Omega-3

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 1

CONTENTS

Spring Features

Sparkling AspirationsCelebrations can seem incompletewithout the sound of a bottle ofsparkling wine being popped open.Ian Cowley investigates why manyin Spain pop away daily. ................4

Mallorca: Oil, Bread and WineThe island of Mallorca is probablyone of Spain´s most well knowndestinations. Clear blue waters,sandy beaches and year-round goodweather have lured many a touristover the course of the years.Surprisingly, its impact as a foodiedestination has been much smaller,for, as Michael Raffael discovers, theislands bear many riches forgourmets and gourmands alike. ....12

Gourmet Spanish Sandwich IdeasA truly good sandwich is among the most satisfying of everydaypleasures. Megan Cytron suggests a handful of ideas that couldbrighten up anyone’s lunch hour.............................................20

Pimentón: Powdered Red GoldWhen peppers were first carriedacross the Atlantic to Europe onSpanish ships, few would havethought that, pimentón a type ofSpanish paprika would not onlybecome one of the key ingredientsin the Spanish pantry, but also oneof the richest and eye-catchingcondiments in the world. AnAmerican, an Indian and a Spanishchef give us their tips on how tobest use it. ..................................28

Regular Features

Spain: small bites Our guide to a Spain close to home. ..............................2

VistasRoss Golden-Bannon, explains theappeal of bacalao, or salt cod inSpain. Saul Aparicio, in turn, takesa survey among chefs on theirfavourite Spanish products. ........36

RecipesChef Nino Redruello of La Ancharestaurant and sommelier María JoséHuertas of La Terraza del Casinooffer you six delicious ideas andtheir choice of what to ‘wash themdown’ with. ................................38

Shopping guideFind Spanish products near you ......................................51

Much like pulling off a band-aid, I have always thought it is best to get bad news out of the way in one swift, sharp tug. So here goes: afterroughly four years coming out as a supplement to The Times and TheIrish Times, the magazine you are currently holding is to be the lastissue of Spain Gourmetour to be published.

All things considered, we’ve had a good run. Through these years, we brought you sights ranging from the horses of Jerez to writerGraham Greene’s favourite spots in Galicia. We have tried to introduceyou to some of Spain’s hottest wine regions and products, we haveoffered recipes both modern and traditional, and we have had chefs,food writers, sommeliers and experts tell you about their favouriteaspects of Spanish culture… And, judging by your feedback, you have enjoyed reading us as much as we’ve enjoyed writing for you.

At Spain Gourmetour, we now move on to other pursuits. A few months from now, our website www.spaingourmetour.com will go live, replacing the current trade magazine Internet edition and we willcontinue to bring the best on Spanish food, wine and travel to those of you who choose to follow us there.

But before we go, here’s a whopper of an issue: a foodie tour of theisland of Mallorca, a handful of delicious sandwich ideas, an in-depthlook at a crucial ingredient in Spanish cooking –the spice pimentón– and an introduction to the king of Spanish sparkling wines, Cava. We hope this will keep you all going until we meet again atwww.spaingourmetour.com.

Until then, muchas gracias for your support and encouragement over the years. It’s been a true pleasure sharing our country with you.

Cathy BoiracEditor in Chief

SPAIN GOURMETOURSPRING 2009

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Spain

IRELANDTASTING SPAINWant to learn more about Spanishwine? 5 new, introductory courses to Spanish wines will be held at the Instituto Cervantes this yearfrom February. Would-be-wine-buffs can learn the basics in a relaxed environment, with a tutorial followed by an informal tastingsession. For more information,contact Instituto Cervantes, (01) 6311524, cendub@cervantes.es or log onto http://dublin.cervantes.es

CATWALK APPEALSpain is one of the most cutting edge voices in fashion and Irishfashionistas have been taking theirinspiration from the Spanish catwalks for some time now,updating their wardrobes with keypieces from such designers as Custo Barcelona, Miriam Ocarizand the modern Desigual, allstocked in Ireland. For moreinformation on key Spanish looksand the Spanish designers log ontowww.fashionfromspain.com andthe section “Shopping in the world.”

SUNSHINE FOODTop chef Nevin Maguireheads to Spain for his newseries, Food from the Sun. In this thirteen part series, the chef travels to beautifulSpanish locations in Mallorcaand Spain, picking up ingredients and recipes to create authentic, stunning Spanish fare. Tune in this spring and summer on RTE 1 or on UKTV food. For moreinformation log ontowww.rte.ie

HEALTHY CHOICEDon Carlos, that well-known producer of olive oils, has extendedtheir range to include a new selectionof olive oils. Foodies should look outfor their Organic Extra Virgin OliveOil–produced in Andalucia under strict environmental conditions–, ExtraVirgin Olive Oil enriched with Omega3–essential for brain fun ction and ahealthy heart–and Extra Virgin OliveOil enriched with vitamins, A, D, Eand K. The range also includes olives,capers, wine vinegars, sea salt,vegetables, cured meats, saffron andmost recently, a selection of Spanishwines. Visit www.doncarlos.ie formore recipes and products from Spain.

SMALL BITES

Add some flavour to your life. We´ve got it !

Instituto CervantesThe Spanish Cultural Centrein Ireland and the UK

General language courses (all levels)

Morning, afternoon, evening and Saturday classes

Special courses:

Spanish courses on-line

International Diplomas

Cultural events

Outstanding Library

• Business

• Children

• Cinema

• Literature

• Wine Tasting Seminars

http://www.cervantes.es/learn_spanish/

UNITED KINGDOMROSÉ CAVA, BESTWINE OF THE YEARSpecialist wine journalist AnthonyRose’s list of the 50 best wines ofthe year for The Independentnewspaper was this year topped byCodorníu cava Vintage Rosé 2006. This rosé Cava, which is a blend ofPinot Noir with the local Monastrellvariety and uses traditional methods of production, is an excellent andmoderately priced introduction to the unfairly maligned world of pink bubblies.

Other Spanish wines included in the selection of 50 are SalmosPriorat 2006 from Torres, at number19, and the Castillo La Paz 2007Tempranillo and Shiraz, taking thenumber 43 spot.

PEPE RODRÍGUEZ IN HARRODSMichelin-starred chef PepeRodríguez Rey of El Bohío de Illescasin the outskirts of Madrid is the mindbehind the new short Spanish menuavailable at Harrods. The recentlyopened Osborne 5J Ibérico ham standon the ground floor of the famedKnighstbridge store will be offering a selection of seven dishes and twotapas including some of RodríguezRey’s signature dishes in addition tosome of Spain’s most renowned hams,chorizo’s and cured Ibérico products.For more info on Rodríguez Rey’scooking visit www.elbohio.com

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TextIan Cowley/©ICEX

PhotosToya Legido/©ICEX

IlustrationJavier Zabala

SPARKLING

Almost since the first bottle of bubbly accidentally exploded in

the cellar of Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon’s Hautvilliers

abbey in the early 18th century, sparkling wine has come to be

associated with popping corks, wild celebrations and the high

life; but as Ian Cowley finds out, Cava can make an everyday

meal a foodie celebration.

aspirations

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CAVA

The single most eye-openingexperience of my brief spellas a student in the Frenchregion of Champagne wasthat the local produce, farfrom being kept as a finalbang to commemorate aspecial occasion, was alwaysthe daily wine of choice atmealtimes. In the Catalanwine-producing region ofPenedès this is also the case,and with the area nowproducing sparkling wines of higher calibre than everbefore, if you’re looking tobring a little everydayeffervescence to your tablethen look no further than thequality and affordability ofCava.

The production ofsparkling wine came laterto Spain than to the rest ofEurope. It wasn’t until 1872that Josep Raventósuncorked the first bottle ofvino espumoso at theCodorníu winery in Penedès,South West of Barcelona.

With the vineyards of theregion devastated by thephylloxera plague, thepredominantly red vineswere replaced by largenumbers of vines producingwhite grapes. Threeautochthonous varieties ofgrapes were key in theproduction of these firstCavas and remain so to thisday: Macabeo, Parellada andXarel·lo; and by means of thechampenoise or traditionalmethod which involves asecond fermentation in thebottle, Josep Raventóselaborated a wine that was at first locally known aschampaña or xampany inCatalan.

The wine soon becamepopular at court with Spanishroyalty, and in the ‘SwingingTwenties’ the larger bodegas,already consolidated withinSpain, began to export theirproduct abroad. Sales andproduction of the sparklingwine really took off in the

Sixties though, and in thedecades that followed, Cavaarrived big time on aninternational scale.

What’s in a name?Caves and cellars were usedin the early days of Cavaproduction for thepreservation or aging of wineand this is where the word“Cava” comes from; however,it wasn’t until 1972, when theConsejo Regulador de VinosEspumosos (Regulator Councilof Sparkling Wines) officiallylaunched the brand name‘Cava’.

Although other regionssuch as Aragón, Castile -Leon, Extremadura, La Rioja,Basque Country, Navarra andValencia can also make Cava,95% of the production comesfrom the Catalan region ofPenedès. Indeed, anastonishing 75% of total Cava production comes out

of the small town of SantSadurní d’Anoia, population12,000, and home to Cavagiants Freixenet andCodorniu.

Production of the wine isnow at an all-time high, witharound 100 million bottlesconsumed every year withinSpain and more or less 120million exported abroad.Germany has become thelargest importer of Cava,followed by the UK and theUS. It has now become thesparkling wine of choice forconsumers seeking qualitysparkling wine at a fair price.

The Brute and the SweetCurrently there are severalclasses of Cava on themarket, and these areclassified by the amount ofresidual sugars they contain.These, in other words,various degrees of sweetness,ranging from brut nature

IN THE REGION OF PENEDÉS, CAVA IS THE DAILY WINE OF CHOICE A MEALTIMES.

CAVA

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CAVA

(which has no additionalsugar other than the naturalsugars present in the grape)to dulce, (sweet) are availablein other kinds of sparklingwine, but the warmer climatein Spain means grapes ripeneasily, giving the drink asofter, fruitier taste thanother bubblies. This fruitierflavour contrasts with themore traditional, yeastiertaste of, for example,Champagne. Cava’sminerality, which keepsbread-like aromas to aminimum, mean that itscrisp, light, fresh and cleanflavour makes Cava a perfectmatch for fish, seafoods,poultry and creamy saucessuch as mayonnaise.

But what other ways canthis tantalising treat beappreciated? For years,sparkling wine has beendrunk as an aperitif;refreshingly washing downcanapés and nibbles. It istrue that as anaccompaniment to smokedsalmon, foie gras, paté orcured Ibérico ham, forexample, nothing beats acrisp Cava. But it alsocombines brilliantly with thehealthy characteristics of theMediterranean diet: nuts,dried fruit or snacks go wellwith dry Cavas such as brutnature or brut; oil-rich fishsuch as sardines andanchovies are associated withthe more acidic Cavas, while

Javier Gila García, wineadvisor at the extensiveLavinia in central Madrid isalso of the opinion thatCava is a wine to be drunkat mealtimes and notmerely something oneuncorks at the end of anevening to make a toast.He suggests trying marisco(seafood) and dishes withcreamy sauces with it andis a firm believer that as anaperitif to go with a plate ofcanapés, Cava is hard tobeat.

