Summer Tapas

Iberian ham, marinated olives, chorizo & Morcon

Spanish tapas for the summer, what better time to indulge in some of Spain's finest cured meats. There are two combinations that spring to mind when thinking of summer tapas namely orange with extra virgin olive oil and strawberries with an aged sherry vinegar - don't believe us? Try it! Strange as it may sound these two pairings do work, in fact they work very well. We first tried orange and olive oil when visiting an organic olive oil business in near Jaen a few years ago and it remains a firm favourite, the sherry and strawberries idea came from some publicity produced by 'Capirete' here in Spain but it was not until a local Spanish chef mentioned the idea that we tried it, again now a firm favourite when those big home grown strawberries become available from the local greengrocer.

One thing about Spanish flavours are that they are usually very simple, after all, simple does work. That is not to say that there is anything boring about Spanish food, quite the opposite in fact as the Spanish, for generations have known how to cook with flavour in mind, especially with tapas.

This summer we have introduced 4 simple tapas lines with an Iberian ham twist, a handful of tapas selections put together with flavour in mind - sort of the building blocks to a classy tapas lunch leaving you to to decide on the fruits and red wines (or indeed Fino) of your choice.

Find out more...

Aperitivo time

Aperitivo time...good at any time! The small hamlet of Fuente Nueva just outside the village of Orce in Granada only has a handful of full time residents, most live cave houses with the odd few residing in cortijo's. You could say that the hamlet is "muy tranquilo" most of the year - except during holiday season. Made up predominantly of cave homes the two barrios which make up Fuente Nueva are scattered with holiday caves, all of which become occupied during Easter, Summer and occasionaly for new years eve celebrations.

Our own neighbours arrive four times a year, from Barcelona and Madrid the family turns up for a couple of weeks to enjoy some time off. From one end of the spectrum to the other coming somewhere as quiet as this from the capital. Its normally around two in the afernoon that you hear a cry "Aperitivo!", a small metal table is laid out under the largest tree in the garden for shade and is covered in all manner of tapas, olives, jamon, chorizo and seafood.

The kids are usually creating havoc somewhere nearby in the campo while us adults sit down for a cerveza or two and a bite to eat. This happens every day for the duration of their stay, a very friendly affair and something to look forward to whenever the "vecinos" turn up. Plus of course there is nothing quite like a free cold beer in the sun on a weekday afternoon...

From a foodie point of view there is always something going on in the background, the bbq usually lit with escalivada roasting away and a batch from the day before being peeled by someone having been wrapped up in newspaper - Spanish tip of the day: wrap the veg for your escalivada in newspaper as it makes the skins infinately easier to peel off!

Chorizo and other sausages presented in a good selection of small tapas bowls come from Orce (carniceria de Julian) and occasionaly the market town of Huescar where you can find a small indoor market boasting fruit and veg stalls, fish shops and no less than four butchers, all of whom sell the same cured meats, hams and chorizo etc. You would think that competition would be fierce but in true Spanish style it is all very relaxed, even looking after each others store fronts while the other takes a break.

Below is one such carniceria, "secadero Ovalo" is a long established family run business with their signature "lomo de orza" (lightly fried pork tenderloin preserved in extra virgin olive oil) is always on display. There chorizo isn't half bad either with a nice sweet variety available, a favourite with the locals.

Discover more about Orce Serrano Hams suppliers (click on the image above) and find out where your hams and charcuterie comes from.

Mackerel in Olive Escabeche

This Spanish mackerel recipe is delicious as a light summer lunch and it can also be served up as a flavoursome “racione” (big tapa). The fresh mackerel goes well with a light sauce and the Andalucian pitted olives add that real twist of Spanish flavour for this easy to make seafood recipe.

