is formed.

The chufa is sown from March until May, a date which is determined by the previous crop. Before the planting begins, a series of preparatory work is carried out, so that the soil remains spongy, loose and well levelled. The planting is carried out in a mechanical fashion, in ridges 20 cm high with 60 cm between them. The depth of the seed is from 4 to 5 cm. The depth of sowing is an important aspect since the yield and the quality of the tuber depend greatly on these measurements.

The harvest is carried out from November to January. Once the plant has completely withered and dried, it is burned and the ashes and remains are cleaned up. Then, it is sown again mechanically. A few weeks after the new planting, the tuber germinates. You shouldn't miss the opportunity to see the legendary irrigation ditches of Roman origin, improved and expanded by the Arabs throughout the area, which still remain.

Legend says that a young villager from the fertile area of Valencia known as L'Horta offered King Jaume I a white and sweet drink. The King, very pleased, asked; "Qué es això?" (What is this?), and the young woman answered, "Es llet de xufa" (It's tiger nut milk). The King, having tasted the drink replied, "Això no es llet, això és OR, XATA" - This is not milk, this is gold (=OR), pretty girl (=XATA)"

Legend or reality, the drink became famous throughout the country, adopting the name of Horchata de Chufa. This drink is a refreshing and essential product in the Mediterranean diet thanks to its innumerable and healthy benefits.

Known since antiquity as a source of vitamins and nutrients, the horchata is also considered a source of health and energy the world throughout. Along with its delicious and refreshing flavour, several medical studies have accredited its many beneficial properties for the body. Investigations have concluded that the horchata has great digestive properties thanks to its high level of amino acids and starch.

Several prestigious specialists from the University of Valencia have also determined that it is rich in minerals such as phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and iron as well as unsaturated fats and proteins. It is also recommended for all types of people, from the youngest to the oldest. The natural horchata can also be drunk by patients with a declared lack of tolerance to lactose and it is recommended for pregnant women as it includes more iron and potassium than a glass of milk.

It is an energising and nutritious drink that, thanks to its characteristics, has become part of the Mediterranean diet. Its cardiovascular properties are similar to those present in olive oil and it helps in reducing cholesterol and triglycerides as it has over 77% of oleic acid. All these characteristics make the Horchata of Chufa of Valencia a very complete and nutritious drink thanks to its macro and micronutrients. So be sure to try some the next time you are in Valencia this Summer. Enjoy!

Premium Gazpacho - You'll never go back!

2026-06-05T16:16:16

With all my recipes I attempt to share the raw essence of Spanish cuisine, the simple basic recipes that have become the foundation of the Mediterranean diet. They are not necessarily flamboyant dishes and certainly don’t need expert hands to make them, but they have all passed the test of time and are still classics to this very day.

Almond Cream Gazpacho is similar to a normal Gazpacho but much more filling and creamier in texture more like a Salmorejo, personally, I prefer it and depending on how you prepare it can be a meal in its own right. Whereas with the original Gazpacho you would need a second course to accompany it. This recipe is basically a combination of the two, through trial an error, I finally found the consistency and flavour that was ideal for me. What I am going to share with you is not strictly a Gazpacho or a Salmorejo but a variation of the both and it is absolutely fantastic! My mouth is watering as I write! It’s an all-time favourite with all my family.

It is cheap, easy and quick to make and as it’s main ingredients are tomato and olive oil, so you can’t go wrong! Anyone who loves a salad will adore this recipe. All you need is a blender, a fine sieve and a pestle and mortar.

These are the ingredients you will need for 8 servings, as it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days I always tend to make more than I will need for one sitting.

For 8 servings

1 kilo of mature tomatoes, peeled and with the seeds removed

30 g of peeled almonds

2 cloves of garlic (removing the inner root so you don’t have that taste of garlic repeating all day!)

3 slices of stale country loaf bread, approx 300g from the day before (without the crust, not baguette)

100 ml of white wine vinegar

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 or 2 large spring onions or sweet onions (just the onion, not the Green sprouts, but the size of a normal onion)

1 cucumber ( about 20 cm)

150 ml extra virgin olive oil

10g Salt – or to taste

Toppings:

8 slices of Serrano Ham

8 boiled Eggs

Baguette Croutons fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The first step is to scald the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute and then place them in cold water straight away and remove the skin. Then we dice up the bread and add the vinegar to the stale bread. Grind the almonds and the garlic cloves in the mortar. Once you have a paste add the bread and vinegar and keep grinding until they have all blended together nicely.

We remove the skin from the cucumber using a potato peeler and chop it up along with the tomatoes, spring onion and peppers. Now place all the ingredients in the blender all together along with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I use Arbequina variety olive oil for this recipe but really you can use any good extra virgin olive oil. Just make sure it isn’t too pungent. Blend them all together until you have an even mixture. Variations may occur depending on the type of bread you have used, so if it is not thick enough just add more bread to the recipe. If it has turned out too thick, you can correct the mixture with a little water. Salt to taste and then pass the entire mixture through the sieve to remove all the seeds from the tomatoes and the cucumbers.

At this point, the Almond Cream Gazpacho is finished. The mixture is certainly not written in stone, so some may prefer it with less vinegar or more vinegar, or more almond or fewer almonds. It is a question of finding your balance. All you need to do is adjust the proportions until you find your ideal flavour. The texture should be a like a thick creamy soup.

Next, we need to prepare the toppings. I place the Serrano ham in the microwave for approximately 1 minute until it is nice and crispy. Once out of the microwave, place the ham on a piece of kitchen paper so it cools down and soaks up the fat that has been released. We don’t want that fat in the gazpacho.

This is not traditionally Spanish, but I’m not so keen on chewing cured ham in my soup, I prefer that on its own with a bit of cheese and wine. So now we chop up the crispy ham and the boiled eggs and put them to one side.

Finally the croutons, you cut up a baguette into small pieces including the crust. Get a frying pan and pour in a healthy amount of extra virgin olive oil. Heat up the olive oil and make sure it is hot before putting the bread in that way the bread won’t soak up the oil but toast it almost instantly. It is very fast so be prepared to take them out quickly before they get too toasted. Let them cool down and dry on a piece of kitchen paper.

When it comes to serving, serve the Almond Cream Gazpacho in a bowl and sprinkle a chopped egg over the top, one chopped slice of crispy ham and a handful of croutons. Listo! Ready to eat.

ENJOY!

What Do You Rate Most Highly About Spain?

2026-05-29T18:41:27

Every few years, it is worth stepping back from the daily stream of property market updates, tax changes, and bureaucratic hurdles to ask ourselves a fundamental question: Why did we choose Spain in the first place, and what keeps us here?

Looking back at past discussions on the Eye on Spain blogs, the core reasons people fall in love with this country rarely change. However, as we cross the mid-point of 2026, the way we live, work, and enjoy Spain has shifted. A country once loved purely for cheap beer and endless beaches has evolved into a sophisticated, modern haven that offers a completely re-engineered quality of life.

Whether you are a long-term expat, a "snowbird" navigating the post-Brexit landscape, or someone scrolling through property portals from a rainy kitchen in Northern Europe, here is what our community rates most highly about Spain today.

1. The Quality of Life & "The Great Outdoors"

The weather will always be the headline act—300+ days of sunshine a year is hard to beat. But in 2026, the appreciation for Spain's climate has transformed. It is no longer just about sitting by a pool; it is about an active, outdoor lifestyle.

From the world-class cycling infrastructure in the Valencia region to the beautifully maintained hiking trails of the sierras, Spain has become Europe’s playground for health and wellness. The ability to finish work or step out of retirement at 5:00 PM and comfortably play a round of golf, ride a bike on smooth tarmac, or walk along a blue-flag beach in the middle of November remains the ultimate luxury.

2. A World-Class, Modern Infrastructure

There was a time when moving to Spain meant accepting a "slower, slightly disconnected" way of life. That stereotype is officially dead.

