En Orce hay más tranquilidad y mejor clima que en Newcastle

This is us posing for a photo amongst some of our ceramics for a journalist of the IDEAL newspaper after a visit to our new warehouse.  He came to talk to us about life here in Orce, why we came here, what we do, what we like and the differences in our way of life compared to our old home town of Newcastle in north east England.  The weather was an obvious point to bring up, especially as we are in the height of summer but we also mentioned how safe our boys are running around in the campo, how friendly and helpful people in our small village are and what we enjoy but also what we still find bemusing even after almost 10 years of being here. 

One point which we brought up was the infamous Spanish breakfast time when at 10 on the dot, no matter what people down tools, shut shop and disappear for half an hour for their bocadiilo!  Now there is nothing wrong with having a break and of course it is vital but when you choose to go to the bank (imagine a bank being shut with a notice on the door 'Gone for Breakfast)' at exactly that moment or a tradesman finally arrives after some days of waiting only to pop his head round the door, plug in an extension and then go away again for the best part of an hour, it can be very frustrating! Having said that we fully accept that this is how it is and it is part of the charm, our comments highlighted are more of an observation which has attracted a few comments since sharing the link!  Plus we wouldn't be without all the amazing tradesmen who have turned our new warehouse into a fantastic environment to work in and who probably wouldn't have been able to do so without a fortifiying breakfast...!

See the link HERE (in Spanish)

Comments welcome:)

Slow Cooked Leeks (Puerros cocidos)

This recipe for slow cooked baby leeks or 'puerros cocidos'  is all about the sweet, soft, melt in the mouth leeks that make perfect hot Spanish tapas.

We first had a version of this in our local village bar a couple of years ago as a tapa where we were served small rounds of super soft leek that almost disappeared on your tongue.  They are even more delicious served whole as a side dish or starter. A warming tapa is always welcomed on those colder day and with leeks being cheap and easy to buy and packed with flavour they make a great alternative tapa also suitable for vegetarians. Enjoy!

~ 10 minutes preparation ~ 1 ½ hours cooking ~

Ingredients:

8 small leeks (the smaller the better)

6 cloves garlic

2 fresh bay leaves

150ml extra virgin olive oil

150g unsalted butter

250ml white Rioja

Hot water

Sea salt

Freshly ground black peppercorns

Method: (serves 4-6)

1.    Chop off the green tops of the leeks, then remove as much of the outer layers as necessary so you are left with the neat white inner leeks. Wash and pat dry.

2.    Peel the garlic and slice.  Heat the olive oil in a large earthenware cazuela or oven proof dish and gently fry the garlic for 3-4 minutes until golden.

3.    Add the leeks to the cazuela in one layer and add the bayleaf.

4.    Add the butter, wine, a pinch of salt and enough hot water to just cover the leeks.

5.    Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to its lowest setting. Cover and cook gently for 50-60 minutes until the leeks are very soft, all the way to the centre.

6.    Remove the leeks set aside and keep warm.

7.    Turn up the heat under the cazuela and cook the liquid for 15 minutes.

8.    Transfer the leeks to a deep serving plate, pour over the reduced sauce and season again with salt and pepper.

A Spanish Paella

Cooking Spanish paella outdoors on an open fire is the real old fashioned Spanish way of making what is now Spain's most famous dish. Think Spain, think paella... There are of course a multitude of different versions and recipes, the "traditional" being the Valencian paella, named so after the region from where the dish originally came from.

January 2011 presented an opportunity to put into practice something we have been quite passionate about for a while now - cooking traditional Spanish food outdoors in a true rustic Spanish style. When the guys at "Cueva Santa Maria" asked us to cook paella for their guests who had booked Orce village for one leg of their 55 day Spanish journey we were of course, more than happy to get involved.

Paella in mind we drove to Cueva Santa Maria, Gayle armed with a full Serrano ham in stand sitting on her knee for pre paella tapas and the carving equipment carefully wrapped up in the paella pan with a few locally produced delicassies including olives, chorizo, butifarra, almonds and olive oil.

One vision we have for such events is for people to get involved and was great to see everyone take part either through prepping the ingredients for the paella, organising firewod, noting the recipe and generally enjoying the cooking. Questions and answers flowed and it was a joy to talk "Spanish food" with people who had a genuine interest.

After an hour or so the paella is served... The kids get to sample the paella first. Everyone gets stuck in which is great to see. We have to say at this point that the entire family were an absolute pleasure to cook for and we wish them well for the next leg of their journey.