Lavinia, C/ José Ortega

y Gasset, 16, Madrid.

Tel: 914 260 604.

www.lavinia.es

LAVINI

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ITS CRISP, LIGHT, FRESHAND CLEAN FLAVOURMAKES CAVA A PERFECTMATCH FOR FISH,SEAFOODS, POULTRY AND CREAMY SAUCES SUCHAS MAYONNAISE.

10 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

embutido or cold meats suchas jamón ibérico or salchichónas well as foie or manchegocheese have their flavoursenhanced by a drop ofbubbly. Warm salads andsushi are also great to eat

with Cava, although as withany wine one should becareful with the vinegar.

Cava also works well withheavier meals, such as redmeats or game where thebubbles act as an agent to

“clean up” or neutralise the fats present in the meat,leaving one’s mouthrefreshed. And as for desserts,in Spain, particularly duringthe festive season, it ishabitually drunk as a

pudding wine, a sweeter semi-seco going well turrón(nougat) or marzipandelicacies.

As for the best conditionsto drink Cava, it should beserved at somewhere between

Kai Dollmann, German owner ofwell-stocked wine merchantDivinum in Majadahonda is a bigfan of drinking Cava atmealtimes as an alternative tonon-sparkling wines. “InGermany,” he says, “we’reaccustomed to eating heartily atbreakfast and Cava is theperfect accompaniment tosausage or smoked salmon, forexample. To this end herecommends trying a GranReserva with your Sundaybrunch; a perfect way to startthe day!

Divinum, C/ San Joaquín, 3,

Majadahonda.

Tel: 916 342 573.

www.dollmann-divinum.com

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accompaniment to bring fun to family gatherings andoccasions. And theproduction of Cava inCatalonia has always been afamily affair too. Two greatlineages have reigned overCava production for years,the Raventós at Codorníu andthe Ferrer i Salas at Freixenet;even amongst the majority ofsmaller bodegas, ownershiphas been handed downthrough generations.

More and more innovationto improve the quality andtechniques of making Cavacan be seen in the sparklingwine’s heartland. The bodegashave learnt to move with thetimes, for exampleintroducing different grapevarieties such as Chardonnayinto production. This type of grape, which they onlystarted working with in theEighties, has brought wines of elegance, structure andaromatic complexity. Thelarger companies are alsoexpanding to not only sell butalso produce abroad in placessuch as South America orCalifornia.

Seny and RauxaTo a certain extent, the storyof Cava encompasses twomuch talked about coexistingCatalan character traits,which are seny and rauxa. In English, seny translates as something like “commonsense”, whereas rauxa is the complete opposite,meaning “outburst orexplosion”.

The establishment of Cavaas a global player has beenachieved through hard work,good business acumen andfamily tradition (seny). Butalong the way, innovationand spontaneous acts (rauxa)have help consolidate Cava’sposition as one of the mostconsumed sparkling wines inthe world. Freixenet’smarketing campaigns arelegendary, from the iconicsuccess of a Cava sold in acompletely black frostedbottle (Cordon Negro), to amass media coup in turningtheir Christmas advertisingcampaigns into the mostwatched TV ads in Spain.From billboards of nakedcouples having sex atop a

giant bottle of Freixenet tothe hiring of top Hollywoodstars such as Sharon Stone or Pierce Brosnan to promote their products, the festive campaigns of thewinery have always provokedand engaged the Spanishpublic. Who else could havegot James Bond to swap histraditional Bollinger for abottle of Cava?

So raise a glass to thesparkling future of Cava, but remember, it is not justfor celebrations. This versatilebeverage, which enhances the flavours of sweet andsavoury dishes alike, can beenjoyed not only as anaperitif or to make a toast,but also as an everyday table wine to be quaffed in the company of family or friends.

Ian Cowley is a Madrid-basedBritish journalist. He contributespieces on Spain to a variety ofpublications and broadcasters

5 and 7ºC, not freezing cold yet not too warm either.Ideally bottles should be kept in the fridge for around4 hours before beingconsumed. Failing that,submersion in an ice bucketfor around 15 to 30 minutesshould do the trick.

Once uncorked, Cavashould ideally be served influte glasses with long stems,firstly so that the wine doesn’tbecome warm with the hand,maintaining a constanttemperature in the glass, butalso to make sure there areplenty of bubbles due to theflute’s smaller surface area.One sign of a great Cava isone where the bubbles aresmall and form a constant linerising from the bottom of theglass upwards. A note ofwarning for the ladies though:it is unadvisable to wearlipstick when drinking Cavaas the anti-foaming agentspresent in some brands cankill off the bubbles.

A Family AffairCava is both modern andeasy to drink. It is the ideal

A slice ofbread, asplash of oil, a pinch ofsalt… and a glass of wine

Mallorca, over two-thirds of the Balearic Islands’ land mass, its

neighbour Menorca and the smaller Ibiza and Formentera have

gained from successive occupations. Romans planted vines. Arabs

terraced mountain slopes where olives and oranges grow today.

They irrigated the land. The conquering Aragon dynasty encouraged

the rearing of cerdo negro Mallorquín, pigs that provide pork for

Sobrassada. In the eighteenth century, the British helped Menorcans

to commercialise their cheese. Michael Raffael plots the culinary

riches each have left on the island.

BALEARIC ISLANDS

TextMichael Raffael/©ICEX

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/©ICEXÓscar Pipkin/©ICEX

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In his book, Bread and Oil,Tomás Graves, son of thenovelist and poet RobertGraves who settled in Deia,wrote: “Pa (bread), is thesecond word we Majorcanslearn to pronounce (aftermama and before papa).”Windmills that ground thewheat still decorate thelandscape.

Unfortunately, their sails no longer turn. The densesourdough loaves baked incommunal beehive ovenshave vanished too. Islandersprefer lighter bread. However, one custom hasn’tdied. Bakers rarely salt thedough.

Tourists experience Pa amb oli as a kind of opensandwich, a halved roll,impregnated with oil, piledhigh with ham, tomato,cheese, peppers andsometimes pickled capers.The primitive recipe showsmore restraint: sprinkle saltover a thick-skinned Ramallet tomato so itdissolves in the juice; rub itover some not quite freshbread and trickle oil on top.

It sounds simple, but not allMallorquines agree that this is the right way. Some willargue that the oil should goon first, then the salt and thetomato last.

The MoorishMiddle AgeTraditionBakers sell wafer slices ofdark bread for sopes. Avegetable stew, simmered inan earthenware, greixonera,till the juices render, thensharpened with lemon juice is poured onto these ‘sops’ tosoak up the broth. It’s arecipe that has survivedvirtually unchanged since theMiddle Ages. Deep in thewine region of Binissalem, EsVergé, an estaminet half wayup a mountain track near thevillage of Alaró, has it on themenu.

Many people go there to eat the gigots of baby lamb,baked in an ancient wood-fired oven. Celebrity chefRick Stein once claimed itwas the best he’d ever tasted.

Castell d’Alaró is a Moorish

castle perched on a crag athousand feet above therestaurant. It fell during theisland’s conquest by Jaime I in 1231. In local folk-lore it’sremembered for a siege thattook place later in thecentury. Two knightscommanding the defenceinsulted King Alfonso ofAragon by calling him a fish.After the fort’s surrender, hehad them roasted on a spit.The name of one of the menGuillem Cabrit, translatesloosely as “William Goat”, so his reprisal mixed crueltywith black humour.

Place-names are a constantreminder of the 300 year Araboccupation. Alaró was thefortress of Alarun. Valldemosawhere Chopin wintered withhis mistress Georges Sand,once belonged to SayedMousa. Alcudia, Andraitx,Biniaraitx, Binissalem,Fenalitx, Teix echo Moorishorigins. Many of the islands’wild olive trees, stunted giantswith swirling grey trunks,were saplings when the “Islasde la Calma” belonged to theCaliphate of Córdoba.

A Rain of Black TearsOne Mallorcan poet likenedthe olive harvest to a “a rainof black tears.” The imagegives a clear picture of whythe local oil is special.Farmers let the fruit ripenbefore gathering it. TomeuDet, whose groves line theterraces near Biniaraitxrefuses to beat his trees sothat they yield their cropprematurely. He waits till itfalls to earth before carrying itto the taifona, the press, in hisfamily’s finca. There, he stone-grinds the olives, layers thepulp on wicker mats andextracts the oil.

This golden cold-pressedoil isn’t to be confused with“Extra Virgin”. The acidity ishigher, typically over twopercent. It tastes fruity butmore mellow. His way reflectsage-old preferences. Othersmallholders bring theirharvest to him for pressingand pay a handling fee. A 250 kilo batch will yieldaround a hundred litres-enough to supply them till

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 15

the following season. Until recently all Balearic

oil was made in this style, butMallorca now has its ownspicy Extra Virgin oil D.O.,produced in the Tramuntanaregion around Soller, mainlyfrom Picual and Cornezueloolives. It’s what thegastronomic restaurants ofDeia and Palma offer to theirjet-setting patrons.

Many of the handed downdishes have a strongvegetarian bias: trempó anonion, tomato and bellpepper salad, tumbet a kind ofratatouille that includes slicesof waxy Royal Kidneypotatoes from Sa Pobla or thecrisp-crusted coca de verduras,nicer than any pizza. All havea distinctive tang, courtesy ofthe home-produced oils.

The Importance of a Black PigWithin living memory, theannual matança was a centralpart of rustic life. At the endof autumn, anyone who hadraised a pig through thesummer called in the

escorcador to turn it intopork. Every scrap of skin,flesh, blood and gut had itsuse. Nothing went to waste.

Sobrassada de Mallorca[IGP–Protected GeographicalIndication] belongs to thisantique practice. Long andthin, short and stubby,balloon shaped, sometimesweighing several pounds, itlooks sausage-like. The nameprobably derives fromanother of the cultures thathave left an imprint on theislands: the merchant Italiansof the Middle and earlyModern ages, who criss-crossed the Mediterraneantrading goods, and using the Balearic islands as aconvenient stop-over inbetween. Thus, the termsobrassada is though by someto derive from the Calabrian‘soppressata’ a salami madefrom head-meat, butMajorcans prefer linking to it with ‘soppressa’, also Italianbut prepared from theshoulder or leg.

Be that as it may, over time,it has broken free of itsItalianate connection. La

Luna, an artisan producer in Soller has manufacturedsobrassadas since 1900. Itselects prime cuts of cerdonegro, an autochthonousbreed of pig which is amongthe few remaining examplesof Mediterranean black pigs,that are high inmonounsaturated and low inpolyunsaturated fats. Thecoarsely minced pork isblended with pimentón (a typeof Spanish paprika): hot forthe picante and sweet fordulce. It’s piped into casings,then cured by air-drying.Although La Luna’sproduction is made entirelyfrom porc negre, it should benoted, though, that not allsobrassada is made from black pigs, and moreaffordable sobrassadas madefrom “white breeds” are morecommon and widelyavailable.