Today, Spain boasts one of the most advanced digital infrastructures in the world, with high-speed fibre-optic internet reaching the most remote rural pueblos. This has turned the country into a global magnet for digital nomads and remote executives. Combine that with a high-speed rail network (AVE) that lets you travel across the country seamlessly without ever setting foot in an airport, and Spain offers a level of modern convenience that often outclasses that of the UK and North America.

3. The Unrivalled Healthcare System

Ask any expat who has had to use the Spanish healthcare system—either public or private—and they will likely tell you it is one of the country's greatest assets. Especially for retirees, the peace of mind that comes from clean, efficient hospitals, exceptionally well-trained medical staff, and remarkably low prescription costs is an absolute game-changer. In a post-pandemic world where health is everything, Spain’s medical infrastructure is a massive tick in the safety column.

4. A Culture That Prioritises Family and Connection

In Northern Europe, life often feels like it is built around work and consumerism. In Spain, the entire societal structure is built around human connection.

The concept of the plaza—where three generations sit together at 10:00 PM, children playing, parents talking, grandparents enjoying a glass of wine—is not a tourist cliché; it is a daily reality. There is a profound lack of loneliness here because the culture inherently draws you outside and into the community.

5. The Food Revolution (And It’s Still Great Value)

While global inflation has caused grocery bills to creep up slightly over the last year, Spain’s food scene remains a source of daily joy. The focus on fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients means that even a simple €15 Menú del Día at a roadside Venta can be a culinary highlight. From municipal fresh food markets to world-class gastronomy, eating well in Spain isn't a luxury reserved for special occasions—it is a baseline way of life.

The 2026 Verdict

Spain isn't perfect. Navigating the paperwork can still test the patience of a saint, and keeping up with evolving tax and residency rules requires a sharp eye. But when you weigh the minor frustrations against the daily reality of safety, sunshine, community, and cutting-edge infrastructure, the balance sheet isn't even close.

Spain doesn't just change your location; it changes your pace, your health, and your perspective on what a "good life" actually looks like.

What about you? Whether you've been here for twenty years or are still planning your move, what do you rate most highly about Spain in 2026? Drop your thoughts into the comments section.

Aioli - How to make it and how to cheat!

2026-05-08T14:08:14

'Aioli', ‘All-i-Oli’ or ‘Ajo Aceite’ in Castilian Spanish, is probably the simplest and one of the hardest recipes you will ever try to make. Simple, because traditionally it only has three ingredients, and hard because it will make you break out in a sweat, especially if you make it in summer!

All-i-Oli is often translated and served as garlic mayonnaise, but in fact, it is not mayonnaise at all; it's not far off mayonnaise, but it isn’t mayonnaise.

This is probably the recipe where your choice of olive oil is most important, as it is the main ingredient and is pretty much 90% of the final product. So if you want to make it you need to find a very good quality extra virgin olive oil, which is fruity but not too bitter and not very pungent. The variety Arbequina is by far the best due to its high quantity of linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) that favours the cohesion of emulsions and sauces. However, any good extra virgin will do. Cornicabra is very popular as is Serrana de Espadán here in Valencia. But if you can’t find these varieties, look for an Extra Virgin ‘Suave’. I have read many recipes throughout the net suggesting sunflower oil and refined oils for this recipe. Please do not use these types of oils as they will definitely not give you the same result and are far less healthy.

The recipe I am going to share with you is the authentic one, the one passed on from generation to generation, not the popular garlic mayonnaises being offered around most of Spain (However, I will also tell you how to make that towards the end of the post). It is a recipe that dates back thousands of years and has spread all over the Mediterranean, so I can assure you it was never made with refined olive oil or sunflower oil. Basically, All-i-Oli is an emulsion of olive oil, garlic and salt, nothing else. The secret to the recipe is in the technique, which does take a bit of practice. This is not mayonnaise, a traditional recipe that originated from Mahon in Menorca, as it does not use egg yolk or lemon. In the case of mayonnaise, it is the egg that acts as the emulsifying agent and with All-i-Oli, it is the garlic that has the emulsion-producing properties.

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic

& Rock Salt

How do we make it the traditional way?

To start with, we need a pestle and mortar, not a blender or a mixer. This is a traditional recipe and must be done by hand to achieve the best results.

For this recipe, we will use 100ml of olive oil and 3-4 large cloves of garlic. Depending on how strong you like it, you can add more or fewer cloves to the recipe. As this involves a substantial amount of garlic, it is a good idea to remove the roots of the cloves before starting. This means slicing it down the middle, lengthwise and taking out the core of the garlic. This will help reduce the characteristic bad breath and the taste of garlic coming back up throughout the day. It is the root of the garlic that our stomach finds so hard to digest, and it just seems to linger around for most of the day!

Once the garlic is peeled and the cores removed, place them in the mortar with a pinch of rock salt and start grinding them. Once we have a lumpy paste, we need to start adding the olive oil. It is very important not to add too much or too quickly. Patience is a virtue with this recipe. Start by adding the oil drop by drop and move the pestle in a circular action from left to right, following the hands of the clock. Once you have started this action, you should not stop until the Ali Oli is ready.

This is when it gets a bit tiring, as you need to apply force as well and keep the pestle moving at a constant speed to draw out the juice from the garlic. Slowly you start adding more olive oil, little by little but always waiting until the previous dose has blended with the emulsion. This continues until you end up with a thick sauce/paste or find the consistency that you prefer. The whole process can take up to 15 minutes. You will probably have problems along the way to achieve an emulsion, it takes practice and isn’t as easy as it sounds but it is really worth the effort! Here is a video that might help ...

For those of you who find it too difficult, there are a couple of tricks that help to keep the garlic moist and facilitate the cohesion of the emulsion. One is adding 3 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the mortar at the same time you add the garlic and the salt. This will help you keep the emulsion stable and also reduce the pungency of the garlic a little bit more.

GARLIC MAYONNAISE.....and cheating

Finally, if you prefer garlic mayonnaise, which isn't as strong, the only thing you have to add is an egg yolk (no egg white) to the garlic with the lemon juice before you start adding the olive oil. Another trick which works with either recipe is making a little ball of dough from a loaf of sliced bread and wetting it with water. You add this dough ball when you add the egg or just before adding the oil and grind it into the mixture, this will help create the emulsion and stop it from separating!

No time? Don't mind cheating a little?....

Although this may be cheating I know dozens of restaurants on the Balearic islands which use this quick method for their popular 'Pan y All-i-Oli' (one of them told me about it) and it goes down a treat, I use it too and to be honest and I have grown to love it!. Sometimes I just find All-i-Oli too strong and this is just perfect. All you will need is the following:

1. Tub of fresh All-i-Oli from the supermarket

2. Hellman's Mayonnaise (Do not substitute for a different mayonnaise)

3. Finely ground Black Pepper

Quite simply, add equal parts of Allioli and Hellman's mayonnaise to a bowl and sprinkle in some black pepper. Mix well until completely blended, sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top and serve with some crispy bread.

In Valencia, it is particularly common to eat All-i-Oli with anything from fried potatoes seasoned with paprika or Black rice which is a dish that uses the ink from squids. It is very versatile and fantastic with vegetables, fish and meats so use it to accompany anything you want.

Gazpacho Andaluz - the heat is getting closer

2026-05-01T13:53:09

Gazpacho is one of the most international dishes of Spanish gastronomy. Refreshing, low in calories and very easy to make. It is one of the star dishes of the summer, which, accompanied by a bit of crusty bread and a delicious dessert, will provide a solution to many of our meals this coming summer.

Making gazpacho, in principle, is quite a simple task, but like everything else, it has its tricks and you will eventually tweak it to your liking the more your make it.

The most popular version of the recipe for this cold soup is tomato, pepper, onion, garlic, cucumber, bread, and oil. Despite the fact that many think that gazpacho is originally from Andalusia, it has been proven that previous recipes already existed. However, there is no doubt that this one is the most famous version of them all. Most versions of this recipe will vary depending on the amounts of vegetables you used, which is why there are so many different flavours, everyone has different tastes - some prefer more garlic, some less, some more cucumber, some less, in the end, it's really up to you! But as a starting point this is what you need:

Ingredients

800 grams of ripe tomato
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 green pepper
1 red bell pepper
Spanish half cucumber
150 grams of stale bread
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1 tablespoon cumin mocha
Salt
1 glass of extra virgin olive oil
1/3 of a glass of sherry vinegar
Water

Steps to take:

Wash all the vegetables well, cut them into medium-sized pieces and put it all in a bowl. Add half of the oil, the vinegar, the salt, the paprika, the cumin and a little water and leave it to marinate in the refrigerator.