You will need:

4 Large mackerel fillets
Flour
Olive oil
Parsley

Escabeche Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 Garlic cloves (crushed)
1 Large onion (diced)
1 Small red chilli
3 Bay leaves
Pinch saffron
75g Manzanilla olives (pitted)
250ml Chicken stock
White wine vinegar

Method:

1. Sauce first, lightly fry the onion and garlic until translucent then add the stock, white wine vinegar, chilli, pinch of saffron and the bay leaves. Cook for 10 – 12 minutes on a medium heat. Add the pitted Manzanilla olives when sauce is hot

2. Meanwhile, dust the mackerel fillets in seasoned flour then fry skin down first for 60 seconds in a little olive oil. Turn over and fry for another 60 seconds.

3. When the fillets are done, serve onto plates and cover with the escabeche, leave for 2 minutes before serving.

4. Scatter generously with roughly chopped broadleaf parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Spanish Olive Oil Flavours

Varieties of Spanish olives differ thus producing oils with different flavours, some olive oils are better for example with salads or fish, others with red meats and for marinading. Here we have a simple guide detailing the most popular varieties of Spanish olive oil, a guide to flavour and suggested uses.



Arbequina: Quite a fruity oil often with hints of almond, good with salads, escalivada and seafood.

Picual: Good depth and quite intense flavour with mild bitterness. Accompanies red meats and tuna, also good for frying.

Hojiblanca: Fruity with a nutty finish, ideal with pasta dishes, salads, poultry and seafood.

Verdial: Fruity yet sweet, this oil is ideal for salads, dressings, and a good oil for gazpacho recipes.



There are many more types of olives and olive oils available, those detailed above are ideal for keeping in the kitchen, are excellent "all rounders" and can be used in every day cooking. Remember to store your olive oil away from direct sunlight and at room temperature. Olive oils, as a general rule should be used within 12 months from the date of production.

Spanish Bacalao Salad with Oranges

This bright and exotic salad of salt cod and oranges is my own take on the traditional Remojon introduced by the Moors. Typically served as a tapas dish, I also love this as a simple and satisfying summer salad.

You will need:

1/2 kilo salt cod, soaked for 24-48 hours and drained
2 medium tomatoes
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 large sour oranges (you can use sweet ones if you prefer)
handful green pitted olives cut into pieces
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar




Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the bacalao. Turn off the heat and leave while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes and onion, peel and crush the garlic and mix together in a large serving bowl.
3. Peel the oranges and break into segments and then cut each segment in half and add to the bowl.
4. Remove the fish from the pan, drain and shred removing the skin and bones.
5. Add the fish to the salad, drizzle with oil and vinegar, add the olives and then mix well.
6. Serve and enjoy

Top 40 Tapas

Top 40 Spanish Tapas, spice up the Christmas season with a range of tapas dishes to impress the guests and create a spread like no other with some authentic food. Here we have a list of the top 40 tapas dishes served up in and around the village of Orce in the Granada province. Some are tremendously simple but packed full of flavour, others need some time in the kitchen prepping up.

The simple 10:

1. Olives - There is an olive out there for everyone, go for a big juicy variety soaked in herbs.

2. Pequillo peppers - Sweet, vibrant colour and good on their own

3. Mojama - Cured tuna loin, adds a special flavour to a tapas spread, wonderful with a good beer.

4. Cheese - Wedges of mildly cured Spanish cheese, compliments most other tapas.

5. Capers - Adds a touch of Spain with every berry.

6. Bacalao - (salted cod loin) slice wafer thin and enjoy with any apperitif

7. Chorizo - Number 1 contender

8. Salchichon - the chorizos cousin, peppery and flavoursome.

9. Iberian Morcon - Special in every sense of the word, almost smokey, deep flavours, quality tapas.

10. Nuts - Salted almonds, maize kernals, the simplest of tapas which go well with cured meats.




Simply pair them up..

