Best Spanish Winter Recipe

With winter truly upon us we have been cooking some great typically Andalucian meals over the past few weeks, the threat of snow and hard frosty mornings always gets us in the mood for lighting the wood burner and cooking something with a bit of character for evening meal.

Our winner for best Spanish winter recipe this year is 'Butterflied Lamb & Garlic Asado', a take on the Andalucian lamb asado which uses the famous Cordero Segureno from the Granada region of Spain.

A very simple recipe to prepare and cook, use a terracotta roasting tray if you can and you will get that reassuring 'thud' when the spoon hits the bottom whilst serving up this delicious dish. This Spanish asado is juicer than its close cousin as the lamb is cooked as whole piece instead of steaks. Pop this one in the oven or woodburner and you will create an aromatic dish that is sure to impress the guests as well as the tastebuds!

Full instructions for this winning winter recipe can be found on our main website here

Pork & Wild Mushrooms with Rice

This recipe for pork and mushrooms is the kind of dish you can find served up as hot Spanish tapas, a large casserole will generally be made then kept hot throughout the day and served as smaller portions with fresh crusty bread to mop up the white wine sauce. Note that for this recipe rice is optional.



Ingredients:

1kg Pork
400g Wild/mixed mushrooms
2 Garlic cloves, sliced
50cl White wine
Black pepper
Thyme

How to make:

1. Cut the pork into bite size chunks and brown off on the hob in your terracotta casserole.

2. Add the garlic and continue to brown for a further 3 - 4 minutes.

3. Add the white wine, season well with pepper and thyme and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms, mix well and let simmer for a further 25 minutes.

5. Serve on a bed of rice.

Ham Bone Stock

Ham stock is the perfect base from which to make a hearty winters soup or broth. The bone from a traditionally cured Spanish ham can be used although it will need sawing into at least thirds so that it fits in the pan! For this simple stock we are using the bone again from a full leg but one that was cut in half by our local Spanish butcher before we wet cured the ham. See How to Cure Your Own Ham

Once the ham was spent and the last of the sandwiches made the bone went into a large pot:

Ingredients:

Ham Bone
1 Onion
1 Carrot
3 Bay leaves
6 Peppercorns
Water

The best way to make a good ham stock is to bring the water up to the boil, roughly chop all of the vegetables, tear the bay leaves and crack the peppercorns before adding everything to the water. The heat should then be turned down so that the liquid simmers for at least an hour. The ham bone pictured made approximately 2 liters of fantastic stock and there were of course all of those bits of leftover meat falling away from the bone to add to the flavour.

Spicy Mushroom Soup

Spicy mushroom soup is one of those winter warming recipes and something we make the day before we go to work, in a cold warehouse a hot bowl of soup with a peppery kick is a great warmer and gives you a boost.

For this recipe we have used button mushrooms but any variations will add flavour. Cracked black peppercorns give this hearty soup its kick and all you really need after that is some fresh crusty bread, cream is an option if you like it but we settled on some extra garlic to compliment the pepper and get the flavours bold.

Ingredients:
1 kilo button mushrooms, washed and trimmed but stalks left on
2 large white onions
125g white rice
3 cloves garlic
1 liter hot chicken or vegetable stock
good large pinch fresh cracked black peppercorns
salt
olive oil and butter

How to Make:
1.Peel, the onions and slice as finely as you can and place into a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter. with the heat on full, add the garlic, crushed but not peeled, the salt and pepper.

2.Stir all the ingredients together and then add the mushrooms and the rice, cook for a few minutes and you will see all the ingredients begin to colour nicely.

3. Add the hot stock to the pan, bring to the boil stirring and then put the lid on.  Lower the heat slightly and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.

4. After this time, remove from the heat and using a hand blender, gently blend until you get the consistency you want.  If it is too runny, leave to cook with the lid off for a few minutes.

5. Check your seasoning and serve!  A handful of chopped fresh parsley added at this point is really delicious.

Cazuela Rice with Pork Ribs & Morcilla

Cazuela rice is a popular recipe in Spain all year round, in the winter however this dish can be a real warmer depending on the ingredients chosen. For this cazuela rice recipe we have used pork ribs and spicy black pudding (morcilla 'picante') to make this a deliciously filling meal. The terracotta cazuela used for this recipe was a large 30cm dish which offers just the right depth similar to a paella pan to make great rice based dishes.