After a few hours of marinating, take the vegetables out of the fridge, blend them with a mixer and pass the mixture through a sieve. Then, use the blender again and while blending, add the rest of the oil little by little and ... that's it! All you have to do now is to season with salt and add a little extra vinegar if you prefer more of a kick. You can decorate the gazpacho with some chopped cucumber, peppers and toasted croutons.

As you can see, making gazpacho is really very simple. Adapt the recipe as you see fit and start experimenting! One piece of advice - try and find the best quality ingredients possible - especially the tomatoes, and you can't go wrong.

Easter Food in Spain

2026-04-03T17:28:25

At Easter, Spain comes alive with an array of vibrant traditions, including the culinary delights unique to this time of year. The rich tapestry of Spanish cuisine is on full display during Semana Santa, with each region showcasing its own special dishes that are steeped in history and tradition. From hearty soups to delectable sweets, Easter in Spain is a feast for the senses. Let's embark on a gastronomic tour of some typical dishes enjoyed across the different communities of Spain during this festive period.

Sopa de ajo, Castilla y León

Our culinary journey begins in Castilla y León, where the aroma of Sopa de ajo fills the air during Semana Santa. Also known as sopa castellana, this hearty soup is a popular choice, especially after the gruelling processions of Viernes Santo. Made with garlic, paprika, eggs, olive oil, and bread instead of noodles, this dish has its roots in frugality, using leftover bread from previous days. Sopa de ajo is a comforting and flavourful dish that warms both the body and soul.

Patatas viudas, La Rioja

Travelling to La Rioja, we encounter another Easter staple, the Patatas viudas. The name, which translates to "widow potatoes," pays homage to the absence of meat in this traditional dish. Made with potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, paprika, olive oil, salt, and bay leaves, this simple yet delicious recipe captures the essence of La Rioja's culinary heritage.

Garbanzos con espinacas, Seville

A trip to Seville during Semana Santa would be incomplete without tasting Garbanzos con espinacas. A popular alternative to the traditional 'potaje', this dish features chickpeas and spinach, creating a flavoursome and hearty meal. Garbanzos con espinacas showcases the culinary diversity of Seville and is a must-try for those exploring the region's gastronomic traditions.

Bacalao al pil pil, Basque Country

In the Basque Country, Easter is synonymous with Bacalao al pil pil, a dish that exemplifies the region's love for cod. Made with cod, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of spice from chillies or cayenne pepper, Bacalao al pil pil is a delicacy that tantalises the taste buds. The luscious sauce created from the gelatin released by the fish during cooking adds a richness and depth of flavour to this iconic Basque dish.

Pa torrat, Alicante

Journeying to the province of Alicante, we discover Pa torrat, a traditional dish that has been enjoyed by locals for centuries. Consisting of bread drizzled with olive oil, garlic, and cod, Pa torrat has its origins in the 19th century when it became a popular choice for the faithful looking to refuel during Viernes Santo. Pa torrat continues to be a cherished dish during Easter, often complemented with other ingredients to suit individual tastes.

Hornazo, Zamora

In Zamora, particularly in Salamanca, Hornazo takes centre stage as a savoury treat enjoyed during the post-Easter festivities known as Lunes de Aguas. This empanada-style dish is filled with a medley of ingredients such as chorizo, pork loin, bacon, and boiled eggs, creating a symphony of flavours that delight the palate. Hornazo is a gastronomic tradition that celebrates the end of Lent and the return to indulging in meat once again.

Tortillas de camarón, Cádiz

Heading south to Cádiz, we encounter Tortillas de camarón, a popular choice of appetiser during Semana Santa. These crispy prawn fritters are a delightful accompaniment to the festivities, crafted from prawns, chickpea flour, onions, parsley, and a hint of spice. Tortillas de camarón showcase the culinary ingenuity of Cádiz and are a true testament to the region's seafood heritage.

Monas de pascua, Mediterranean region

As Easter approaches, the allure of sweet treats takes centre stage across Spain. Monas de pascua, a traditional Easter pastry, is a beloved delicacy in various regions such as Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia, and Castilla-La Mancha. This round bread-like pastry with a central egg, whether boiled or chocolate, symbolises new beginnings and abundance, making it a cherished Easter tradition for families and communities.

Pestiños, Andalusia

Delving into the world of sweet delights, we discover Pestiños, a Moorish-inspired treat that captivates the taste buds of those in Andalusia. These square-shaped pastries are crafted from flour, lard, white wine, aniseed, and citrus zest, offering a perfect balance of textures and flavours. Pestiños are often drizzled with sugar or honey, adding a touch of sweetness to this iconic Easter indulgence.

Leche frita, Palencia

Hailing from Palencia in the north of Spain, Leche frita is a popular dessert beloved for its creamy texture and comforting aroma. This delectable sweet is made from milk, flour, and sugar, cooked until thickened to create a velvety custard. It is often served with a sprinkling of cinnamon, sugar, chocolate, coconut, lemon zest, or caramel, adding a delightful twist to this classic Easter treat.

Torrijas and Buñuelos

No Easter feast in Spain would be complete without the presence of Torrijas and Buñuelos, two ubiquitous desserts that have stood the test of time. Torrijas, made from bread soaked in milk, cinnamon, egg, and sugar, offer a decadent and indulgent treat. Meanwhile, Buñuelos, a staple in Madrid, are delectable fritters that boast a light and airy texture, perfect for satisfying sweet cravings during the Easter celebrations.

Semana Santa in Spain is not only a time of reflection and spirituality but also a time to indulge in the country's diverse culinary landscape. From savoury delights to sweet temptations, the traditional dishes of Easter in Spain offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of flavours that define the nation's gastronomy. So, as you immerse yourself in the Easter festivities, remember to savour these unique and time-honoured dishes that exemplify the essence of Spanish culinary heritage

Making Table Olives in Spain

2026-03-20T20:21:15

People often think that table olives can come straight off the tree and into a jar with perhaps some seasoning, but this is not the case and far from it. The substance that renders it essentially inedible is oleuropein, a phenolic compound bitter enough to shrivel your teeth. The bitterness is a protective mechanism for olives, useful for fending off invasive microorganisms and seed-crunching mammals. In the wild, olives are dispersed by birds, who avoid the bitterness issue by swallowing them whole. Given the awfulness of the "au natural" olive, you can’t help but wonder why early humans, after the first appalling bite, didn’t shun the olive tree forever.

The olive is a drupe or stone fruit, like cherries, peaches, and plums, in which a fleshy outer covering surrounds a pit or stone, which in turn encases a seed. In the case of the olive, the outer flesh contains up to 30 per cent oil—a concentration so impressive that the English word oil comes from the ancient Greek "Elaia", which means olive. But it also has a low sugar content from 2.6-6% when compared with other drupes which have on average 12%.

Due to these characteristics, it makes it a fruit that cannot be consumed directly from the tree and it has to undergo a series of processes that differ considerably from region to region, and which also depend on the variety of olive. Some olives are, however, an exception to this rule because as they ripen they sweeten right on the tree, in most cases this is due to fermentation. One case is the Thrubolea variety in Greece, however, this is not at all common.

The oleuropein, which is distinctive to the olive, has to be removed as it has a really strong bitter taste and those who have eaten an olive straight off the tree know what I am talking about: it is not, however, pernicious to health. It just tastes terrible. Depending on local methods and customs, the fruit is generally treated in sodium or potassium hydroxide, brine or successively rinsed in aerated water, a rather complicated process.