Rissadas, the most commonsize, weigh about 800g each.They take six to twelve weeksto mature depending on theweather (the giant Bisbe, upto 30 kilos, requires a year).Unlike sausages or salami,

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sobrassada is neither for fryingnor for slicing. It has aspreadable texture thatislanders exploit with endlessimagination in their cuisine.

It appears in bowls at thebreakfast table where it’ssmoothed over galletes(similar to rusks) with adrizzle of honey or home-made apricot jam. It’s used as a condiment for enrichingand flavouring everythingfrom shrimp to wildmushrooms. It’s the secretingredient of many of thesavoury pasties–and some of the sweet ones– crimpedcocarrois stuffed with swisschard, half-moon rubiols andempanadas.

It never figures in anyversion of Ensaimada [I.G.P.],the islands’ emblematicpastry. Shaped like a coiledCatherine Wheel, with thetexture of a soft, flakycroissant, it probably hasArab roots. The onlyargument against this is thatit contains lard (saïm inCatalan, but derived fromArabic), forbidden to

Muslims. In the past it was a festive treat, but mostbakeries sell it daily. At itsbest, the dough rises with theaid of a natural leavenenriched with eggs that’sstretched folded, pulled outlike a skein of wool and giventwelve hours to prove. Thebest way to eat it is fresh and‘nature’, but it’s also splitopen and filled with pumpkinjam, custard or cream.

Manto NegrowinesRomans introduced wine to Mallorca. Pliny the Elder,author of a first century BCtreatise on viticulture, part ofhis Natural History, comparedits elegance to the finestItalian wines. Near their cityof Pollentia on the CostaNord, they scratched holes in the sandstone, filled themwith the red earth andplanted their vines.

Under Islamic rule vine-growing continued discreetlydespite the strictures of theKoran. After the Aragonese

conquest, there was anexplosion of viticulture. Manysmallholding peasants owneda bodega. Through to thenineteenth century wine-making continued to be avaluable resource. TheEuropean phylloxerapandemic created a briefGolden Age for Mallorca. Itsupplied France, starved ofgrapes, must and wine fortwenty-five years before theblight reached the Balearics.Its devastated vineyardssuddenly worthless, farmersripped them up and plantedalmond trees instead.

Stops and starts,punctuated by the SpanishCivil War, marked therecovery. Village bodegas stillhang sprigs of greenery abovetheir entrances to advertisethey have wine to sell straightfrom the barrel. Over the lasttwo decades quality wine-making has blossomed. InMallorca, two indigenousgrapes, Manto Negro andCallet have been the drivingforce. Either as monovarietalsor blended, they have

transformed the image ofBalearic wine as a pleasanttourist tipple, but little more.

Manto Negro is thedominant cepage of theBinissalem (D.O.) region. Inthe lee of the Tramuntana andAlfabia mountains that shelterit from northerly winds, it’s agently undulating landscape,spread over five communes,carpeted with a rusty, chalkysoil. Fifteen wineries withinthe Denominación producewines that are bright, lightand fruity. Far and away thelargest proportion is sold onthe island, attracting partisanviews as to “who does itbest”. There’s plenty todisagree about. Regulationsspecify that each red winemust contain a minimum 50percent Manto Negro, leavingup to 50 percent for CabernetSauvignon, Syrah, Merlot,Tempranillo or Callet in themix.

Pla I Llevant (D.O.) east ofthe capital Palma mirroredthe changing fortunes ofviticulture. It suffered fromthe industry’s collapse. Now,

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 17

vanished vineyards are beingreplanted. A fresh breed ofoenological alchemists isexperimenting with old andnew: native premsal blanc(Moll) grapes blended withRiesling, for instance. Redsmay contain doses ofForgoneu–similar to gamay–,Monastrell, Ull de llebre–astrain of Tempranillo–or PinotNoir as well as Manto Negroand Callet. Given the diversity, it’simpossible to define a singlestyle that’s peculiar to thearea. The regulating councilfalls back on “complex” todescribe red wines“characterized by their deepintense colour and complexfruit bouquet.”

Outside the BoxOutside of the islands, winesfrom An Negra Viticultorsrate as the Mallorquín musthave. The winery is located atFelanitx, in the heart of Pla ILlevant, but its three ownerschose not to belong to theDenominación. In the midnineties Francesc Giralt and

his partners, partly for fun,partly out of curiosity, beganmaking reds from Callet, agrape that even wine-guruJancis Robinson said she hadbarely heard of when she firsttasted An Negra. She praisedit as “One of those wines that

pierce the wine taster’scranium with a direct andexciting combination ofquality and unfamiliarity.”

The rise to fame has beenspectacular. Initially, thebodega was a converted dairy.Its owners had no land. Now

they rent or manage 150small plots, all except fivewithin ten kilometres ofFelanitx.

An Negra wines, includingQuíbia, a premsal/dry muscatblend, is classified with amixed bag of Vinos De La

When active many of the Balearic windmills would grindcoarse salt as well as grain. Much of it came from theSalines Es Trenc near Colonia San Jordí on Mallorca’s eastcoast. Snowy mountains of sea salt are a visible landmarktoday. Gathering the much-prized flor de sal ( a thin crust ofmagnesium rich salt crystals that forms on the surface of saltpans during evaporation) is a recent cottage industry for theisland. Gusto Mundial Balearides, started by a Swissentrepreneuse Katja Wöhr, in 2003 harvests about eighttonnes each year. Some is packed in its natural state, butMichelin starred chef Marc Fosch (Read’srestaurant, Santa Maria) created a rangeof flavoured salts: seaweed, hibiscus,rosemary and Sri Lankan spices, thataccelerated its popularity. New seasonalblends include lemon-thyme, beetrootand wine, orange-chilli and truffle

www.gustomundial.com

Mallorca’s Es Trenc ‘Flor de Sal’

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Tierra that brings togethereleven makers from across thearchipelago. Few of the othersreach the mainland. None hashad the same internationalexposure. But there arehidden gems among themwaiting to be discovered.

No Mallorcan meal iscomplete without a digestifnip of hierbes. Aniseed based,its alcohol content can varyfrom 20 percent to 50percent. A relic of the erawhen many fincas owned apot still, it may be flavoured

with chamomile, rosemary,lemon verbena or citrus peel.

It exists in sweet, mediumand dry forms, the latterbeing the strongest. TheMichelin two star Tristan atPuerto Portals prepares anexquisite dessert, hierbes

zabaglione accompanied with a hierbes ice cream. Mallorca has two otherliqueurs one old, the otherrelatively modern. Pola,tasting of gentian and quinineis, in theory, medicinal. Itdates from a time when

The traditional tourist of the islands has been the sun-seeker. And with good reason, because the islands´beaches are singularly well-preserved and pleasant, and atemperate climate, year round, mean that as early as Easterand as late as Halloween, local Mallorcans still make theirway to the beach. There is much more on offer, though.

The cultural richness of Mallorca and the Balearic islands,particularly, is immense. Prehistoric, ancient and Middle Ageart live alongside some of the most striking modern fare. Astriking example is the Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca. Notonly is it a particularly elegant Gothic cathedral, but worldrenowned multi-medium artist Miquel Barceló has recently

completed work on one of the chapels, a striking renditionof the communion between land and sea in the islandswhich has to be seen to be believed.

Nature lovers would do well to inform themselves of theassortment of treks and cycling routes along the islands:steep mountain climbs across woods and walks along thecoastal cliffs alike yield stunning sights and bracing air. If, onthe other hand, you tend to do your walking on a golfcourse, the islands have well over 40.

For in-depth information on the Islands’ Tourism offer, traveland lodging visit www.illesbalears.es

TOUR

ISTHIG

HLIGH

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 19

malaria was prevalent. Angeld’Or, a kind of curaçao, is aSoller speciality made bysteeping navel oranges inalcohol and sugar. It’s afavourite ingredient of Palma mixologists who add it to Cava.

A glimpse at other islandsMenorca boasts a Xoriguergin. Made in wood-fuelledcopper stills from grapealcohol (rather than grain),it’s scented with wild juniperand stored in casks beforebottling. Inhabitants drink itwith lemon and soda–apellofa–, or with lemonade–a pomada–.

It’s also known as Mahongin. Menorcans in the portconcocted it to slake thethirst of the British navy afterthe island had been ceded toEngland following the 1713Treaty of Utrecht. Did theyperhaps invent mayonnaise tocelebrate the Englishdeparture after the Frenchdrove them out in 1756?France’s victory was short-lived. The Brits returned andstayed until 1802 when theyhanded back Menorca to theSpanish crown.

Queso Mahon-Menorca

(D.O.), Mahon cheese, owes asmall but significant debt tothe first British governor. SirRichard Kane, imported cattleto improve the productivity ofthe native stock. Dairying hadalways formed part of rurallife. His initiative changed thescale. It became a significantexport both to neighbouringMallorca and to the mainland.Its growing economicimportance added a new linkto the supply and demandchain. Middlemen, losrecogedores-afinadores,collected fresh cheese directfrom the fincas. Their skills atripening the cheese either innatural caves or curing roomshave been passed down to thepresent.

A square brick-shape withrounded edges weighingabout two and a half kilos, itscharacter changes with aging.Craft and farmhouse dairies

make it from raw milk.Draining and pressing thecurd leaves crease marks (amamella) on the surface fromthe cloth used to wrap it.After salting, drying andairing it may be matured forweeks, months or over a year.

Fresco, about a fortnightold, has a bright orange rindand chalky texture. Withsemi-curado and curado, twoor more months, the textureof the paste turns a palestraw, smooth, pocked withrice-sized holes. The rind,sometimes tinted withpaprika, changes fromreddish to buff. At this stageit’s easy to slice with a mildbuttery taste. The artesano is alittle softer and has markedfarmyard aromas. AgedMahon turns into a genuinehard cheese, with powerful,mouth-filling, nutty flavour.An expert once said its aromareminded him of tanned hide.

Five thousand years ago,prehistoric Beaker Peoplewho settled in the Balearicsalso made cheese.Archaeologists haveunearthed their perforated,bell-shaped pots used todrain the curds from thewhey. This may be a footnotein a millennia old history, butit makes a point. Romans,

Moors, Aragonese, Catalans,Spanish and even the Englishhave left their imprint. Theislands, always generous,never fail to reward theirstewards with a plentifulharvest.

Michael Raffael is anacclaimed freelance food andtravel writer, recipient of,among others, the GlenfiddichFood Writer of the Year,World Gourmand CookbookAward and RestaurateursAssociation Food Writer ofthe Year awards. As part of hiswork he has been involved inthe judging process of variousnational cheese competitions.

Travelling to theBalearic Islands iscomfortable andaffordable, withlow cost andconventionalcarriers offeringflights to all threeof the mainislands (Mallorca,Menorca andIbiza) from mostinternationalairports in the UKand Ireland.

