Spanish
food - Andalucia
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Andalucia has a varied habitat. The area around
Jerez is dominated by sherry bodegas, and sherry is not only enjoyed
as a drink but is used to flavour dishes such as rinones al jerez
(kidneys in sherry). Just an hours drive from the beaches we arrive
at seemingly endless olive groves. Olive oil is used extensively
in Andalucian cooking, and marinated green olives are a favourite
apéritif. Driving a little further we reach the mountains
of Huelva, where the renowned Jabugo hams are cured.
The famous chilled soup gazpacho is ideally suited to the heat of
the Andalucian summer. It is made from breadcrumbs and pureed summer
vegetables, usually tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers and flavored
with garlic, vinegar, olive oil and seasoning. Traditionally ground
with a pestle and mortar and left to chill in the cellar, today
the hand blender and refrigerator makes life that bit easier. The
oil gives the soup a thick creamy texture, and the gazpacho is commonly
eaten with toasted bread. A variation on the gazpacho is solmorejo
from Cordoba, another chilled soup where diced tomatoes is the sole
vegetable used. Ajo blanco is another cold soup from Malaga which
is made from breadcrumbs pureed garlic, oil vinegar and seasoning.
Rabo de toro
(bull's tail)
One of the Andalucia's best known dishes is rabo del toro, bulls
tail with a tomato based sauce found in Cordoba. Moorish influences
can be seen in dishes like pinchos, lamb kebabs. It is also evident
through the use of nuts or dried fruit in savory dishes like calderetas,
a lamb stew with almonds, or cordera a la moruna, a lamb dish with
raisins and favored with cinnamon and cumin. Away from the coast
we can find game based dishes, such as perdices rellanas, stuffed
partridge filled with a serrano ham, anchovy and bread stuffing.
Serrano ham is also used with croquettes, a popular tapa. For the
adventurous sacromonte is a omelette dish from Granada that contains
sweetbreads and red peppers, and is said to have gypsy origins.
Cazuela Malaguena
Unsurprisingly with a coastline taking in the
Mediterranean and Atlantic, and stretching over 800 kilometers,
Andalucia has a strong tradition of seafood. In the Costa del Sol
fresh sardines, skewered and grilled over a fire, are sold along
the beachfront. A popular tapa found all over Andalucia is pescaditos,
anchovies and other tiny fish which are coated in batter and deep
fried. Cazuela malaguena is a soup from Malaga made from clams and
fideos, a Spanish noodle similar to vermicelli. Remojon is a Lenten
salad from the north of the province made from salted cod, oranges
and olives.
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Mojama is a exquisite delicacy found in the Costa de Luz that is
yet another culinary legacy of the Moors. Fresh tuna is cut into
strips, rubbed in salt and left to dry in the sun. The winds coming
off the coast in the Costa del Luz aids the drying process. When
cured, the mojama has a dark reddish colour. Many Spaniards eat
mojama sliced thinly, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and left
to marinate for an hour. The addition of some tomato, toasted almonds,
crusty bread and a glass of wine make for a simple but very tasty
dish. It can also be cubed and added to a green salad or grated
over a plate of spaghetti and dressed with a little olive oil. A
quick simple snack is to toast some bread (barra or baguette) rub
very lightly with garlic, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with
a thin slice of mojama.
Polvorones
One of the more quaint aspects of Andalucian cuisine is the many
convent pastry shops that sell confectionery to the public. The
tradition arose from charitable donations off egg yolks made to
the nuns by sherry bodegas, who used the egg whites to clarify the
wine. Although not as numerous as in bygone years, these nunnery
bakeries still number around fifty in the province. The most famous
of these, San Leandro in Seville, sells delicious yemas made from
egg yolk to a 400 year old recipe. Santa Ines, also in Seville,
sells bollitos de Santa Ines, a sweet pastry ball. There are other
convents at Ronda, Moron de la Frontera, Alcala de Guadaira and
Bormujos. Some of the nunneries are closed orders, forbidden contact
with the public. In these the nun fulfills the order hidden behind
a wooden revolving door on which the money is placed and the pastries
received. Their products are particularly in demand at Easter and
Christmas time, when polvorones (dry shortbread) and mantecado (lard
cakes) are traditionally eaten.
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Tostados
This is wonderful at any time of day, we have it
for breakfast at about 10, or as a snack or starter.
You will need:
- A day old barra (french stick)
- A peeled clove of garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh tomato
Slice the barra lengthwise and toast until golden,
then rub the toasted side with the garlic clove
all over. Take the tomato and slice in half and
rub vigourously over the toast. Drizzle lots and
lots of olive oil onto the toast let it soak in
and enjoy! Some people like to sprinkle a little
salt on too.
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