The olive's suitability for table consumption is a function of its size, which is important for presentation. Olives between 3 and 5g are considered medium-sized, while those weighing over 5 g are large. The stone should come away easily from the flesh and a ‘flesh to stone’ ratio of 5 to 1 is considered acceptable. The higher this ratio the better the commercial value of the olives. The skin of the fruit should be fine, yet elastic and resistant to blows and to the action of alkalis and brine.

High sugar content in the flesh is an asset. The lowest acceptable level is 4%, especially in olives that undergo fermentation. For table olives, oil content should be as low as possible because in many cases it impairs the keeping properties and consistency of the processed fruit. Only in certain types of black olives is a medium to high oil content desirable.

In Spain, most of the table olives are green olives. These are obtained from olives harvested during the ripening cycle when they have reached their normal size, but prior to colour change. They are usually hand-picked when there is a slight change in hue from leaf-green to slightly yellowish green and when the flesh begins to change consistency but before it turns soft. Colour change should not have begun. Trials have been run to machine harvest table olives, but owing to the high percentage of bruised fruit they had to be immersed in a diluted alkaline solution while still in the orchard, this being said table olives are still in their majority harvested by hand. Recently harvested, the olives should be taken to the plant for processing on the same day.

Green olives are processed in two principal ways: with fermentation, which is considered the Spanish style, and without fermentation, which is considered the Picholine or American style.

In Spain the majority of olives are treated in a diluted lye solution (sodium hydroxide) to eliminate and transform the oleuropein and sugars, to form organic acids that aid in subsequent fermentation, and to increase the permeability of the fruit. The lye concentrations vary from 2% to 3.5%, depending on the ripeness of the olives, the temperature, the variety and the quality of the water. The treatment is performed in containers of varying sizes in which the solution completely covers the fruit. The olives remain in this solution until the lye has penetrated two-thirds of the way through the flesh. The lye is then replaced by water, which removes any remaining residue and the process is repeated. Lengthy washing properly eliminates soda particles but also washes away soluble sugars, which are necessary for subsequent fermentation.

Fermentation is carried out in suitable containers in which the olives are covered with brine. Traditionally, this was done in wooden casks. More recently, larger containers have come into use that are inert on the inside. The brine causes the release of the fruit cell juices, forming a culture medium suitable for fermentation. Brine concentrations are 9-10%, to begin with, but rapidly drop to 5% owing to the olive's higher content of interchangeable water.

When properly fermented, olives keep for a long time. If they are in casks, the brine level must be topped up. At the time of shipment, the olives have to be classified for the first or second time as the case may be. The original brine is replaced and the olives are packed in barrels and tin or glass containers. Sometimes they are stoned (pitted) or stuffed with anchovies, pimento, etc. The most commonly used varieties in Spain are Manzanillo and Gordal.

But after discovering this you may be thinking, whoever came up with the idea of finding a way to eat a drupe that was at first sight totally inedible and had the patience to even work it out?

Well, it is a bit of a mystery but the general consensus is that it was the Romans who most likely came up with the technique that put the olive fruit itself on the dinner table. Earlier people had discovered that olives could be debittered by soaking them in repeated changes of water, a painstaking process that took many months and was probably discovered by accident. This was somewhat improved by fermenting the olives in brine, which was marginally quicker, but the Romans found that supplementing the brine with lye from wood ashes (sodium hydroxide) cut the time required for producing an edible olive from months to hours.

About 90 per cent of the world’s olive crop goes to make olive oil. The remainder is harvested for table olives which, though there are over 2,000 known olive cultivars, are known to most of us in two colours: green and black.

Green olives, the kind found in martinis, are picked green and unripe and then cured. These are often called Spanish olives, as mentioned earlier. Tree-ripened olives, left to themselves, turn purple - not black (as you can see in the image on the left) - due to an accumulation of anthocyanin, the same pigment that puts the purple in Concord grapes.

Black olives, though labelled as “ripe” on supermarket cans, actually aren’t: these, a California invention, are green olives that have been cured in an alkaline solution, and then treated with oxygen and an iron compound (ferrous gluconate) that turns their skins a shiny patent-leather black, so they are in fact manipulated and artificial in colour.

Iberian Pork and Chorizo Casserole

2026-03-13T19:49:16

When the weather is really cold, as it happens to be at the moment in England, few things are better than a hot slow-cooked stew to satisfy your appetite. Something wholesome to warm the body. Today I bring you another interesting recipe made with typically Spanish ingredients. A beautifully rich and flavoursome braised pork and chorizo stew. If you have never tried it, it is well worth a go! Who doesn't like chorizo? Unless you are vegetarian of course. It is a recipe I love to accompany with mashed potatoes, not particularly Spanish though!

Although this is not a traditional recipe as such, the result couldn't be more Spanish. Although now isn't an ideal time for getting families together around a table, it is a recipe that will work wonders when feeding numbers. I love how the combination of pork shoulder and chorizo is complemented by the tanginess of the black olives and the sweetness from the paprika to create a tastebud bomb of a recipe which will definitely be a hit.

So why not give it a go and try out this delicious braised pork and chorizo stew. Don't forget the secret to a fantastic result is patience and slow cooking. It takes the time it takes, you just can't rush it. For six people you will need the following - if it is too much, you can always freeze the extra.

INGREDIENTS:

225g chorizo fresh cooking sausage - at most semi-cured
4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 kg of lean Iberian pork shoulder, cut into large 3 cm cubes
180 ml of red wine - Crianza is ideal - Mercadona sell a great Crianza for €2,2 (Torre Oria)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato puree
400g of ripe chopped, skinned plum tomatoes - you can also use tinned
400ml fresh chicken stock - or ready-made stock from the supermarket if you don't have any.
4 springs of thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, chopped
4 bay leaves
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt & pepper
2 teaspoons of caster sugar
110g pitted black olives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Skin and thickly slice the chorizo, add to the heated frying pan and fry on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the chorizo is lightly browned.

3. Using a slotted spatula, put the chorizo into a large, casserole pot, I use my old faithful Le Creuset pot. Try to keep as much of the oil as possible in the frying pan.

4. Add another tablespoon oil to the frying pan if necessary and brown the pork in batches before adding to the casserole pot.

5. Pour the wine into the frying pan and let it to come to a simmer, deglazing any of the caramelised meat juices stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol and then pour into the casserole pot.

6. Lower the heat, add the remaining oil and chopped onions to the frying pan and fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft, adding a little more oil if necessary. Add the chopped garlic to the onions and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.

7. Stir in the paprika and then add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and herbs. Cook for a couple of minutes and then pour it all over the chorizo and pork in the casserole pot and mix it up well. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Bring the casserole pan to a quick simmer, turn the heat right down to a minimum and cover. Cook for at least 1 hour, stirring from time to time.

9. In a small pan, boil the sherry vinegar and caster sugar until it has reduced to about a teaspoon. Then stir it into the casserole with the black pitted olives.

10. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the pork is really tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice or simply eat it on its own with some crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Puchero Valenciano - Valencian Stew

2026-03-05T22:15:09

Puchero or Cocido Valenciano is a great winter warmer and although it is very common to see it on the table at Christmas, it is without a doubt one of the most popular 'platos de cuchara' in winter, at least in the Valencian region. Even though we are at the doors of Spring, this is a lifesaver on any cold day. It is, effectively, a stew with giant meatballs, but it is enjoyed in two stages. It may seem very simple and rustic, but it can be a fairly long meal and takes time to digest. It contains almost everything you could possibly imagine putting in a stew. What makes this stew different from the rest of the stews in Spain is the use of local sausages and local vegetables. The Valencian community is well known for its vegetables and this is well portrayed in the Valencian ‘Puchero’.

As with most traditional recipes, there is nothing written in stone, except (traditionally) using a giant cauldron! So grab the biggest pot you can find; otherwise, there is no way all the ingredients will fit in. Remember, the stock, the meat and the vegetables can all be frozen afterwards, so if you have a lot leftover, which you will, ration it out in Tupperware and freeze it for another day or use it for another recipe.