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Orce Swimming Pool

Taking a break from the office and taking a break on a Sunday morning its often nice to get yourself down to the outdoor swimming pool in Orce. The pool itself is situated just off the roadside between Orce and Galera and is a natural spring. The pool is also full of fish who are quite happy to swim along side you. Not everyone's cup of tea and certainly different. The situation of the pool is very tranquil with a small car park, barbeque area restaurant and chiringuito. Open throughout the summer months the pool is very popular with people walking the half mile from the village with towels under arm.

Sunday mornings however are a quite quiet of you go early for a cool dip, also good for teaching junior to swim who always takes his goggles as the fish are a major attraction...

The pool, when packed with people makes you realise the culture difference of these rural Spanish villages. People of all ages from young kids to grandma's are in the pool, sunbathing and enjoying tapas or paella from the on site restaurant. There is no litter, the bins are always used and particularly where youngsters are concerned the elders are always keeping a watchful eye out. Atmosphere is always jovial, typicaly loud (in true Spanish style) but at the same time very welcoming, once you get past the inquisitive eyeballing so everyone knows who you are and if they recognise you.

Orce pool is one of the only "free" pools in the area so you won't see any life guards or car parking fees. The pool is subsidised by the town hall as well as rental from the drinks kiosk where you can buy ice cold cans of lager and soft drinks which are very welcome in the heat of the summer. The pool is also surrounded by trees which offer some well appreciated shade over the grass, restaurant and outdoor eating areas.

If you fancy a swim with the fish then Orce pool is just the ticket, a definate attraction and somewhere you could spend a very long lazy Spanish afternoon.

A Spring in the step

Spring in Andalucia? Surely the rain has stopped now! The south coast of Spain has had a real battering weather wise over the past few months. One of our neighbours claimed that the region had received three times the normal rainfall since December last year and we can well believe it, Spanish cave houses and indeed conventional houses have collapsed due to the constant drenching over the past few months.

The recent storm that rattled Southern Spain as well our European neighbours in France and the UK arrived early Sunday evening with 85mph winds and driving rain. Its always good to have a storm that clears the air but this was this the last one to see off Granada's "rainy season"?



(Below) the morning after. (Above) Almond blossom high up in the Sierra de Umbria, Fuente Nueva, Orce.



Wood collecting time... After enjoying a hefty delivery of slow burning almond wood mixed in with a bit of peach wood it was time to gather just a few more of those fast burning sticks to generate some heat. Sunday mornings (or indeed today being Andalucia day) are great to get out and grab some fresh air, get some wood take some photos and get fit after a lazy winter in the cave house.

This year being as wet as it has been has attracted the "processional pine caterpillar" in large numbers - stay clear, these are one of natures beasties that rank quite highly in the dangerous category. Aside from the caterpillars the views were fantastic from the top of the mountian, an old haunt for us if you like as when its not wood collecting time we usually take the kids up to the same spot for a picnic during the summer and relax for a couple of hours.



There is something quite wonderfull about being out in the campo at this time of year, barren wasteland is prepping itself up to change into a sea of colour with wild flowers and the fields quickly turn green as well as the mountains, for a short window of time it could almost be Scotland. Easter or Semana Santa is just around the corner and that means a visit from the Spanish neighbours, the "cocinero" in the family makes the absolute best romesco sauce which are accompanied by barbequed onions, wrapped in newspaper the Spanish neighbours serve them on upturned roof tiles. "Calcots" ~ the absolute business!

(recipe coming soon)

Sliced Serrano Ham

Spanish Serrano ham reserva sliced to order and dispatched direct from Andalucia.

We can remember when local butcher Julian agreed to supply us with what is now the Orce Serrano Ham Reserva. At the time it was named the "150 Reserva" due to only 151 being available (the extra one was for us:) Fortunately now, due to the phenomenal success of the 150 reserva Julian has been curing the reservas for a good few extra months now.



So whats the difference? In a nutshell its all about size and flavour intensity. Reserva hams tend to be larger examples because they have to hang for longer, bigger hams are chosen for the 16 month curing.

Flavour - the important part! A reserva ham hangs for at least 10 - 12 weeks longer than a bodega ham (sometimes also known in Andalucia as "curado" or "campo" ham) With curing comes maturing, a well matured ham will boast an immediate aroma, reserva examples have a slightly stronger aroma, more intense flavour and have a more velvety texture.

