Tag Archives: gazpacho

Seville | 10 Typical Tapas

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People often ask me questions like “What is your favourite tapa?”, to which I usually answer “what’s your favourite song?”. Obviously it’s impossible to choose just one, but I can tell you about the most typical/popular tapas (or foods in general) that people eat here. And so, in response to popular demand, this is a list of 10 very typical – and delicious – Spanish tapas. It’s not definitive. It has a regional bias towards Andalucia (no Pulpo a la Gallega, no Paella, no Fideuá), and some personal biases too (no Ensaladilla Rusa or Callos a la Madrileña). And there’s plenty of common dishes not included because this is a top ten, not a top fifty.

jamonjamón Ibérico de Bellota

Cured ham Jamón is close to being a national obsession in Spain. Hams can be seen hanging from the rafters in all the best bars, and every tapeo should begin with a plate of it served in those wafer thin slices. The best quality is Iberico, made from the Spanish black-footed pig (pata negra), but Serrano is good too.

Fresh Anchovies (boquerones) The Spanish and Portuguese are said to eat more fish and seafood than any other people on earth, except the Japanese and Icelanders. One of the most popular fish is boquerones, which are either fried in batter al limón, or marinated in vinegar. Delicious either way and nothing like the tinned variety you may be used to.

Tortilla de Patatas I was in two minds whether to include this as it’s so not exotic, but it’s so typical I felt I had to. A traditional thick potato omelette, though it can be made with other vegetables too, cooked to a firmer texture than a typical English omelette (although some people prefer a more runny centre) and cut into slices. Comfort food goodness.

tortillatortilla de patatas

Croquettes These really don’t need much explanation, except to say that they are unlike the French variety, with bechamel instead of potato, and various fillings (ham, mushroom, cheese etc), rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The best are satisfyingly crunchy.

Pavia de Bacalao  Bacalao (cod), usually salted, is one of the staples of Spanish cooking. Pavia is a traditional battered cod (a bit like the fish in fish and chips), crispy and crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside, but bacalao can be served in dozens of different forms.

Solomillo al Whisky Pork sirloin grilled and served with a whisky and garlic sauce. Can be served with other sauces, but this is the best.

Gazpacho is the best known of the Spanish cold soups that are so refreshing on a hot summer’s day, although I’m making it do duty here for cold soups in general. The majority of these are tomato based (my favourite is actually salmorejo, served with a garnish of chopped boiled egg and jamón), but you should also try ajo blanco, the white garlic and almond soup that’s the oldest known cold soup variety.

gazpachoa cold cup of gazpacho

Gambas al Ajillo Prawns in sizzling hot oil and garlic, with the odd red chili pepper thrown in for a bit of bite. Prawns are ubiquitous in the tapas bars, and come in all shapes, sizes and methods of preparation, but I think this is the most “Spanish”.

Meatballs (albondigas) Usually pork, sometimes beef, and quite often (albondigas being broader in meaning than meat balls) seafood, especially chocos (cuttlefish), served in a thick sauce, either gravy or tomato based. Like a lot of traditional dishes it was originally an economical filler- and nothing wrong with that.

Pork cheeks (Carrillada or Carrillera) Possibly my favourite tapa (though it’s a close call), pork cheeks are braissed on low heat for three hours or more until they’re super tender, and served in a sauce made from their own juices, garlic, and whatever else the bar’s secret recipe calls for. Miss this one and you’ll regret it forever.

Find out more about tapas and the art of the tapeo over here.

Recipes | Traditional Spanish Cold Soups

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Summer is the time when Spanish cooking is all about food that is light and refreshing, and this is when the traditional Spanish cold soups come into their own. The best known of these is gazpacho, which is one of a family of tomato based soups that includes salmorejo and porra, as well as other local variations, but although nowadays tomatoes are often perceived as the most important ingredient, this isn’t really true. The origins of the dish go back to before the discovery of America, and consequently of tomatoes and peppers, both products of the New World. This would leave us with something closer to ajoblanco (cold garlic and almond soup), the other common Spanish cold soup, but without the almonds.

gazpachogazpacho

 We can then see that we start in early medieval times with a soup of water, dry bread, olive oil, garlic and vinegar (this indicates a possible Roman origin, as vinegar was important in their cuisine, but not in the Moorish cuisine that followed it), to which were added any leftover vegetables, or less commonly, meat or fish. The basic preparation method was to soak the bread, and to mash it up with the garlic and other vegetables while adding the oil and vinegar to make a paste.

 This proto-soup becomes ajoblanco with the addition of peeled, blanched and crushed almonds, which results in a thick, creamy white soup that makes a refreshing change from the tomato varieties. Almonds came to Spain with the Moors, and ajoblanco is generally held to have originated in Malaga and Granada, their last strongholds.

ajoblancoajoblanco

 The arrival of tomatoes from the Americas in the early 16th century gave impetus to the evolution of the cold tomato soups that we are familiar with today. Since Sevilla was the port of entry, and the valley of the River Guadalquivir proved perfect for their cultivation (the tomatoes of Los Palacios are renowned for their size and taste, and figure prominently in the displays of the local markets), it’s not surprising that these soups are closely connected with this region of Andalucia, and were, in fact, little known outside this region until the 19th century.

salmorejosalmorejo

The differences between the varieties are mostly about the thickness of the soup, and its additional ingredients, and the localities they are associated with. Gazpacho, traditionally associated with Seville ,uses less bread and olive oil, resulting in a thinner mix, and adds more vegetable ingredients, particularly cucumber, but also peppers and onions. Croutons and chopped cucumber and pepper are often added as a garnish.

Salmorejo is thicker and creamier than gazpacho, and is often used as a sauce (one of my favourite tapas is a carpaccio of salt cod topped with salmorejo). A wide range of extra ingredients, such as beetroot, melon and avocados, may be added, and bars specialising in varieties of salmorejo, such as Umami in Cordoba (the official hometown of salmorejo), have started to appear. In Úbeda I even came across a variety for the gluten intolerant that replaced bread with green apples – and very tasty it was too. Usually comes with a garnish of quartered hard-boiled eggs and chopped ham.

porraporra

Porra (the word literally means a club, and may refer to the mortar and pestle used to grind up the ingredients) is the thickest of all, with extra breadcrumbs and red or green peppers. Tuna is a popular garnish.

Below are some sample recipes from About.com.
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