For the stew, you will need the following :

½ medium-sized Chicken (approx. 1,25kg of meat)
2 large meatballs (recipe as follows)
1 piece of bone marrow
1 piece of knee bone
150 grams of beef
1 Blanquet sausage
1 Onion Morcilla sausage
100 grams of pork fat
300 grams of chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
Saffron
1 stick of Celery, 1 stick of Cardoon, 1 sweet potato, 1 white turnip, 1 yellow turnip, 1 parsnip, 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 1 leek, 5 runner beans and ¼ cabbage. (As far as the vegetables go, you can chuck in whatever you have at hand, but this is the standard recipe in Valencia)

So, to make the stew it is as easy as cleaning and peeling the vegetables and placing them all in the pot with the meat and the meatballs, except for the carrots, potatoes, runner beans and the morcilla. These need to be held back for later as they cook more quickly. Cover with water and slowly bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low heat and let it simmer for 90 minutes. Remember to skim off the foam that rises to the top. After 90 minutes pop in the rest of the ingredients that were held back and then simmer for another 90 minutes. To make the meatballs all you will need are the following ingredients:

2 eggs.
150g lean minced beef
150g minced pork.
1 sausage (with skin removed)
200g Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp. Fresh chopped parsley
50g Pine nuts
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon powder
10ml fresh Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Stew net for binding
Cabbage leaves for wrapping up the meatballs.

If you feel like saving some time you can always make the balls the day before. Mix the meat, salt, pepper, parsley, cinnamon, eggs and pine nuts to taste. Pour the breadcrumbs in and knead it all together until it forms a thick mass. Add the lemon juice and knead it all together again. Separate the meat mass into two parts and then roll into two large balls. Once you have made the balls wrap each ball in cabbage leaves and then place it inside the stewing net and tie it up tight and add to the rest of the meat for the stew.

Once the stew is ready it is customary to first enjoy a bowl of soup from the stock cooked either with rice or noodles. Some may add a meatball or two to the soup and others may add a bit of everything and then move on to the rest of the meat and vegetables later, the choice is yours. It would also be customary to make 'oven-baked rice' (Arroz al Horno) the following day with the leftovers.

So there you have it, a very hearty meal from the heart of Valencia and ideal for this time of year, it may not look very sophisticated but it tastes incredible!

Enjoy!

Bravas Sauce - The ultimate recipe

2026-02-27T15:31:52

Patatas bravas is originally from Madrid, where it was created and then spread throughout the country. Now each region has made their own modifications such as in Valencia where they serve it with garlic mayonnaise and paprika pepper. But one of the most emblematic places to eat Bravas in Madrid with a traditional Brava sauce is Bar Docamar in Calle Alcalá 337. Its sauce is legendary in Madrid and a house secret. This bar goes through literally tons of potatoes every week and customers travel from all over Madrid to enjoy their Potato Bravas and buy their sauce. This classic tapas is basically potatoes cut into irregular chunks of approximately 3-4 cm, fried and dressed in a spicy sauce that is poured over them and served very hot.

When it comes to Patatas bravas' sauce there are two schools of thought: with tomato and without tomato. From my experience of living in Madrid and researching, I would say the more traditional Brava sauce without tomato. It is made with a base of extra virgin olive oil, sauteed onions, garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper, wheat flour and water or chicken stock. However other ingredients are used which are well-guarded secrets by each cook who adds a special something to the recipe.

In Catalonia, the sauce is made with olive oil, chilli, sweet paprika and vinegar. The important thing is that it's spicy, in fact, its name "bravas" makes allusion to this. In the Spanish language, bravo-a means brave or fierce if referring to an animal.

Patatas bravas are typically served in bars in many regions of Spain as tapas or "ración". It's considered one of the cheapest tapas due to its inexpensive ingredients. Should you ever visit Madrid, you'll absolutely have to taste patatas bravas and I highly recommend passing by Bar Docamar.

Here is my take on the 'Madrid' Patatas Bravas - Potatoes and Hot 'Brava' Sauce - Madrid Style
Ingredients - four portions:

4 large potatoes
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
Pepper mix: 1 tsp of Paprika (normal) + 1 tsp of Paprika de la Vera (smoked) + 1 tsp of ground Cayenne pepper (hot) + 1tsp of white pepper
1,5 tbs of flour
1,5 tbs of sherry vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup of chicken stock

Instructions:

1. Par-boil the potatoes. Cut the potatoes to size - uneven chunks of about 3 - 4 cms. Put the potatoes in a pot with water and bring to boil. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.
2. Dice the onion in fine chunks and chop the garlic
3. Heat three tbs of extra virgin olive oil and stir-fry the onion until its transparent.
4. When the onion is ready, add the garlic. When the garlic is browned, remove from the heat and add the pepper mix. Stir well so it mixes properly and put at low heat.
5. Add the flour and stir in well for about a minute. Be careful not to burn the paprika.

6. Add the cup chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes to make sure the flour and paprika are properly cooked.
7. Add the salt and the sherry vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes. If it is too thick just add a little more stock or if it is too liquidy just let if reduce further and cook for a little longer. It should be thick but not too thick. The photo should give you an idea of the consistency. But then again, choose the thickness you prefer.
8. Put the sauce in the mixer and blend until there are no lumps or use a hand blender.
9. In a frying pan heat abundant extra virgin olive oil (very important) and fry the potatoes on medium heat and then raise the heat for the last 2 minutes to crisp. Once they are lightly browned put the potatoes on absorbent paper so any excess oil is drained.
10. Put the potatoes in a large bowl and pour the desired amount of sauce.

Patatas bravas are simple and cheap to make, and best of all, you can add any spice or herb to your taste, Recipes all over the country are usually modified by each cook. A popular alternative is to add freshly grated tomato instead of chicken stock and flour. They are an excellent tapas and starter to any family meal so if you are thinking of holding a party or inviting friends over for dinner, why not make these for them!

Enjoy!

Cachopo - The Spanish Schnitzel

2026-02-20T21:22:07

Veal "Cachopo" is an Asturian recipe that consists of a breaded fillet of veal which is stuffed with cured serrano ham or cured beef "cecina", and cheese which is normally a variety typical of this autonomous community, such as cabrales, but you can use any cheese you prefer. It would effectively be the same as a typical Schnitzel but stuffed. If you go on vacation to Gijón or Oviedo, you mustn't leave without trying it! But until then, you can prepare it at home ... What you will need is a couple of very thin veal fillets and, if possible, try and get large long ones. If you go to your local butcher they will normally be able to cut you the perfect fillets. Veal is what is normally used, either rump or silverside cuts, but if you prefer a 'beefier' fillet feel free to get aged meat, just make sure they are thin cuts.

The full ingredients to make Asturian Cachopo are as follows:

Serrano Ham Cecina

2 very large thin beef steaks - normally rump steak or silverside cuts - in Spain, 'Cadera'. (If you have a meat hammer or a rolling pin, tenderize the meat and thin it out if it is too thick)
Some slices of Serrano ham or cured beef Cecina.
Cheese slices - whichever variety you prefer
Flour, egg and breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Steps to take:

1.- Season the beef fillets (be careful, don't add too much salt to them than the cheese and the ham or cecina, whichever you decide to use, already have salt and it could become too salty)

2.- Spread out one of the fillets on a cutting board and cover it with the cheese of your choice cut into very thin slices. On top of the cheese add the slices of Serrano ham or Cecina, until it is completely covered. Then place another veal fillet on top. It basically looks like a sandwich with the meat acting as the bread.

3.- Carefully pick up the whole piece and place it on a plate or dish with flour. Turn it over so the meat is covered in flour, then repeat the process with beaten eggs and finally with breadcrumbs. A little trick is to let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour so that all the ingredients cling together well.

4.- Heat up plenty of olive oil to 170-180ºC. Enough to completely cover the Cachopo. After two or three minutes, when it is golden brown, remove it from the oil and place it on some absorbent kitchen paper before serving.

Enjoy!

Albondigas a la Jardinera - Meatballs!

2026-02-13T14:36:46

Meatballs are one of those fantastic dishes for large numbers. It is easy to make in a large batch, it freezes well and who doesn't like them? In Spain, they are normally served with a vegetable sauce and are frequently called "Albondigas a la jardinera". They are one of my staple dishes at home and I thought I would share with you the classic Spanish recipe. Of course, there are many variations and you can modify the recipe as you wish, but this is the standard version you will probably find on a "Menu del dia" most of the year. So, let's crack on...