11. Serrano ham & Melon - a famous tapa or starter, brings a great juicy flavour.

12. Serrano ham & Almonds - popular tapa in local bars for a good reason!

13. Chorizo & Apple - can also be BBQ'd but a fresh pairing is also exceptional

14. Cheese & Wine - no explanation required

15. Iberico ham & Peaches - a duo that expresses the finest of Spain

16. Lomo & Grapes - tenderloin of cured pork with large grapes, another classy tapa

17. Squid & Red Pepper - Seafood flavours with fresh pepper, summer tapas!

18. Serrano ham & broad beans - served in all bars in spain

19. Ham & Tomatoes - another famous tapa, don't forget the olive oil..

20. Salsa - a mix of tomatoes, pepper, garlic that should not be left from any table.



Turn up the heat...

21. Squid rings - battered, served up in salad aliolli, perfection

22. Serrano ham croquettes - muy famoso!

23. Spanish tortilla - Spanish omelette, hot or cold a real flavour of Spain

24. Chili garlic prawns - "gambas al pil pil", on for the all time top 3?

25. Baked sardines - simple cooking, fresh and flavoursome, serve with salad and oil.

26. MMMMussels! - steamed in wine, garlic, a little chili and broadleaf parsely.

27. Clams in salsa - served up locally in their shells with hot salsa, toothpicks at the ready!

28. Octopus salad - in garlic and olive oil, served up in fresh salad..

29. Spinach and ham salad - a recent find, packed with flavour and presence

30. Canary island chicken dips - cooked chicken in mojo salsa, wow!



Now we are really cooking.....!

31. Spanish meatballs - perfect tapas served up with crusty bread

32. Paella - choose your own variety, No1 tapa?

33. Pork and Tomato - "magra con tomate" hot tapas in fresh tomato sauce, remember the bread..

34. Serrano ham & Peas - garlic, onion, ham, peas, fabulous flavours

35. Stuffed peppers & morcilla - full bell peppers stuffed with hot black pudding, only in Spain..

36. Poor man Potatoes - with a difference...roasted in Iberico "manteca" sublime..

37. Stuffed spinach leaves - need prep but what a result!

38. Herbed lamb chops - flavour to the full with mint, thyme, oregano, red wine...

39. Beef Chimichurri - pieces of finest beef rib in Argentinian salsa, superb.

40. Sam Faina - Slow cooked rabbit in a rich vegetable sauce, top Spanish tapas.



There we have the top 40 Spanish tapas to create a Spanish twist this festive season. We hope this has provided some inspiration but if you are still looking for that elusive Spanish recipe or product then visit Orce Serrano Hams

Adios Amigo's

Its always very strange at the end of August when almost overnight everyone who has come from all over Spain for their holidays return home. The fiestas in the village come to an end and September looms taking us into the Autumn.



As usual and in fine style our neighbours held one big fiesta in their cave for the locals and as is what happens every year we prepare a little something just for them the day before they leave. This time Gayle (as always) excelled in the kitchen by preparing an enormous lasagne. Tapas consisted of foie gras with a muscadet white wine and pequillo peppers with pitted olives.


A good night was had by all, looking forward to the next time in the winter where it will be card games, cognac. and what our neighbours call "the hell" - our woodburner which kicks out quite a bit of heat!



Coming in September:

A Catalan recipe from Barcelona to feed an army
A very red paella from Seville
A mountain of tapas
...and Sangria.

To finish, a slide show of tapas dishes. What a great August it has been.

Easy Tapas

Tapas... simplicity is the key. On any trip to Andalucia you will find different grades of tapa, for example the most basic tapa ranges from a small bowl of salted almonds to go with your beer to a pate or garlic dip with bread, at the top end something heated such as "gambas al ajo" is always welcomed.



Summer tapas tend to be a more simple affair, mainly due to the heat - portions of lamb stew or chorizo casserole are usually more common during the winter months.

Above we have a typical simple summer tapa! Squares of freshly sliced serrano ham with spring onion and olives. Bite size tapas for the hot weather that go down great with a cold beer. Sometimes the "simple" recipes are just as good...!