HOW

TOGE

T THE

RE

The joy of sitting down for a gourmet meal is a luxury that our hectic

lifestyles rarely let us afford. The time involved in sitting down for a meal

means that we are often stuck with scoffing down a sandwich before

TextMegan Cytron/©ICEX

PhotosJuan Manuel Sanz/©ICEX

Food StylingSonia Fuentes

SPANISHThe Art of Eating

SANDWICHESreturning to our daily chores. But who says a sandwich can’t be a

fantastic gourmet meal? Megan Cytron guides us through a selection of

tasty Spanish sandwich combinations

22 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Spanish snacks areingredient-driven affairs: agedcheeses, salt-cured meats,dried fruit, toasted nuts,innumerable varieties ofolives… Spain is a countrywhere simple is elevated tosublime and a seeminglyhumble ham sandwichinvariably elicits an ecstaticlitany of sensual descriptors.

Bocadillo, bocata, bocatín,pulga, sándwich, medianoche,montadito… all words thattranslate to two slices ofbread enveloping infinite

possibilities. Sandwiches are asocial and cultural equalizer–wherever you go, there theyare–providing the fuel thatgets us through the dailygrind. Madrid chef, SoniaFuentes of AromáticaCatering has shared some ofher favourite recipes with us,drawing from the richculinary traditionsthroughout the country. Asandwich is only as good aswhat goes into it and thepreparation must be quickand easy. It is fitting, then,

that so many of Spanishdelicacies are simple foodsborn of necessity, a toughclimate, and local ingenuity.Case in point: jamón or ham.

The classicamong classicsThis ancient and ingeniouscornerstone of the Spanishdiet has its origin in theremote, mountainous cornersof Spain: Extremadura,Andalusia, and westernCastile. Jamón serrano (looselytranslated as mountain ham)

was salted and dry-cured inthe cold, arid mountain air tocreate a nutritious food thatwould keep for long stretches(up to seven years) with norefrigeration-a culinarysurvival strategy for stavingoff famine and hard times.Even today, it remains adelicious and popular meansof keeping hunger at bay. It'shard to imagine a bar withouta jamón hanging from therafters or one ready to cut byhand in the jamonero (hamholder). This is Spanish

SPAIN IS A COUNTRY WHERESIMPLE IS ELEVATED TO SUBLIMEAND A SEEMINGLY HUMBLE HAM SANDWICH INVARIABLY ELICITS AN ECSTATIC LITANY OF SENSUAL DESCRIPTORS.

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 23

Ingredients

Bread

Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

Cold Pressed Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Garlic (optional)

Hand-cut Iberian Acorn Ham (JamónIbérico de Bellota)

Lightly toast a substantial, crusty baguetteand then cut it lengthwise. Cut a clove ofgarlic in half and rub it on one side of thebread (optional). Cut a very flavourful andjuicy ripe tomato in half, then rub thesame side of bread with the tomato as ifyou were scrubbing a pot in a circularmotion, letting the juices of the tomatoimpregnate the bread (if you do it right,this will be messy). Drizzle a liberal amountof olive oil on top and give sprinkle of salt.Top off with the hand-cut Iberian “Bellota”(acorn) ham.

NOTE: the tomato, olive oil and garlicpreparation is often used in Spain for allcured meats, such as jamón serrano,lomo, chorizo, salchichón or even cecina(a cured and smoked cold meat madefrom beef)

Catalonian Bread with Tomato and HamPa amb Tomaquet i Pernil or Pan Tumaca con Jamón

TOMA

TO AN

D HAM

24 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

comfort food at its best.But it is a particular type

of ham, jamón Ibérico, thatinspires so many Spaniardsand converted gastronomesto wax poetic. This ham isnot only produced the old,traditional way, it is madefrom a special breed of black pig–el cerdo Ibérico–an Iberian native that, when left to its own devices,athletically romps free-rangeunder oak and cork treesfattening up on acorns(bellotas). The result?Perfectly marbled, melt-in-your-mouth, nutty,monounsaturated (yes, this

ham can do no wrong)culinary bliss.... Sound likehyperbole? TV Chef JoséAndrés put it best: "You tasteit and you want to cry, it isso good." As one canimagine, this is seriousbusiness, so the stratosphericquality of Ibérico ham isrecognized and controlled by D.O.Ps or ProtectedDenominations of Origin, of which there are four:Guijuelo, Los Pedroches,Dehesa de Extremadura and Jamón de Huelva,depending on the region of production.

Of course, not cutting

Ingredients

Bonito del Norte ventresca(Tuna Belly) in Extra Virgin olive oil

Piquillo de Lodosa D.O.(Pepperstrom)

Hard boiled egg (optional)

Capers (optional)

Salt to taste

Bread

This couldn’t be easier. Whether you opt for ventresca (tuna belly) or regular Bonito delNorte, just open the can or jar (reserving the olive oil). Lightly toast the bread and cut itlengthwise. Drizzle a liberal amount of the olive oil from the jar onto the bread. Cut thepeppers in half and create a layer on the bottom half of the bread. You can thenoptionally add a layer of thinly sliced hard boiled eggs or capers. Spoon the tuna ontop of the peppers—no need to mash it or doctor it up.

Spanish White Tuna Belly and Piquillo Pepper SandwichVentresca de Bonito del Norte con Pimientos del Piquillo

TUNA

AND P

EPPE

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 25

corners comes at a price–this is the caviar of porkproducts, after all–but it alsomeans that all of the hardwork has been done for you.You need only place a fewsucculent slivers between twoslices of bread worthy ofsuch elevated company. Andall of the other cured meatsmade from the Ibérico pig,such as lomo Ibérico (porkloin-another culinaryrevelation), paleta de Ibérico(the front leg), salchichónIbérico (a salami-likesausage), and chorizo Ibéricoexhibit transcendent qualitiesat a slightly lower price.

Another less decadent optionis to use the more moderatelypriced Serrano ham in lieu ofIbérico

Land and seatrapped in breadEvery corner of Spain trulyseems to cultivate its owndeliciousness. Lodosa innorthern Navarra, is thevegetable basket of Spain,growing delectableartichokes, white asparagus,and red Piquillo peppers(pimientos de Piquillo). Thesepeppers are picked by handin the fall and sent straight toneighbouring towns where

Ingredients

Galician Tetilla D.O. Cheese

Spanish Quince Paste (membrillo)

Bread

Cheese With Quince Paste SandwichSándwich de Queso con Membrillo

CHEE

SE AN

D QUIN

CE PA

STE

This is a very adaptable sandwich. You can lightly toast slices of soft bread (white orwhole grain) or a more substantial baguette. If you choose a soft cow’s milk cheesethat melts—like Tetilla (pictured) or Mahón—you can even opt for a sophisticatedsweet and savoury grilled cheese. A hard, aged sheep’s milk cheese can be cut invery thin slices and stacked with thin slices of quince paste. A blue cheese can bespread onto the toasted bread, sprinkled with walnuts, and topped with a layer ofthinly cut membrillo. (See the shopping list for more information on specific cheeses.)

Drink pairing: a young Galician red from Ribeira Sacra like Abadía da Cova Mencía orCola Cao (chocolate milk) for the kids.

26 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

they are roasted over openfires, peeled and seeded byhand, and immediatelypacked into cans and jarswith no additives orpreservatives. Don't bedeterred by the can, this is anartisanal product, sweet andsmoky with a deep, complexflavour. It has found its wayinto the dishes of many three-star chefs like Alain Ducasse,Ferran Adrià, and JoëlRobuchon.

Moving further north tothe Basque coastline, we findthe perfect complement for

our roasted peppers: Bonitodel Norte, a white tuna fromthe cold Cantabrian Sea, isline caught and hand packedin extra virgin olive oil(again, no additives). For a well-worth-the-moneysplurge, opt for the tenderventresca or belly meat. This is not the canned tunaof your youth. Tuna has beenpreserved on Spanish soilsince the Phoenicians–in fact,even the Romans went togreat lengths to import tunafrom Spain. The editor ofSaveur magazine,

Ingredients

L’Escala or Santoña anchovies

Ibores D.O. cheese

Extra Virgin Olive olive oil

Simplicity itself. Drizzle some olive oil on some crusty bread, then lay pieces ofthe tangy cheese of your choice (Though Sonia has used Ibores, the easier-to-find and traditional combination with Manchego is also delicious, as are asoft, blue cheeses such as La Peral or Cabrales), then garnish with theanchovies. Not for the faint-hearted, it is intensely flavourful and delicious. Youcan also consider having it as an open sandwich, a format in which it is oftenserved as a tapa in Spanish bars.

Spanish Anchovies with Ibores CheeseBocadillo de Queso y Anchoas

ANCH

OVIES

AND C

HEES

E

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 27

Coleman Andrew,characterized Bonito del Norte"one of the great gastronomicpleasures of everyday life."According to the experts, thistuna just gets better with age,so don't hesitate to stock up.

Anchoas de la Escala orAnxoves de l’Escala–jarredanchovies plucked from theMediterranean Sea innorthern Catalonia–areanother delicacy you’ll wantto have in your sandwicharsenal. They are salted, aged,and packed in quality oliveoil. Sonia Fuentes has pairedthem here with the tangy anddense Ibores D.O. goat’s milkcheese from Extremadura.

Childhood treatMerienda–or an afternoonsnack–is a mainstay forchildren all over Spain (andplenty of adults, as well).This is where you'll findsándwiches. Not to beconfused with hard roll orbaguette-based bocadillosor bocatas, un sándwich isalways lighter and moredelicate, and made with soft pan de molde (sandwichbread). An after-schoolfavourite is queso conmembrillo -thin slices of adense, sweet, dark pinkquince paste, traditionally

paired with a sheep's milkcheese like Manchego,Zamorano, La Serena, or evena smoky Basque Idiazábal.Membrillo also goes wellwith cow’s milk cheeses likethe provocatively shaped andtangy Galician tetilla (seerecipe), and even strongerblue cheeses, like those from Asturias and themountainous Picos region inthe north of Spain: Valdeón,La Peral, and Cabrales. Thecombination of sweet andsalty is irresistible.

All of these quintessentialSpanish sandwiches are fastfood at its best (or, using theterm coined by Ferran Adrià:“Fast Good”). With the bestthat every corner of Spainhas to offer, anyone whoknows how to slice canassemble a healthy, gourmet-worthy snack in less than five minutes. Six magicalwords perfectly evoke theinformal hospitality that youcan find in any Spanishhome: Can I make you asandwich?

Megan Cytron is the ExecutiveEditor of Trazzler.com. Shecalls Madrid home and writesabout everything fromsandwiches to 13th-centurySpanish poetry.

Be sure to look for the D.O. seal on the label(Denomination of Origin). This guarantees a qualityproduct.

Hand-sliced Jamón Ibérico de Bellota

Lomo Ibérico (cured Ibérico pork loin)

Chorizo

Serrano Ham

Cow’s Milk Cheese:

Tetilla D.O. from Galicia

Mahón D.O. from Minorca

Aged Sheep’s Milk Cheese:

Manchego D.O. from La Mancha

Zamorano D.O. from Zamora

Idiazábal D.O. from the Basque Country

La Serena D.O. from Extremadura (a soft, spreadable variety of cheese)

Blue Cheeses (from strong to mild):

Cabrales D.O. from Asturias

Picón Bejés-Tresviso D,O. from Cantabria

Valdeón D.O. from León

La Peral from Asturias

Goat’s Milk Cheese:

Ibores D.O. from Extremadura

Bonito del Norte (especially ventresca, tuna belly)

Anchoas de la Escala/Anxoves de l’Escala (anchovies) or Anchoas de Santoña

Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Unfiltered Olive Oil

Peppers from Piquillo de Lodosa D.O.