Ingredients for 4 people

For the meatball mix:

750 g. minced meat (pork, beef)
2 medium eggs
150 g. crustless sliced bread and 5 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus a little more for sprinkling
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
Salt, nutmeg, and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Flour to coat the meatballs
Extra virgin olive oil

For the sauce:

1 onion
2 carrots
1/2 red pepper
100 g. peas
400 g. of potatoes
2 cloves of garlic
125 ml of white wine, 1/2 l of chicken broth and water (if necessary)
A few strands of saffron, salt, black pepper and 1 bay leaf
Mild extra virgin olive oil

When it comes to meatballs I always like to mix 50% pork and 50% beef mince. I like to buy my meat at the butcher's and then mince it at home, but any decent mince will do, to be honest. First, we are going to make the meatballs:

1. Season the minced meat, both veal and pork, in a large bowl. and mix together. Crack open the 2 eggs and add them together with the nutmeg, the fresh parsley and the slices of bread without the crust that we have previously soaked in milk for a few minutes.
2. Let the mixture rest.
3. Laminate the garlic and finely chop the onion. Add some water to a pan and poach the onion and garlic for a few minutes. This will help the onion to soften and thus our meatballs will have a more homogeneous texture. It will also slightly reduce the strength of the garlic and the onion.
4. Once poached after a couple of minutes, drain and cool with cold water before adding it to the meat mixture, season with salt and pepper.
5. Add a dessert spoon of extra virgin olive oil to the mixture and mix everything well with our hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for an hour in the fridge.
6. . After the resting time, remove the meat from the refrigerator and start making small balls with the meat mix. If you keep your hands wet while you do this, the meat won't stick to your fingers. I normally have a finger bowl with water next to me when I make them.
6. Pour the flour onto a plate and then pass the meatballs through the flour so they have a thin coating all over.
7. Put the floured meatballs to one side on a clean plate. Shake them a little to remove excess flour.
8. Fry the meatballs in hot extra virgin olive oil, for about three minutes is enough. The idea is to seal them and lightly brown them, then put to one side. They don't need to be cooked all the way through at this stage.

Now for the sauce:

1. Wash and dice the onion. Laminate the garlic clove and place in a wide deep pan. Add a dash of virgin olive oil and poach the onion and garlic in a little water for about 3-5 minutes until it has almost evaporated completely.
2. Cut the carrots and the red pepper into small pieces.
3. When the onion has gone transparent, add the rest of the carrots and red pepper and sauté them all together.
4. After a minute or so, add a heaped teaspoon of flour to the pan and toast the flour for a minute, stirring well.
5. Let the ingredients release all their liquids for about 5 minutes. When it has reduced, pour in the white wine and let it cook over high heat to cook off the alcohol and until the wine has reduced a little - about 10 min
6. Now add the meatballs to the pan. Don't put them on top of each other. Try and use a wide pan so they all have their own space.
7. Add the saffron and the bay leaf.
8. Add the chicken stock and the peas and let them cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. If the stock is too thick you can rectify by adding more water. Make sure the water is boiling so it doesn't stop cooking.
9. Once the sauce has reduced to the right consistency season and taste for salt.
10. Let the meatballs rest for about 5 minutes and serve with fried potato slices, chips, mashed potatoes or even white rice. Or you could just eat them as they are with some crusty bread.

Serve and enjoy!

Visit El Puig on 25th January - Fiesta Sant Pere

2026-01-09T20:52:12

‘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 25th.

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

The King's Market with Churros

2026-01-02T17:20:51

In three days, on the eve of the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men, however you wish to call them, we'll once again follow the family tradition and go out to the “Reyes” market in the Cabañal.

The Cabañal market is very well known in Valencia and it is the night when parents leave their kids at home asleep (with a relative watching over) and escape to buy a few last presents and give a helping hand to the overworked kings. Even though most presents have already been bought, a wander around the market in the early hours of the morning is a must, especially for my wife. From the neighbourhood, and after years of frequenting the market at Christmas, she knows every trick in the book on how to get a bargain and if you are prepared to hang around, she seems to know the right time to really push the bartering into fifth gear and walk away with ridiculous bargains, normally around 4:00am. At that time the sellers are tired after a long day's work, their opportunity to sell has come to an end, within a matter of minutes no one will have any reason to buy any presents at all and above all toys. This is when the toy prices plummet by over 50% so you can whip up some great presents for next to nothing.

Although we enjoy wandering around the market and picking up a few stocking fillers, the real reason we head down there every year is to feel the Christmassy atmosphere that is in the air and enjoy our seasonal ‘churros and hot chocolate’, normally the first of the winter season.

On a chilly night, at 2:30 in the morning a hot cup of chocolate and freshly made churros is pretty much unbeatable, just what you need to get you through to the end of the market! However it’s not all about shopping, the number of people you bump into is unbelievable and this makes progress sometimes painstakingly slow especially for me at least, as I am not much of a fan of crowded places so I get a bit irritable and would rather take a quick detour to the local coffee shop and wait for the women there!

I must admit I quite like this market though, its full of junk mostly but still it's fun and if you look hard you can come across some nice stuff and if you are cheeky enough you’ll get a decent price. But it’s this night that kicks me into “pudding” mode and I start to cook sweets at home, normally during the summer and autumn I don’t bother but when the cold arrives and the smell of churros is in the air, I can’t help myself. So I thought I would share a recipe for churros, you can’t always find them when you want them and honestly, they are not difficult to make. So here is a recipe I was taught and I hope you find it useful too. Remember the chocolate is the easy part, you can buy that in powder format in any supermarket, I normally buy the powder made by ‘Chocolates Valor’, which is really very good. Remember it must be thick!

The ingredients you will need for approximately 4 servings of churros is the following:

300gr Flour
400ml water(300ml if you want the churros slightly heavier, a question of taste)
1 tsp. of yeast/bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp. fine table salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

First you will need to heat up the water and add the salt. If you are using tap water drop a slice of lemon peel in, this will help get rid of that tap-water taste. Once boiling, remove the water from the heat and let it cool slightly. When you can pop your finger in without burning yourself, add the flour that you have previously mixed with the yeast (brand ‘Royal’ is ok) or bicarbonate of soda. Mix in the flour and yeast mix bit by bit until it has become an even mass without any lumps. It shouldn’t be a very thick mix (unless you’ve reduced the water, it will be thicker). Once ready, let it sit for an hour or so. It’s important not to use too much yeast otherwise they will swell up too much and absorb a lot of oil and become indigestible.

Now fill an icing syringe or bag with a wide nozzle and squeeze out about 15cm of churros mix, cut with scissors at the nozzle tip and let it drop into abundant hot olive oil, careful it doesn’t splash the oil! Let it cook until golden and repeat the process until all the churros are cooked. When you remove them from the oil place them on a kitchen towel to soak up excess oil and sprinkle with sugar. One trick is not to cook too many churros at the same time, the more in the oil the quicker the temperature will drop and for the churros to be crispy and not soak up oil, the oil must be very hot throughout the entire cooking process.

So as you see they are no more difficult than pancakes so give it a go and start dunking churros with a cup of thick hot chocolate!

"Puchero de Nadal" - Valencian Stew for Christmas

2025-12-19T15:15:04

Although Christmas Eve is probably the most lavish meal of the Christmas holidays in Spain, originally it was Christmas day, much as it is in the UK. It was a day for bringing together the entire family including grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins and any other family member that you may not have seen throughout the year. Depending on the family, each year it would move house and thus the hosting of this enormous event would be shared amongst the family members. Nowadays, still very much a family event though, Christmas Eve and Christmas day is now normally split between the parents and the in-laws, one day with each.