Is the difference noticeable? In a word, yes. If you know your Spanish jamon you will recognise a quality well cured example as soon as your knife carves the first slice. All this of course is not to take away from 12 month cured "bodega" hams which, in their own right are superb, milder in flavour and perhaps a little smaller but ultimately a great Spanish ham.



The Orce Reserva ham is now available in slices, pack sizes are 250g and 500g half kilo size. To celebrate the launch of these two new lines we are also giving away free complimentary tapas (almonds whenever possible which are a great pairing!) to accompany each pack of sliced ham.

Need more info on Spanish ham, fancy venturing into the world of Iberico? Drop us a line and and we will be more than happy to help.

Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas!) from us here at Orce Serrano Hams. We would like to wish everyone all the best for the festive season and the coming year and thank you for your custom, comments and suggestions.



Thanks also to our blog readers! Top Spanish Tapas is currently prepping up for 2009...



The Spanish garden... A new feature for 2009 - during the past few months we have built some terraces and have experimented with some vegetables here in Andalucia. Next year we will find out what works and what doesn't.



More culture from the area... Early 2009 we have the fiesta of San Anton - its a biggie! and we hope to have at least some photos if not video of the event. Easter follows and...well its going to be interesting!



...and a big dose of Spanish recipes, 2009 should see well over 150 authentic recipes added to the site, from the simplest tapas to Spanish main meals.



We are back soon with a special edition of the "12 Grapes" Las doce uvas - stay tuned, we defy you not to laugh...

Adios for now and FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Orce Serrano Hams - Real Spain

Some readers may have noticed we have been producing slide shows on YouTube. One of the most recent is of our local village Orce packed full of colour and tapas dishes along with some photographs of August fiestas.

Gayle and I made this one with some photos taken over the past of couple of years in and around the village and local hamlets. There are a few shots of the common cave dwellings around the area, some of the castle, scenery, flamenco etc etc. Hope you enjoy it.



Watch out for more slide shows on the way, yesterday we purchased a new serrano ham for photography and will be detailing the carving of that step by step in the coming weeks.

Next up: Liver and onions with paprika.... Nice!!

Quick Squid Tapas

I wonder what this feller used to have for the odd snack a few hundred years ago? We took this picture at the prehistoric exhibition last year which is held yearly in the "casa de cultura." The village of Orce is famous for three things - Orce Man (the oldest ever find of human remains) Prehistoric fossils and cave dwellings.

Our deli: Orce Serrano Hams is based in the nearby hamlet of "Fuente Nueva" which is home to the largest "dig" in the area. Living 100 yards away from 5 recently discovered Woolly Mammoths" is quite interesting!



More fossil photos to come but for now we have a "Delia Smith" tapa (in other words we're cheating :-)

Squid, we like squid cooked up in salsa, stuffed, fried etc etc. Sometimes though when the unexpected neighbours turn up you need something quick to prep up and also a little different..



Above: Whole baby squids in tomato salsa. Below: "Calamari in su tinta" or squid in its ink.



Two simple tinned tapas which will add something different to the table, serve up with bread, chopped tomato, cucumber etc etc

More seafood tapas with a difference HERE razor clams / Octopus / Cod eggs...

Caves & Tapas

Many people ask us "Do you honestly live in a cave???" Yes we do! Here is an insight to these fabulous dwellings in Andalucia.

Fuente Nueva, literally meaning “New Fountain” lies on the outskirts of Orce village. Six kilometres into the countryside the hamlet is distinguished by its cave dwellings hewn from the rock around two hundred years ago. Fuente Nueva is home to both Orce Serrano Hams and the “La Veranda” hotel – a substantial cave of some thirty rooms which has played host to numerous guests and travellers over the years.



Another feature which has made the area famous is its prehistoric discoveries; this is due to the fact that both Fuente Nueva and neighbouring Venta Micena lie in what used to be an enormous prehistoric lake. Finds include sabre tooth tigers, woolly mammoths and various prehistoric tools, during summer months excavations can be observed in the area with most significant finds being displayed in Orce museum.

There are around one hundred cave dwellings in Fuente Nueva, mainly consisting of holiday homes and full time residence. However there are many older caves too which have not been habited for decades making the hamlet a mixture of modern and old. In the 1980’s families began to leave the hamlet and move to the village, hence abandoned caves. The reasons include modernisation of conventional housing and that at the time cave dwellings were regarded as a “poor mans house”, nowadays the opposite is happening with many caves modernised to accommodate all the luxuries and services that you would find in the most tastefully decorated 4 bedroom detached home.