Capers in Sea Salt

Membrillo (Quince Paste)

Sandwich Shopping List

SHOP

PING L

IST

Pimentón (A Spanish type of paprika) captivates the senses with its deep red tone, velvet

texture, alluring aroma, and smoky, soulful depth. In the last ten years, it has catapulted

from traditional Spanish kitchens to spice racks around the world. The unique flavour of

smoked Pimentón de la Vera has inspired high-profile chefs and cookbook authors like

Mario Batali, Jamie Oliver, Mark Bittman, Delia Smith, and Emeril to experiment, often in

quite nontraditional, yet delicious ways. Megan Cytron explores a few.

PIMENTÓNSpain’s Red Gold

To understand what makesSpanish smoked pimentón soappealing, we have to travelwith Columbus to theAmericas. Of course, he hada different destination inmind, but he was on amission for spices when hediscovered the indigenouspeppers and observed theirculinary and medical uses. In 1493, he returned to Spain with the pepper plants,presenting them alongsidegold bullion to KingFerdinand and QueenIsabella. Cultivated byHieronymite monks, theplants took root andflourished in the lush 16thcentury monastery gardens ofExtremadura – particularly in

the remote village of Yuste.When Emperor Charles V–quite the gourmet–abdicatedhis throne, it was in thisverdant monastery that hemeandered, fretting about hisempire, but also savouringthe new flavour and writingabout it to friends and family.The rest, of course, is history.Peppers fanned out aroundthe world, colonizing thetastebuds of Europe, Asia,and Africa.

First there was pepperPimentón peppers arecapsicum annuum, aremarkably adaptive speciesthat includes cultivars as

diverse as jalapeños,pepperoncinis, bells, andserranos. The microclimate of Extremadura’s Gredosmountains is unusuallyfertile, with long valleysfunneling warmth andhumidity from the Atlantic.When the first growersattempted to pick them inearly October, the peppersperished quickly, since theycould not be dried in the sundue to the misty and rainyclimate. Their clever (andtaste-enhancing) solution was to dry them in longsmokehouses over very slow-burning oak fires. It alsobears mentioning that there is an unsmoked, sun-driedpaprika from Murcia in the

sunny south of Spain. Bothtypes of pimentón have been granted a D.O.(Denomination of Origin),ensuring a clearly-labeled,artisanal product ofexceptional quality.

In the La Vera region, thepeppers are still hand-picked,then ever-so-slowly smokedover the course of two weeks,using techniques that havebeen passed down throughthe generations. There arethree different types ofsmoked paprika: dulce(sweet), agridulce (bittersweet),and picante (hot). Oncedried, the peppers are stoneground to produce a deep redpowder: Extremadura’s ororojo (red gold).

TextMegan Cytron/©ICEX

PhotosMiguel S. Moñita/© ICEX

Lucía M. Diz/© ICEX

30 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

The anglophilemadrileña takeSonia Fuentes, a nativeMadrileña and founder ofAromática Catering inMadrid, waxes poetic aboutthe colour of pimentón: “thecolour captivates me… add itto a dish and, boom, it justcomes to life.” For her,smoked paprika has alwaysbeen on the kitchen counter -sweet, bittersweet, hot…sheuses them all. “I just let my

inspiration guide me,” shesays, though she finds herselfreaching most often for thetin of bittersweet (agridulce).She fondly remembers theflavour in her grandmother’scooking, particularly potaje de garbanzos y espinacas(garbanzo and spinach soup)and lentejas (lentils). As fortechnique, she issues thiswarning: “You shouldn’t burnpimentón – this is the goldenrule.” She heats oil in a pan,very quickly stirs in theA

mad

or

Toril/©

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 31

Ingredients

1 chicken weighing about 1,5 kg (3 lb), cut intoquarters

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tsp plain flour

2 good pinches of cayenne pepper

1/2 Tsp smoked Pimentón de La Vera

450 gr (1 lb) tomatoes, skinned and chopped

150 ml (5 fl oz) oz chicken stock

1 medium green pepper, de-seeded and cut intosmall strips

150 ml sour cream

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 165ºC (325ºF).

Begin by heating a little oil in a frying pan and gently

frying the chicken to a golden colour. Transfer the

chicken to a casserole and season with salt and

pepper.

In the same oil, fry the onions for about 10 minutes.

Then stir the flour, cayenne pepper and pimentón into

the pan to soak up the juices before adding the

tomatoes. Stir them around a bit and now add the

stock.

Bring everything up to a simmer, then pour over the

chicken in the casserole, cover with a lid, and bake in

the oven for 45 minutes. Then stir in the chopped

pepper, replace the lid and cook for 30 more

minutes. Just before serving, spoon the cream all

over, mixing it in, just to give a marbled effect, then

sprinkle on a little more pimentón.

Spiced-up Chicken with Pimentón

SONIA

FUEN

TE’SSONIA FUENTES

SAYS NOT BURNING‘PIMENTÓN’ IS THE GOLDEN RULE

pimentón, and then adds abroth or other liquid toreduce the temperature. Herhusband of 14 years is fromGreat Britain and she hassearched for ways to usepimentón to spice up everydayBritish cooking. Afterperusing a cookbook fromher mother-in-law, she cameup with Chicken withPimentón–a la Sonia (seerecipe).

Thanks to an increasinglydiverse population, the

restaurant scene in Madridhas exploded with a newenergy over the past tenyears. The same sort of rapidcross-pollinization thathappened 500 years ago isnot only changing the face ofSpanish food where curry,couscous, and sushi joints arepacked with happy customerspeople from around theworld are also discoveringSpanish ingredients andincorporating them into theirfavourite recipes.

32 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

WHEN RAFE JAFFREYDISCOVERED SPANISH´PIMENTÓN´ HE FOUNDTHAT IT WORKED WELL INMANY INDIAN DISHES

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 33

Ingredients

700 gr (1.5 lbs) skinned chicken breasts cut into 1 1/4 in. pieces

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 Tsp lemon juice

1 Tsp of fresh ginger peeled and very finely chopped

2 -3 cloves of garlic peeled and well crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp of bright red sweet Spanish paprika

1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper

6 tsp of single cream (half and half)

1/2 tsp of garam masala

4 Tsp of mild olive oil or sunflower oil

Place the chicken into a bowl with the salt and the

lemon juice and mix well. Prod the chicken pieces

gently with the tip of a knife and mix well again. Leave

for about half an hour. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin,

paprika, cayenne pepper, cream, and garam masala. Mix

well, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours

(up to 24 hours is fine). Pre-heat the grill, place the

chicken onto skewers, and brush with the oil. Position

the skewers onto a shallow baking dish so that they are

not in direct contact with the bottom. Place the dish

about 12 cm (4 3/4 in.) from the heat and grill them for

about 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until they are

cooked through and nicely browned. Be sure not to

overcook, as this will dry them out.

As a starter, serve with a finely chopped mint and

yogurt dip.

Rafe Jaffrey's Silken Chicken´Tikka Kebabs´

RAFE

JAFFR

EY´S

An addition to theIndian Spice rackRafe Jaffrey grew up inLondon surrounded by spicyfood and culinary riches (heis TV chef Madhur Jaffrey'snephew). In Madrid, he andBasque chef Jon Ander wereon the forefront of a culinaryrevolution when theymanned the (tiny) kitchen at the wildly popularrestaurant, Malandrín. Thedishes were not so muchfusion as side-by-sideeclecticism-both remaining

loyal to their quite different,yet complementary regionaltraditions. Rafe moved on to Darbar, which brilliantlybrought Indian street food–samosa, pakora, and koftas–into a familiar tapasenvironment. When Rafediscovered Spanish pimentón,he found that it worked well in many Indian dishes– adding depth andcomplexity–particularly inlamb stew, rogan josh, lentildishes, kofta (meatballs), and chicken tikka kebabs(see recipe).

Am

ad

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Toril/©

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34 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Like Sonia, Rafe favourssmoked Pimentón de la Vera,though he most often usesthe more brightly colouredsweet (dulce) variety. Forheat, he adds cayennepepper. As with all spices, he cooks it very carefully,heating the oil, then liftingthe pan off the flame to stirin the spice. Rafe cancurrently be found in Londonmaking Indian snack foods atthe Stoke Newington OrganicFarmers Market, though afterliving for 14 years in Madrid,he is sure to return.

dishes. Though, while he was learning the ropes at atop-notch Spanish restaurant,he did encounter a cutting-edge application of the spice:a jellied pimentón infusion ona reconceptualized pulpo a lagallega (Galician-styleoctopus).

After paying his dues andlearning the ins and outs ofthe Spanish palate, Matthewopened Gumbo, a NewOrleans restaurant in theMalasaña district of Madrid.Because the spice level in afew of the dishes is

unbearably hot for manySpaniards, Matthew uses theunsmoked Murcian pimentónas a replacement for some theground cayenne pepper: “Youget all of the flavour of thepepper without all of thespiciness.” Smoked Pimentónde la Vera has found its wayinto his remoulade sauce (seerecipe) and blackened tunaand steak. Matthew alwayscooks his pimentón and likesto experiment with itstendency to get bitter whenheated: “If you let it toast alittle bit, it changes and gives

WHER

E TO F

IND PI

MENT

ÓN? According to Rafe Jaffrey, finding smoked paprika in the

UK and Ireland is much easier than it once was – evenTesco is offering its own private-label pimentón. Be sureto look for the sticker with the D.O., which guaranteesyou´re getting the real deal Pimentón de la Vera.

THE F

ORMS

OF RE

D GOL

D Although our three chefs have been seduced by thehusky smokiness of Pimentón de la Vera, this is not theonly type of pimentón made in Spain. In fact, smoke-dried pimentón is less common than the sun-dried oroven-dried varieties. A case in point is Pimentón theMurcia, also protected by a Designation of Origin. Theproduction process is much that same, starting with acontrolled production of red peppers of the Capsicumannuum variety, and finishing with a grounding of thedried peppers into a powder, the only difference comesfrom the drying process. Being sun-dried means thatPimentón de Murcia has a livelier, cleaner taste and abrighter red colour, both in the dulce (sweet) and picante(hot) varieties.

New OrleansCreoleAmerican expat MatthewScott was just passingthrough Madrid when a jobas a cook–an offer this food-loving New Orleans nativecould not refuse–fell into his lap. Like Sonia, Matthewfinds that pimentón is aningredient that is deeplyrooted in home-cooking andtraditional Spanish cuisine. Asofrito of olive oil, garlic, andpimentón is the starting pointof many meat and bean

C.R

.D.O

. P

imentó

n d

e la V

era

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 35

Ingredients

For the fried green tomatoes

3 green tomatoes

12 peeled

shrimp, leaving the tail intact

2 eggs

Flour

Salt

Black pepper

Cayenne pepper

For the blackened shrimp

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp smoked Pimentón

de la Vera

1/4 tsp thyme, ground

1/4 tsp oregano, ground

For the remoulade sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 green onions, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

1 Tsp creole mustard

2 Tsp ketchup

1 Tsp celery, diced

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground cayenne

1/2 tsp smoked Pimentón de

La Vera

2 cups mayonnaise

Tabasco to taste

Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce and Blackened Shrimp

MATTH

EW SC

OTT’S

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Mix flour and spices (salt,

pepper, cayenne). Cut the

tomatoes in 1/2 cm (1/4 inch)

slices and coat in flour mix.