Each region of Spain has its own tradition for the Christmas menu, which is determined mainly by local cuisine, for example on the coast seafood or fish is common and inland, meat plays a more important role such as roasted suckling lamb, however nowadays most regions tend to combine both, especially on Christmas Eve. However, Christmas day in the Valencian community is a day for enjoying a rather special typical dish called ‘Puchero de Nadal’ ó ‘Cocido Navideño’. Effectively it is a stew with giant meatballs but it is enjoyed in two stages. It may seem very simple and rustic but it is a very long meal and takes time to digest. It contains almost everything you could possibly imagine putting in a stew. What makes this stew different from the rest of the stews in Spain is the use of local sausages and local vegetables. The Valencian community is well known for its vegetables and this is well portrayed in the Valencian ‘Puchero’.

As with most traditional recipes, there is nothing written in stone, except using a giant cauldron! So grab the biggest pot you can find otherwise there is no way all the ingredients will fit in. Remember the stock, the meat and the vegetables can all be frozen afterwards so if you have a lot left over, you will, ration it out in Tupperware and freeze it for another day or use it for another recipe as mentioned later on.

For the stew you will need the following :

½ medium sized Chicken (approx. 1,25kg of meat)
2 large meatballs (recipe as follows)
1 piece of bone marrow
1 piece of knee bone
150 grams of beef
1 Blanquet sausage
1 Onion Morcilla sausage
100 grams of pork fat
300 grams of chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
Saffron
1 stick of Celery, 1 stick of Cardoon, 1 sweet potato, 1 white turnip, 1 yellow turnip, 1 parsnip, 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 1 leek, 5 runner beans and ¼ cabbage. (As far as the vegetables go, you can chuck in whatever you have at hand, but this is the standard recipe in Valencia)

Stew net for binding
Cabbage leaves for wrapping up the meatballs.

If you feel like saving some time you can always make the balls the day before. Mix the meat, salt, pepper, parsley, cinnamon, eggs and pine nuts to taste. Pour the breadcrumbs in and knead it all together until it forms a thick mass. Add the lemon juice and knead it all together again. Separate the meat mass into two parts and then roll it into two large balls. Once you have made the balls wrap each ball in cabbage leaves and then place them inside the stewing net and tie them up tight and add to the rest of the meat for the stew.

Once the stew is ready it is customary to first enjoy a bowl of soup from the stock cooked either with rice or noodles. Some may add a piece of the meatball to the soup and others may add a bit of everything and then move on to the rest of the meat and vegetables, the choice is yours. It would also be customary to make 'oven-baked rice' (arroz al horno) the following day with the leftovers. So there you have it, a very hearty meal from the heart of Valencia and ideal for this time of year, it may not look very sophisticated but it tastes incredible!

Enjoy!

Magro en Tomate - Pork in Tomato sauce

2025-12-12T18:48:45

Pork in tomato sauce is one of the many traditional dishes of Spanish cuisine that is made throughout the length and breadth of the territory. With a few very cheap ingredients, you can enjoy this dish either at home, or at the bar as an appetizer or tapa, and always, of course, with a good piece of crusty bread to dip in the sauce.

Preparing it is very easy since it basically involves cooking the meat with a decent amount of tomato. The quality of the latter is important though.

It is important to get some very ripe tomatoes or a very good tomato preserve. During cooking, the sauce is concentrated and reduced while it is impregnated with the juices of the meat, giving it that characteristic flavour that is so popular. In addition, this is one of those stews which tastes even better if you let it rest for a whole day.

To accompany it, you can have white rice for example or even a portion of good chips. Other accompaniments that are common, especially when eaten as a main dish, are fried eggs and fried green peppers, which help to fill out the meal.

Getting hungry?

BASIC INFO:

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

800g lean pork meat, chopped

Salt

Ground black pepper

1 large onion

1 Italian green pepper (optional)

4 cloves of garlic

800 g of very ripe natural tomato or canned

4 tablespoons olive oil

150 ml of white wine

1 or 2 bay leaves

parsley (optional)

Sugar (optional)

STEPS:

To prepare this fantastic recipe, we need 800 g of lean pork meat, chopped and ready to cook. However, first, we are going to check it to remove any excess fat that has remained. Generously season with salt and pepper and let it stand while we prepare the vegetables.

Take 1 large onion, peel it and chop it finely. Optionally, in season, we can add 1 Italian pepper. In this case, we remove the stem, open it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. We chop it very finely. We also need 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped. Finally, we crush 800 g of tomatoes, which can be natural or good quality canned tomatoes. In the first case, we will make sure that they are fully ripe, wash them and remove the stem. To remove the remains of the skins and seeds, pass the tomato through a chinois or fine sieve, pushing with a mortar pestle or with the back of a spoon

Heat a large skillet or pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When it is very hot, but not smoking, brown the meat over medium-high heat, until browned on all sides. We will do it in two batches because if we put everything in at once the pan will fall in temperature and it will take longer to cook and brown the meat. As the pieces of meat brown, we remove them and put them to one side.

We lower the heat and finish adding the other 3 tablespoons of oil we need. In it we are going to fry the onion with the pepper over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so that it does not burn. We want it to be very poached so we will cook it for about 10 minutes or so.

Once they are very soft and transparent, add the garlic and mix. Let it cook for about 1 minute. At that time, we put the meat back in the pan or pot, along with any of the juices that it may have released, and soak it with 150 ml of white wine, I like to use a Verdejo. Next, we turn up the heat and let it cook so that the alcohol in the wine evaporates. It will take a few minutes.

Cover the meat with the blended tomato. Also add one or two bay leaves, which will give the sauce a very rich flavour. Let it heat up until it starts to bubble. At that moment and before it starts to spit, lower the heat and let it simmer for between 30 and 45 minutes until the tomato has thickened and the meat is tender. To avoid the tomato spitting everywhere, cover the pot with a fine mesh cover, which also allows the sauce to evaporate.

Finally, taste the sauce and rectify with salt and pepper if necessary. We can also add a little finely chopped parsley. Optionally, you can reduce the acidity of the tomato sauce with a little sugar during the cooking stage but check this halfway through. However, if very ripe tomatoes are used and the onion is well poached, it may not be necessary to add any sugar.

Good Luck

Spanish Cheeses You Must Try

2025-11-26T18:50:12

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: from 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 in this pages 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 our enormous cheese heritage, which is a reserve of our culture and traditions and places us among the most important cheese-producing countries in the world. Here are the top 10:

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!

The Secretary's Chicken

2025-11-14T20:03:56

Even though winter is around the corner, I thought I would share with you a wonderfully warming chicken stew recipe, but with a very peculiar name: The Secretary's Chicken - "Pollo a la Secretaria". It earned this peculiar name as a result of the cook's forgetfulness. A group of friends from the Jaén town of Alcalá la Real, who met in a farmhouse to celebrate the day of San Roque were supposed to be sitting down to enjoy a typical rice dish when, halfway through the preparation, the cook was going to add the rice and realised that he had forgotten to bring this seemingly important ingredient. Fortunately, one of the attendees, who happened to be the secretary for the local town council suggested that the chicken could still be cooked even without the rice and that he should just crack on with the recipe without it, and the result was a complete success, so the dish was baptised The Secretary's Chicken. It really is an easy recipe and ever so tasty, so let's give it a go:

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 Free-range chicken chopped up into pieces (about 1,5 kg)

75 g Green peas

200 g Serrano ham cut into small cubes

6 Garlic clove

Saffron - a few strands

200 ml Chicken stock

1 Chicken liver (if you buy the chicken from a butcher, say you want the liver too)

3 Onions (sliced)

200 ml White wine

Extra virgin olive oil three tablespoons

2 Bay leaves

Fresh parsley - a few sprigs

1/2 Large green pepper (sliced)

1/2 Large red pepper (sliced)

1 Large grated tomato

Start by frying the peeled garlic cloves (whole, without chopping them up) together with the chicken liver for a couple of minutes. Once they are ready, blend the garlic and liver with a few sprigs of parsley and a tiny bit of water in a blender. Once you have a thick paste put it to one side. Be careful not to add too much water. Start with a half a tablespoon and add accordingly.

In the same saucepan with which you fried the garlic, brown the chicken pieces. Brown them really well, if you need to add a little more oil, do so, but make sure they are nicely browned. This is what adds extra flavour to the dish.