Fuente Nueva nestles at the bottom of the “Sierra de Umbria” a line of mountains which stretch as far as the eye can see. The hamlet is truly in the “campo”, a mainly agricultural area, abundant in wildlife and spectacular through all four seasons. In the winter months snow can fall overnight blanketing the countryside creating a picture postcard theme. Cave homes deal with the changing seasons in a very economic way, due to their insulation properties temperature rarely fluctuates although a wood burner is needed through the winter – ideal for that lamb and rosemary with roasted potatoes! Siestas and Fiestas also play an important part of cave living in Fuente Nueva, with summer months bringing temperatures in excess of forty degrees your cave is the ideal place for that afternoon siesta – hot outside and cool inside. The fiesta is a very neighbourly affair with traditional food and tapas always present as well as a fantastic Spanish atmosphere.

Traditional Paella

Well! Wat can we say! The traditionally "poor mans" campo dish has been world famous now for years. There are many variations of a pealla - chicken, seafood, beef, pork, vegetable....in fact there isnt much you cannot include in a good old fashioned paella.

Why are we starting with a wicker basket full of pine cones? To cook the ultimate paella it must be heated over flame - forget your packet mixes and ready meals a real paella is an exceptionally versatile dish and something that nowadays is considered Spain finest gourmet dish. In Orce village we even have a "paella night" the biggest pan of paella you have ever seen and enough to feed up to 200 people!



The all important ingredients,



Heating up and that lovely smokey aroma



Adding the rice



Letting it bubble....



This paella was made by our Spanish neighbours over their barbeque. The paella is not just a dish but a social event where everyone gets involved in the cooking and prep. Tapas at hand all the way...

To see this paella being made stage by stage CLICK HERE

Spanish Fish Recipes

One great thing about the village of Orce is that it has two fish mongers or "Pescaderias" they are open for business every Tuesday and Friday and the range of fresh fish they display is absolutely stunning. You can by everything from whitebait to full monkfish and dogfish.

Proprietors are always happy to offer advice on recipes and give cooking tips - after all they are the experts..

This week the staff explained a simple way to cook swordfish and we tried it that very night. The result was a lovely tender fillet, with subtle flavours.
You will need:

4 fillets of swordfish

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

fresh parsley roughly chopped

salt and pepper

How to cook:

1. Place the fish on a baking tray

2. Cover with lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper

3. Cook in a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes until the fish is tender.

4. Serve with salad and bread.

Swordfish steaks also make great tapas as the steaks are very quick to cook and can be served in bite size portions, great as part of a seafood starter too!

More great fish recipes

A warm welcome from Andalucia

Why this blog? We decided to set up Top Spanish Tapas to help keep in touch with friends/family back in the UK and also our customers all over Europe. Our business, Orce Serrano Hams was established shortly after we moved to Andalucia (more on that later)

Being a family run business we try and add that personal touch to both our website and every aspect of our retail process - sometimes things change so fast that we never get the chance to detail them all on our main website so here is the web log to house all that information on a constantly updated basis!

Up and coming: New Recipes, Fiestas, All about Orce, New products, Local suppliers, Cave homes, Articles and Traditions. A real taste of Spain!

Orce (pronounced "Or-thay") a typical white washed rural village in the Andalucian mountains. A friendly place to get involved with, generous hospitality and some fantastic local products.



Our online delicatessen, Orce Serrano Hams is based on the outskirts of the village in a small hamlet called "Fuente Nueva" literally meaning "New Fountain". Famous for it's cave dwellings Orce village is steeped in tradition with Fuente Nueva playing host to all manner of prehistoric finds. The reason for this is that the whole area used to be a prehistoric lake so regular "digs" take place in the summer months, finds include woolly mammoths, sabre tooth tigers and prehistoric tools.



Serrano ham is the tapa of choice in the local (and very Spanish) bars, two of the resident butcheries or "Carnicerias" supply our serrano hams for export to the UK. They can also be seen making traditional chorizo and salchichon in situ - with many of these sausages bound for Northern Europe through the website. It doesn't get any more authentic!



Next... The "San Anton" fiesta - free beef tapas and a march through Orce village.