Coat with beaten eggs and

coat again in flour mix. Fry in

abundant oil (Matthew uses

sunflower) until brown, but not

soft.

REMOULADE SAUCE

Mix ingredients for remoulade

sauce and let sit for at least

two hours.

BLACKEN SHRIMP

Mix spices together, coat

shrimp and quickly sauté in a

very hot pan (heated for at

least 2-3 minutes on max) for

30 seconds each side.

Place fried tomatoes on aplate, top with warmedremoulade sauce (be careful: ifheated to much, it may break)and the blackened shrimp ontop. Garnish with green oniontops sliced thin.

you nuances to play with. I try to use that as anadvantage. When you want a little bitterness, you let it go a little farther”.

Our three chefsdemonstrate the versatility of this powerful spice.Paprika can be much morethan a mere dash of color. Itcan be the bold centerpiece of a dish or an enigmaticsecret ingredient. Toss outyour old paprika and makeroom in your spice rack forall three varieties of smokedPimentón de la Vera.

Am

ad

or

Toril/©

IC

EX

Megan Cytron is the ExecutiveEditor of Trazzler.com. Shecalls Madrid home and writesabout everything fromsandwiches to 13th-centurySpanish poetry.

36 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Over the last couple of yearsworking for SpainGourmetour, I have alwaysbeen deeply jealous of thewriters that were asked tocontribute a piece for thissection. As a freelancejournalist, it isn´t all thatoften that a publication willlet you pick the subject, style,and tone of a piece.

Now, however, faced withthe task myself, I find theblank page before me harderto fill up than I had thought.Presented with the chance towrite about anything inSpanish food that I love, I have trouble selecting justone. Luckily, I’ve found asolution: I’ve asked someoneelse to pick for me.

Over the last week, I havebeen guiding a group oftwenty young chefs from allover the world throughSpain´s most importantgastronomic summit, MadridFusión. These chefs are partof an internship programoffered by the SpanishInstitute of Foreign Trade,and are currently working in many of Spain´s mostrenowned and multi-

Michelin-starred restaurants(such as El Bulli, Arzak,Akelarre or Celler de CanRoca, to name but a few).Young cooks from China,Japan, the USA, Germany,Denmark and Switzerland are now six months into their1-year programme, whichmeans that, by now, theyknow their Spanish food. Sowhen I asked them the singlebest Spanish product theyhad discovered since theywere here, I wasn´t surprisedto find that many of my ownfavourites came up.

Dry fino and Manzanillawere a popular choice: Chris,who works down in Málaga atCafé de Paris, could not speakhigher of the combination ofan ice-cold Fino with a plateof roasted Marcona almonds.Most of them had alwaysthought of sherry as a sweetbrew drunk by old spinsters,and found that the bone-dry,refreshing and salty tang of a dry sherry was an aperitifthat took some beating.

Bobby from el Poblet pickedthe daily use of olive oil.Kristina from Berasategui,Sherry vinegar. Mizuho, a

pastry chef with PacoTorreblanca, enjoyed thesimple pleasure of a wood-oven roasted lamb,condimented with little morethan a splash of olive oil andsome course salt. The more I asked, the more I saw thatthey, too, were unable tosingle out a gastronomicpleasure over the rest.

But a winner there was,even if by the slightest ofmargins. The imaginary Oscar of Spanish food wentto jamón Ibérico, the curedham made from a nativebrand of black pig whichchefs the world over raveabout. “There are two things I will take away from Spainwith me when the year ends”,Brandon from Can Roca said,summing up the generalfeeling better than I evercould, “its passion for foodand a good leg of jamón.”

Saul Aparicio is a Madrid-based freelance writer andtranslator. He has been part ofSpain Gourmetour’s editorialstaff for the last three years andsincerely hopes you all enjoyedit while it lasted

UNABLE TO PICK A SINGLE FAVOURITE FOODTO WRITE ABOUT, SAUL APARICIO HAS TO GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SOME CHEFFRIENDS

VISTAS FROM

SPAI

N

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 37

Perhaps foodies have a kink intheir genes that forces them toalways try something new. Orperhaps we are just lazyadventurers–too lethargic totravel we explore othercultures through their food.Though a visit to Spain prettymuch cured me of that.

Salt cod, or bacalao, is a case in point. It must be theleast attractive food to anorthern European. It looksunappealing and thepreparation alone should putyou off. Traditionally it wassalted and then dried by thesun, rows of the fish werehung from wooden posts orset out to dry on rocks.

Bacalao's history is a longone- long before refrigerationsalted food was the mostefficient method of storage.Salt cod can last for severalyears so it was an ideal storeof wealth. This is one of thefunctions of money so itbecame a method of exchangeacross the trade routes fromthe New World to Africa andbeyond.

The cod needs to berefreshed in several changesof water over night or even

up to three days. The aim isto wash out most of the saltbut still leave a breath ofsaltiness behind. The bacalaois then poached in water andserved in any number ofdishes, the classic being withpil-pil sauce. In its simplestform this is just olive oil,garlic and red pepper or chilliflakes cooked with the codbut the expert version turns a milky colour and has amayonnaise-like consistency.The cod is cooked in the oil,skin side down so thegelatine in the skin combineswith the oil and garlic toform the opaque sauce.

I had read many lyricaldescriptions of bacalao andtasted some pretty grimnorthern European versionsbefore a trip to Bilbao in2003. I slipped out of themagnificent Silken DomineHotel and past the hotel'sgleaming, titanium-cladneighbour, the Guggenheim,and found myself in a modestlocal restaurant. They almostimmediately understood mytortuous Spanish and servedme bacalao al pil pil. Pearly,moist flakes oozed clouds of

sea and mingled with thecreamy soft heat of the pil pilsauce. It was truly a wealth offlavour and proof that onlytravel broadens the palate.

Ross Golden-Bannon is theEditor of Food & WineMagazine and restaurant criticfor The Sunday Business Post

IREL

ANDVISTAS FROM

ALTHOUGH SALT COD MAY NOT SEEM THE MOST APPEALING OFPRODUCTS, THE WEALTH OF BACALAO NEVER FAILS TO IMPRESS ROSS GOLDEN-BANNON

Tomás Zarza/©ICEX

Photo assistants:

César Carmeno,

Vanessa Ábalos

and Miguel Suárez

La Ancha, C/Zorrilla, 7. Madrid.

Tel: +34 914 298 186

La Ancha II, C/Príncipe de Vergara, 204. Madrid.

Tel: +34 914 298 186

Las Tortillas de Gabino, C/ Rafael Calvo, 20. Madrid.

Tel: +34 913 197 505

www.lastortillasdegabino.com

Advance booking essential in all three.

Las Tortillas also offers cooking courses

RECIPESSPRING

Nino Redruello is among the most important exponents of the fine tradition of Basque

cuisine in Madrid. Born and raised in the restaurant business under the tutelage of his

eponymous uncle, he took charge of the family restaurant, La Ancha, in early 2007. Before

that, Nino spent many years working his way up in the restaurant before opening Las

Tortillas de Gabino, his own venture, together with his brother. Las Tortillas took Madrid by

storm, offering adventurous takes on the classic Spanish omelette by complementing it

with octopus, squid ink or cod and Porrusalda (a Basque leek cream) and a menu filled

with updated classics.

PhotosToya Legido/© ICEX

40 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

CRAYFISHSALADCANAPÉS (Canapé deensalada decangrejo de río)

FINGER FOOD SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

15 mins

DIFFICULTY

Easy

INGREDIENTS

160 gr (5 1/2 oz) boiled or steamed crayfish (alternatively,use shrimp)

1 tsp Brandy

3 1/2 tbsps mayonnaise

2 spring onions

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

Salt

Sherry vinegar

Extra Virgin olive oil

Bread

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 41

1. Clean out the meat of thecrayfish and place in a bowl

2. Add a splash of Brandy(about 5gr or 1 tsp) and mixin some mayonnaise (50gr or3 1/2 approx.)

3. Slice the spring onions, redand green peppers into thinstrips. Dress with salt, sherryvinegar and Extra Virgin oliveoil (1 part sherry per 2 partsoil)

4. Place some crayfish mix ona thin slice of bread and someof the vegetables on top.

RECI

PES

WHITEASPARAGUSWITH CORNMAYONNAISE (Espárragosblancos templadoscon mahonesa demaÍz)

VEGETARIAN 1. Drain the asparagus.

2. To make a mayonnaise, usea blender to mix 1 egg, 20 grof sherry vinegar and 200 mlof olive oil. It is importantthat all the ingredients are atroom temperature before youblend them.

3. Open a can of sweet corn,drain, and process. Mix thepurée into the mayonnaise.

4. Serve the asparagus warm(not cold) with the mayonnaise,a dash of olive oil and someand a pinch of Maldon salt.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

20 mins

DIFFICULTY

Easy

INGREDIENTS

500 gr (1 lb approx) jar ofEspárrago de Navarra D.O.white asparagus (2 per person,approx.)

1 egg

20 gr (4 tsps) sherry vinegar

200 ml (1/2 pt approx) olive oil

1 can sweet corn

1 pinch Maldon salt

VEGETABLE‘TUMBET’(Tumbet de verduras)

REGIONAL(MALLORCA)

1. To make a tomato sauce,finely chop 1/4 onion and acarrot. Fry in some olive oiland add the chopped tomatoesand a splash of white wine.Simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Cut the potatoes into slices,fry in abundant olive oil untilsoft. Take out, drain excess oilwith a paper towel.

3. Roughly chop the peppers,aubergine, 1 onion and acourgette. Fry each vegetableseparately in the same oil,draining excess oil with papertowels in each case.

4. Place the vegetables, layerby layer, in an oven dish,starting with the potatoes andfinishing with a layer oftomato sauce.

5. Heat up in an oven. In themeantime. Finely chop theremaining 1/4 onion and fryover medium heat untilcrunchy. Decorate the tumbetonce it is out of the oven withthe crunchy onion.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

1 hour

DIFFICULTY

Medium

INGREDIENTS

500 gr (1 lb approx) can

chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 onion

1 carrot

2 medium potatoes

2 green peppers

2 sweet red peppers

1/2 aubergine

1 courgette

Extra Virgin olive oil

White wine

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 45

RECI

PES

BABY BROADBEANS WITH‘IBÉRICO’ HAM,PIMENTÓN DELA VERA ANDFRIED EGG(Habas en conservacon jamón Ibérico,Pimentón de La Vera y huevofrito)

TEN MINUTETAPA

1. Drain and rinse the beans.

2. Place in a pan with 30gr of diced Ibérico ham (smallcubes) and some olive oil.Place over high heat for 5minutes, stirring.