Once fried, put the chicken to one side. Using the same saucepan again, fry the onions and the peppers. When they begin to brown and soften, add the grated tomato and the white wine.

Now, put the chicken pieces back in that you fried earlier and add the garlic and liver paste, the bay leaves and the saffron. Mix all together and then add the peas, the ham cubes and the chicken stock, let it simmer together for about 25 minutes on medium heat until the chicken is tender. Taste for salt and add if necessary.

Remove it from the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

I like to serve this dish with fresh potato chips (not frozen) fried in extra virgin olive oil, but you could also serve it with white rice or on its own with some crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Pringá - A lasting memory of Seville

2025-11-07T18:46:07

In Andalusia and especially in Seville, there is an amazing snack which I discovered called "Pringá". Essentially it is a slice of bread, sometimes lightly toasted, with a dollop of leftover stew all mixed together. It sounds awful, but it's heavenly!

The soft tender meat is rescued from the pot and with a little love the most amazing mixture is created. As with all homemade cooking recipes, flavours will change from household to household depending on what is added to the stew pot, but a standard recipe involves mixing bacon with chicken, beef, and pork.

The key to this recipe is, of course, that the raw materials are of the best possible quality and that the cooking process is slow and controlled so that no meat is too soggy or dry. You can pretty much make a Pringá from any type of stew, but perhaps it is from the Madrid stew and the Andalusian stew that you get the most meat to play with. If you are creative, you can add some spice to the mix, although it is not something that is done anywhere, cumin or black pepper works really well.

If you find it is very fatty or too strong, just add some pickled gherkin which accompanies it perfectly. So this is what you will need to create a great Pringá.

For the stew you will need the following :

½ medium-sized free-range Chicken (approx. 1,25kg of meat)
1 piece of brisket (about 200g)
1 thick piece of pancetta
1 thick piece of bacon Iberico
1 chunk of serrano ham off the bone.
1 bone of serrano ham
1 piece of bone marrow
1 Blanquet sausage
1 Onion Morcilla sausage
100 grams of pork fat - "tocino "
300 grams of chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
Saffron

Vegetables:
1 stick of Celery, 1 stick of Cardoon, 1 sweet potato, 1 white turnip, 1 yellow turnip, 1 parsnip, 3 potatoes, 3 carrots, 1 leek, 5 runner beans and ¼ cabbage.

As far as the vegetables go, you can chuck in whatever you have at hand.

So, to make the stew it is as easy as cleaning and peeling the vegetables and placing them all in the pot with the meat, except for the carrots, potatoes, runner beans and the morcilla. These need to be held back for later as they cook more quickly. Cover with water and slowly bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low heat and let it simmer for 2 hours. Remember to skim off the foam that rises to the top. After 2 hours pop in the rest of the ingredients that were held back and then simmer for further 90 minutes. Once ready, separate all the meat from the stock and let it cool to one side.

While the cooked meats and pork fat are still warm or hot, shred the chicken, pancetta, bacon, beef and serrano ham and the "tocino" with the help of a fork or chopping it up a little with a knife, until you get a mashed-up mixture of frayed meats. Add a little broth until the desired texture is achieved, it should not be too wet or too dry but it needs to have a thick consistency that is spreadable.

Taste and rectify with salt if necessary, now would be the time to add the spices, if you want.

Cut a slice of bread and toast it slightly. In Andalucia, a soft roll is also used - called a "mollete" - to make a sandwich. Whichever way you decide, add the gooey mush and spread it well then heat everything up, under the grill for about 2 minutes and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Arroz al Horno - Spanish Baked Rice Recipe

2025-10-31T20:24:20

Rice dishes are one of my favourites, but Valencian oven-baked rice or “Arroz al Horno” when I first came to Spain wasn’t exactly one of them until I tasted the real deal. I took a disliking to it mainly because it was often too dry for my liking. However, when I learnt the tricks to get it right, everything changed. It was just a process of practise making perfect, to be honest. There is a fine line between 'ok' rice and 'great' rice and I must admit it has taken me several attempts to even get close to a great “Arroz al Horno”. As with all traditional dishes they tend to be a lot of work but fortunately, this dish isn’t that time consuming and the result is just fantastic. It is actually quite simple. Valencian cuisine is normally eclipsed by the Paella but this dish is very much part of the Valencian’s staple diet. Traditionally it was prepared with the leftovers from the “cocido”, a meat and vegetable stew, but nowadays everyone makes it with fresh ingredients. Another of its advantages is that it doesn’t make as much mess as a paella when you are cooking indoors!

This dish is cooked in a large flat earthenware dish. If you don’t have one you can also cook it in a non-stick baking pan. However, the result is better in an earthenware dish. The ingredients you will need for this recipe are the following:

Ingredients for 4 people :

400g Round Valencian Rice – the same you use for a paella - Bomba variety is the easiest to use as it will not go too soft, it is a lot more forgiving if you overcook it or get eth measurements wrong.

300g Pork Ribs chopped up into small pieces

300g Pancetta (thick-cut bacon) chopped up into small pieces.

200g Grated tomato

4 Onion Morcillas (Spanish black pudding)

1 large tomato cut into thick slices

1 large potato cut into thick slices

300g Cooked Chickpeas (garbanzos)

1 whole head of garlic

Saffron

Paprika

1 litre approx. Chicken and vegetable stock

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably Picual for frying)

(In Valencia you can buy "Arroz al Horno meat packs" already made up in some supermarkets so if you find one you only need to pull together the rest. I like to add a little extra pancetta if I buy a pack as they don't normally put much in them)

It looks like a lot of ingredients but it is fairly straight forward so I really encourage you to give it a go.

The first step is to get the oven on full heat so it starts heating up while you are preparing the rest and start heating the stock. It needs to be almost boiling when you add it to the pan. Add a little saffron to the stock to give it a bit of colour and when the stock is hot add the chickpeas to it to heat them up, keep the stock hot. If you have homemade stock fantastic but the chances are you won't and I didn't, so I used as most people do, a ready-made stock from the supermarket.

Grab a frying pan, put in some extra virgin olive oil and start to fry the potatoes slices. They don’t need to be cooked just half cooked and slightly browned. Remove them and place them to one side.

Now you need to fry the pork ribs. They need to be really well cooked so they go brown and crispy around the edges. Once the ribs are turning slightly brown pop in the whole garlic with the pancetta until it goes crispy too. You need to put the pancetta in slightly later as it cooks faster than the ribs. Once ready remove it all from the pan and place the meat and the garlic in the earthenware dish.

Take the morcillas and quickly fry them, without cutting them up, in the fat that has been left in the pan, just for a couple of minutes and take them out. You are not cooking them now just sealing them and giving the fat a bit more flavour. The next step is to add the grated tomato to the oil with a teaspoon of paprika and fry it gently in the remaining oil for a minute or two. At this point, you need to add the rice to the frying pan to seal it for a minute or so before putting it in the earthenware recipient. This will soak up all the fat and flavour from the pan and is essential for the final result. At this point, you need to add the hot stock and the chickpeas to the earthenware dish as quickly as possible, move the ingredients around so they are all evenly in place and put the potato and tomato slices on top. Now place it immediately in the oven on full heat for 20 min (250ºC). During the last five minutes of the cooking time turn on the grill so it browns the top. When it is ready all the stock should have evaporated. Remove it from the oven and let it sit for five minutes before serving.

As with all rice dishes the amount of stock or water is the key to success. The easiest way to measure the correct amount of rice and the correct amount of stock is to find a coffee cup or a small glass. I have one that holds approximately 100g of rice so I use one cup per person. The rule of thumb is for every cup/glass of rice you will need two cups of stock minus one from the total number. So if you are using 4 cups of rice you would need 7 cups of stock (using the same cup measurement).

The secret to this recipe is time management and really cooking the meat well. The objective is to get all the ingredients into the oven while they are still hot so the oven doesn’t have to heat them up but starts cooking straight away from the minute it goes in.

Now, just serve up and enjoy!