3. While the beans are cooking, fry eggs in plenty ofvery hot olive oil, until therim of the white is crispy(because olive oil reaches ahigher temperature than butter, eggs fry very diffe-rently –try it and see–. Youwill be able to re-use the oil afair few times after).

4. A moment before serving,add a pinch of Pimentón deLa Vera to the beans, stiraround and take off heat so itdoesn´t burn.

5. Spoon some beans on to aplate and place the egg ontop. Serve with crusty bread

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

10 mins

DIFFICULTY

Easy

INGREDIENTS

2 cans or jars of baby broadbeans (250 gr / 1/2 lb each)

30 gr (1 oz) diced Ibérico ham

4 eggs

Pimentón de La Vera

Olive oil

46 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

COD IN PIL-PILSAUCE(Bacalao al pil-pil)

TRADITIONAL 1. Unsalt the cod followingthe instructions on the package.

2. Peel the garlic, halve andfry it in abundant olive oilwith a small cayenne pepper.

3. When beginning to get golden, lower heat to a mini-mum and add the cod, skindown. So that it begins tocook very slowly and releasesthe jelly in the skin.

4. When the fish is nearlydone (roughly 10 minutes,depending on the thickness),take out the fish, take the panoff the heat and gently swirlthe contents around until thescented oil and the jelly bind,making a creamy sauce.

5. When the sauce has bound,add the fish pieces and placeover heat until they has cooked through.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

35 mins

DIFFICULTY

Medium

INGREDIENTS

4 200 gr (7 oz) pieces of saltedcod (Important: with skin)

1 large clove garlic

1 small cayenne pepper

Olive oil

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 47

FRESH CHEESETERRINE WITHALBARIÑOGRANITA AND SUGARCRUNCH(Crema cuajada de queso frescocon granizado de Albariño)

DESSERT

Cheese terrine

1. In a pan, mix the milk,cheese, cream, honey andsugar, bring to the boil andsimmer over very low heat for5 minutes.

2. Take off heat and add a thesheet of gelatin, previouslysoaked in cold water. Pourinto molds and refrigerate

SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME

1 hour

DIFFICULTY

Medium-hard

INGREDIENTS

For the cheese terrine

250 ml (1 cup) full-fat milk

75 gr (2 1/2 oz) cottage cheese

50 gr (1/3 cup) cream

10 gr (1 1/2 tsps) honey

40 gr (10 tsps) sugar

2 gr (0.07 oz) sheet of gelatin

For the sugar crunch

25 gr (4 1/2 tbsps)flour

25 gr (5 tsps) melted butter

25 gr (2 tbsps) sugar

25 gr (0.9 oz) of egg whitesbeaten until stiff

For the Albariño granita

Albariño wine

Sugar crunch

1. Mix the flour, melted butter, sugar and egg whites,previously beaten until stiff.

2. Spread the paste onto agreased sheet of oven-proofpaper and place in an oven at180ºC for 4-5 minutes.

Albariño granita

1. Pour some Albariño wineinto a large dish until sha-llowly covered and freeze.

2. Moments before serving,scratch the surface with afork to make a

To serve, place the cheesecream onto a plate, placesome of the sugar crunch ontop and top off with the granita. Sprinkle some brownsugar on top, and decoratewith lemon zest and spearmint leaves.

48 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH CORN MAYONNAISE Wine XAREL·LO PAIRAL 2006Varietals Xarel·loOrigin D.O. PenedésWinery Can Rafols dels CausDescription Attractive pale yellowcolour, with a complex nose whereaniseed, freshly cut hay, wild herbs,apples and pears dance around somebalsamic aromas. Buttery and fruity witha long finish, it has a great personalityand is quite unlike any other Spanishwhite I’ve tasted. Why this wine? I wouldn´t say thatasparagus don´t combine well with wine,but that’s only because many have said itbefore me. Even so, I think that thispeculiar white and these famouslydifficult friends will probably get on welltogether. The herb aromas of both matchup well, as does the contrast of the saucewith the wine’s sharpness.

CRAYFISH SALAD CANAPÉS Wine FEFIÑANES III AÑO 2005Varietals AlbariñoOrigin D.O. Rias BaixasWinery Bodegas del Palacio de FefiñanesDescription This is a very special wineand a personal favourite of mine. Madeout of a selection of grapes from thewinery’s best vineyards, it is aged bothwith its lees and in a still stainless steeltank for three years before making it outinto the market.

Deceptively pale yellow in colour, itpacks an intense and complex aroma.Citrus and apples mingle with a finetouch of cedar wood, leather, a hint ofsea breeze and a balsamic touch. Freshinitially and pleasantly buttery later, ithas a long, classy and refreshingly bitterfinish.Why this wine? The simplicity of thedish and the directness of its flavoursmade me lean towards a complex winethat will add depth to the combination.Albariños have always combined wellwith seafood, and more so the case whenits freshness “lightens” the richness of thesauce.

BABY BROAD BEANSWITH ‘IBÉRICO’ HAM,PIMENTÓN DE LA VERAAND FRIED EGGWine EL REGAJAL 2006Varietals Tempranillo, CabernetSauvignon, Syrah, MerlotOrigin D.O. Wines de MadridWinery Viñas de El RegajalDescription The El Regajal property islocated near Aranjuez, a fertile area onthe Banks of the Tajo river south ofMadrid that was often known as Madrid’svegetable garden. The grapes come fromfour different plots that feature differentsoils: Sand, clay and limestone mainly.

Cherry coloured with a purplish rim,we can highlight the aromas ofblackberries and cassis, spices and finetoasted wooden notes. Big and tasty yetwell-balanced, the initial fruity freshnessyields way to some refined oaky tones. Why this wine? This very classic dishpresents very distinct and strongflavours, bringing out the strengths ofeach of its ingredients to light. This fruityred, with a very light ageing in oak hasthe structure to hold ground and thefreshness not to overload the palate withthe intensity of the food.

Tom

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WINEMARRIAGE

Pho

togr

aphs

cou

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y of

the

win

emak

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SPAIN GOURMETOUR 49

... continues on next page

COD IN PIL-PIL SAUCEWine; DOMINIO DE TARES CEPASVIEJAS 2006Varietals MencíaOrigin D.O. BierzoWinery Viñedos y Bodegas Dominio de TaresDescription Dense, maroon red incolour this wine is intense and alive withthe aromas of violets, red berries, somelactic undertones and a mineral streak.Massive and beefy, its intense fruitaccompanies muscular tannins and along earthy finish. Why this wine? Although a white orsparkling wine with some oak mighthave been a more classic (and probablydelightful) selection for this fish dish, Ihave chosen this somewhat riskiercombination with a wine from the BierzoDesignation of Origin, which is currentlyenjoying great popularity. The intensetaste of the cod and its fattiness willblend well with the fruit and balancedacidity. Its velvety quality and soundstructure are sure to please.

VEGETABLE “TUMBET”Wine; GRAMONA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2007Varietals Sauvignon BlancOrigin PenedésWinery GramonaDescription Yellow with a greenish hue,elegant and potent aromas of pineappleand passionfruit rise from the glass,which also reveals aniseed and freshherbs. Refreshing and fruity in themouth, its finish is pleasant andbalsamic. Why this wine? My instincts told methat a fresh and herby white wine wouldcomplement this dish beautifully, and Ifound indeed to be the case when I triedit later. This Sauvignon Blanc is denseand flavourful yet still fresh, helpingrefresh the palate between mouthfuls andhelping one distinguish the nuances ofeach of the vegetables.

FRESH CHEESE TERRINEWITH ALBARIÑO GRANITAAND SUGAR CRUNCHWine OLOROSO ABOCADO LUSTAU 1990Varietals Palomino FinoOrigin D.O. Jerez-Manzanilla deSanlúcarWinery Emilio LustauDescription Amber in colour, it has theclassically complex combination ofaromas of sherry wines, which nevercease to blow the wine aficionado away.Nuts, coffee, caramel, raisins, driedapricots and cigar box aromas are but afew of the pleasing scents that one canfind when putting one’s nose to the glass.Silky and extremely flavourful, the finishbrings back the aromas for a seeminglyendless amount of time. Why this wine? With this stunninglycomplex wine, we add a wealth of subtlenuances to the delicate sweetness of thecheese cream and soft freshness of thegranite. The long finish will seeminglyprolong the pleasure of this deliciousdessert.

Award- winning sommelier María José Huertas hasdeveloped her whole career at Michelin-starredMadrid restaurant La Terraza del Casino. She wasamong the first female sommeliers to leave the officialschool in the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and joinone of the top restaurants in the Spanish capital,where she has now spent ten years finding the bestwines to accompany the creative cuisine of head chefand Ferran Adrià protegé Paco Roncero.

"When you begin to 'marry' wines to food", María Josésays, "you soon find that, for every dish, there tends tobe at least four or five wines that are a particularlygood match. You choose those according to the tastes,textures and aromas of the dish, finding wines that

will not drown any of the subtleties out and will bringa little something extra to the mix that will make itspecial. But the only way to get it just right is to findout about the personal taste and preferences of theclient, so that you'll make the perfect selection out ofthe wines that initially come to mind. I therefore liketo chat a little about wines with a client before Isuggest one for the meal. Since I can't quiz youreaders, in my choices here I have favoured wines thatI find particularly interesting myself and that are, onoccasion, a little daring".

La Terraza del Casino, C/ Alcalá 15-3 E. Madridlaterraza@casinodemadrid.es. www.casinodemadrid.es

YOUR SOMMELIER IS… MARÍA JOSÉ HUERTAS

50 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

WIN

EMAR

RIAG

EWhere to buy

ALBARIÑO DE FEFIÑANESIII AÑO

UKRSP: £18.95

Moreno WinesMalda Vale

London W9 3HY

Tel.: 020 8960 7161

www.morenowinedirect.com

IRELANDRSP: --

Smith & Whelan WinesBallycotton

Co. Cork

EL REGAJAL

IRELANDRSP: €22

64 Wine64 Glasthule Road,

Sandicove. Co. Dublin

Tel.: 01 280 5664

www.64wine.com

Bin nº99 Farmhill Road, Goatstown.

Dublin 14

Tel.: 01 296 4844

www.binno9.com

Fallon & Byrne11-17 Exchequer St., Dublin 2

Tel.: 01 472 1010

www.fallonandbyrne.net

Jus de VinPortmarnock, Co. Dublin

Lilac WinesFairview, Co. Dublin

Lilliput Stores5 Rosemeath Terrace, Arbor Hill,

Stoney Batter

Dublin 7

Listons25 Camden St., Dublin 2

Tel.: 01 405 4779

Power & Smullen1 Bridge View, Main Street, Lucan

Co. Dublin

Tel.: 01 610 0362

www.pswine.ie

Red IslandSkerries, Co Dublin

Tel.: 01 849 4032

info@redislandwine.com

Sweeney Wine Merchants6 Finglas Road, Glasnevin.

Dublin 11

The Wicklow Wine CompanyMain St., Wicklow Town.

Co. Wicklow

Tel.: 04 046 6767

www.wicklowwineco.ie

XAREL·LO PAIRAL

UKRSP: £19.50

Available directly from importer:

Indigo Wine Ltd.Tel./Fax: 020 7733 8391

Mobile: 077 9967 1648

GRAMONA SAUVIGNON BLANC

UKAt present, Gramona is

expanding exports to the United

Kingdom. For more information

on the company and its wines,

visit www.gramona.com

DOMINIO DE TARES CEPAS VIEJAS

UKRSP: £17-18

Corks of Cotham54 Cotham Hill, Bristol BS6 6JX

Tel.: 0117 973 1620

www.corksof.com

Five Reasons Wine7 Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells.

Kent TN1 1BS

Tel.: 0189 252 1222

www.fivereasonswine.co.uk

Great Northern Wine CompanyThe Warehouse, Blossomgate

Ripon, HG4 2AJ

Tel.: 0176 560 6767

Halifax Wine18 Prescott Street,

Halifax HX1 2LG

Tel.: 0142 225 6333

www.halifaxwinecompany.com

Philglass & Swiggot21 Northcote Road, Battersea.

London SW11 1NG

Tel.: 020 7924 4494

www.philglas-swiggot.com

Scatchard's Wine Merchants19 Charles Street, Hoole.

Chester CH2 3AY

Tel.: 0124 431 7094

www.scatchardswinemerchants.com

Pippa Sedgwick WinesCrosby on Eden, Carlisle.

Cumbria CA6 4QZ

Tel.: 0122 857 3354

Steep Hill Wines25 Steep Hill, Lincoln.

Lincolnshire LN2 1LU

Tel.: 0152 254 4737

www.steephillwines.com

Theatre of Wine75 Trafalgar Rd.,

London SE10 9TS

Tel.: 020 8858 6363

http://theatreofwine.com

Worth Brothers Wine MerchantsLichfield, Staffordshire

WS13 6RJ

Tel.: 0154 326 2051

www.worthbrothers.co.uk

LUSTAU OLOROSO ABOCADO 1990

UKRSP: €14.48

Available at Waitrose stores.

For more information on stockists,

contact importer:

Fields, Morris & Verdin

Unit 28-30 Southbank Business

Centre, Ponton Road

Vauxhall, London SW8 5BL

www.fmvwines.com

SPAIN GOURMETOUR 51

Products from SpainUnits 17-18 Cumberland

Business Park

17 Cumberland Avenue

London NW10 7RT

Tel.: 020 8965 7274

www.productsfromspain.co.uk

Selfridges400 Oxford Street

London W1A 1AB

Tel.: 020 7629 1234

For other locations visit:

www.selfridges.co.uk

Villandry Foodstore170 Great Portland Street

London W1W 5QB

Tel.: 020 7631 3131

www.villandry.com

SOUTH-EASTAngela´s DelicatessenThe Square

Yarmouth

Isle of Wight PO41 ONS

Tel: 01983 761 196

Food for Thought 4 High Street

Bembridge

Isle of Wight PO35 5SD

Tel.: 01983 873 555

SOUTH-WESTA Basket for All Seasons10 Church Street

Newent

Gloucestershire, GL181PP

Tel.: 01531 822 940

Paxton & Whitfield1 John Street Bath

Somerset BA1 2JL

Tel.: 01225 466 403

www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Wellswood Village Pantry11 Ilsham Road

Torquay

Devon TQ1 2JG

Tel.: 1803 292 315

EASTHeathers & Meadows FineFoods81 High Street

Hoddesdon

Hertfordshire, EN11 8TL

Tel.: 01992 462 113

The Food Company86 London Road, Marks Tey

Colchester

Essex, CO6 1ED

Tel.: 01206 214 000

www.thefoodcompany.co.uk

Byfords Delicatessen1-3 Shirehall Plain

Holt

Norfolk NR25 6BG

Tel.: 01263 713 520

Picnic Fayre DelicatessenThe Old Forge

Cley-next-the-sea

Norfolk NR25 7AP

Tel: 01263 740 587

www.picnic-fayre.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDSCeci Paolo: The New Cook´sEmporium21 High Street

Ledbury

Herefordshire HR8 1DS

Tel: 01531 632 976

www.cecipaolo.com

Paxton & Whitfield13 Wood Street

Stratford-upon-Avon

Warwickshire CV3 76JF

Tel: 01789 415 544

www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBERFine Food Theatre16 Market Place

Malton

North Yorkshire YO17 7LX

Tel: 01653 696 563

www.finefoodtheatre.co.uk

Haley & Clifford43 Street Lane

Leeds

West Yorkshire LS8 1AP

Tel: 01132 370 334

Lewis & Cooper Ltd92 High Street

Northallerton

North Yorkshire DL7 8PP

Tel: 01609 772 880

For other locations visit:

www.lewisandcooper.co.uk

The Ginger Pig 11, Market Place

Pickering

North Yorkshire YO18 7AA

Tel: 01751 477211

For locations in London visit:

www.thegingerpig.co.uk

NORTH- WESTGranthams Fine Food & Wine68 Heyes Lane

Alderley Edge

Cheshire SK9 7HY

Tel: 01625 583 286

www.granthamsfinefood.com

SHOP

PING

GUIDE

UNITED KINGDOMENGLAND

LONDONBrindisa9B Weir Road

London SW 12 OLT

Tel.: 020 8772 1600

For other locations visit:

www.brindisa.com

Fortnum and Mason181 Picadilly

London W1A 1ER

Tel.: 020 7734 8040

www.fortnumandmason.co.uk

García and Sons248-250 Portobello Road

London W11 1LL

Tel.: 020 7221 6119

tony@garciaportobello.fsnet.co.uk

Harvey Nichols Food Market109-125 Knightsbridge (5th Floor)

London SW1X 7RJ

Tel.: 020 7235 5000

For other locations visit:

www.harveynichols.com

Jeroboams51 Elizabeth Street

London SW1W 9PB

Tel.: 020 7730 8108

For other locations visit:

www.jeroboams.co.uk

La Fromagerie30 Highbury Park

London N5 2AA

Tel.: 020 7539 7440

For other locations visit:

www.lafromagerie.co.uk

Lidgate110 Holland Park Avenue

London W11 4UA

Tel.: 020 7727 8243

Mortimer and Bennett33 Turnham Green Terrace

London W4 1RG

Tel.: 020 8995 4145

www.mortimerandbennett.co.uk

Partridge´s2-5 Duke of York Square

Sloane square

London SW3 4LY

Tel.: 020 7730 7102

For other locations visit:

www.partridges.co.uk

Paxton & Whitfield93 Jermyn Street

London SW1Y 6JE

Tel.: 020 7930 0259

www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk

Find Spanish productsnear you

52 SPAIN GOURMETOUR

Fothergills Delicatessen141 Rathmines Road Upper

Rathmines, Dublin 6

Tel.: 01 496 2511

Get FreshUnit 6, Rosemount Shopping Center

Marian Road, Ballyroan

Rathfarnham, Dublin 14

Tel.: 01 493 7148

Listons 25/26 Lower Camden Street

Dublin 2

Tel.: 01 405 4779

Magill’s Delicatessen14 Clarendon Street

Dublin 2

Tel.: 01 671 3830

Morton & Son15-17 Dunville Avenue

Ranelagh, Dublin 6

Tel: 01 497 1254

www.mortons.ie

Sheridan’s Cheesemongers11 South Anne Street

Dublin 2

Tel.: 01 679 3143

For other locations visit:

www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

The Gourmet Shop48 Highfield Road

Rathgar, Dublin 6

Tel.: 01 497 0365

www.gourmetshop.ie

NATIONWIDECoopers Fine FoodsMarket Square

Navan, Co. Meath

Tel.: 046 907 5275

www.coopersfinefoods.ie

Sheridans Cheesemongers14-16 Churchyard Street

Galway

Tel.: 091 564 829

Sheridans Cheese CounterArdkeen Quality Food Store

Dunmore Road

Waterford

Tel.: 051 874 620

www.sheridanscheesemongers.com

Urru Culinary Store BrandonThe Mill, McSwiney Quay

Bandon, Co Cork

Tel.: 023 54731

www.urru.ie

Online shopping from Irelandwww.wineandtapas.com

UNITED KINGDOMWALESFoxy's Deli7 Royal Buildings, Victoria Road

Penarth

South Glamorgan CF64 3ED

Tel: 029 2025 1666

For other locations visit:

www.foxysdeli.com

UNITED KINGDOMSCOTLANDClive RamsayHenderson Street

Bridge of Allan

Stirling FK9 4HR

Tel: 01786 893 903

www.cliveramsay.com

Heart Buchanan380 Byres Road

Glasgow

Lanarkshire G12 8AR

Tel: 01413 347 626

www.heartbuchanan.co.uk

Relish 6 Commercial Street (Leith)

Edinburgh

Midlothian EH6 6JA

Tel: 01314 761 920

The Gourmet's Lair8 Union St

Inverness

Inverness-Shire IV1 1PL

Tel: 01463 225 151

www.gourmetslair.co.uk

Valvona & Crolla19 Elm Row

Edinburgh EH7 4AA

Tel: 01315 566 066

www.valvonacrolla.co.uk

IRELANDDUBLINCavistons Food Emporium58/59 Glasthule Road

Sandycove

Co. Dublin

Tel.: 01 280 9120

www.cavistons.com

Evergreen 34 Wexford Street

Dublin 2

Tel: 01 478 5265

Fallon and Byrne11/17 Exchequer Street

Dublin 2,

Tel.: 01 472 1010

www.fallonandbyrne.com

SHOP

PING

GUIDE

Editor-in-chiefCathy Boirac

Editorial coordinationEtnín C.B.Saúl Aparicio HillIria González Panizo

JournalistsIan CowleyMichael RaffaelMegan Cytron

Design and Art DirectionEstudio Manuel Estrada

Photo ArchiveMabel Manso

CoverJavier Zabala

Colour SeparationsRastecolor

PrintersAltair Quebecor Ibérica

AdvertisingUK: Essential Media Contact: Jane Robbins Tel: 020 761 108 09IRELAND: MBG Advertising & MarketingContact: Bob McMahonwww.mbg.ieTel: 01 637 3968 SPAIN: CedisaContact: Esmeralda CapelTel: (+34) 913 080 644

D.L.: M.45.307-1990

ISSN: 0214-2937

PublisherICEXState Secretariat for Trade and Tourismspaingourmetour@icex.es

The opinions expressed by the authors ofthe articles are not necessarily shared bythe Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade(ICEX), which cannot be held responsiblefor any omissions or errors in the text.

For more information on Spanishproducts contact: Spanish CommercialOffice Tel. 020 746 72 330 Email:londres@mcx.es and for moreinformation on tourism to Spain see:www.spain.info

All rights reserved

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Fictional foods.Virtual wines.Digital gastronomy.Imaginary journeys.

That’s not what you’ll find inour magazine.We’ll showyou succulent fruits, tendervegetables, astonishingwines, delicious dishes andfascinating places.Genuinesensations, lived and felt ina real country.

First, see Spain byte by byte.Then try the real thing.