Ingredients:
400g paella rice
500g pork ribs, cut into small pieces
3 Spanish black puddings, cut in half
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 bulb of garlic, cut in half
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 litre chicken stock
olive oil
salt

How to make:
1. In a large cazuela, heat about 1/2 cup of olive oil and fry the pork ribs along with the garlic until the ribs are browned all over.
2. Add the potatoes and the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more.
3. Add the black pudding, cook for five more minutes and then add the rice, stirring well to fully mix together, then add the paprika and the stock. Season and stir.
4. Place the cazuela in a preheated oven to 200 degrees and cook for 20-30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes covered with foil and then serve.
  

Catalan Sausage Casserole

Sausage casserole is one of those real winter warmers, when you need something that warms you up and is rustic and filling then this casserole will do the job! Fresh Catalan sausage is something that can be purchased on most Spanish butchers but for this recipe anything similar will do as long as its a pork sausage such (ie: Cumberland, Lincolnshire etc)

This particular dish was cooked in a clay/terracotta baking tray or 'bandeja', with plenty of depth it allowed for a generous splash of wine as well as vegetables and chickpeas making this meal as about as hearty as it gets. Piping hot from the oven and this casserole is packed full of flavour.

Ingredients:

8 - 10 Sausages
2 Onions, chopped
1 Red bell pepper, sliced
1 Green pepper, sliced
200g chickpeas, soaked
2 Fresh sprigs rosemary
2 Fresh sprigs thyme
2 Glasses white wine
2 Bay leaves
Ground black pepper & salt to season
Olive oil

How to make:

1. Lightly brown the sausages in a frying pan or cazuela.

2. Place the sausages and and all the ingredients into a terracotta baking tray.

3. Season and place the fresh herbs over the top.

4. Cover with kitchen foil and cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

5. Remove foil and cook for another 40 minutes adding more wine if required.

6. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Terracotta Cookware Instructions

Oven Baked Pork Steaks

This recipe for oven baked pork steaks involves a whole bunch of fresh flavours - particularly from the garden. Pork (particularly a cut with a little fat running through the meat) works very well with bold flavours and the locals in our village always 'herb up' their cuts of pork to add some character to whatever they are making.

The longer your pork is marinated the better - overnight results in a very tender meat and a stronger flavour.


Ingredients:

1.5kg Pork steaks
2 Sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
2 Sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed.
4 Garlic cloves, skinned and sliced
1/2 tps ground black pepper
1 tps hot smoked paprika
300ml Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt

How to make:

1. Lay the pork in a cazuela, mixing bowl or plastic bag

2. Mix all of the ingredients well and rub all over the pork.

3. Marinade for a minimum of 3 hours.

4. Slow bake at 140 degrees  in a terracotta tray for 1 1/2 hours or until done.

Tip: For an additional hint of flavour from the garden place sliced onion under each steak.

Great with seasonal veg and loveley winter warmer.

Spanish Lamb Hotpot

Spanish lamb hotpot or ‘Olla de Cordero’ is a popular dish in rural Granada where the famous ‘cordero segureno’ lambs are bred. The quality of the lamb makes a dish like this very special indeed and cooked simply it lets the flavour of the lamb do the work. A lovely winter warmer cooked in typically Andalucian rustic style using a natural terracotta casserole. For this recipe we cooked the lamb in the oven but it can also be cooked on the hob.

You will need (serves 6)

1.5kg Lamb, cubed

2 Sticks of celery, chopped

2 Carrots, sliced

4 Vine ripened tomatoes, chopped

2 Onions, chopped

1 Red bell pepper, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, cracked

2 Sprigs of Thyme, leaves chopped

Black peppercorns

70cl Rioja

Salt

1 tbsp Plain flour

Olive oil

Equipment: Terracotta ‘olla’ or earthenware casserole.

How to cook:

1. Firstly heat a good drizzle of olive oil in the casserole, add the lamb and the flour and brown for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the lamb and mix together.

3. Pour in the red wine and season well with salt and pepper.

4. Slow cook at 140 degrees for 3 hours topping up with water if required.

5. Serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetables.

Spanish Pork Ribs

So what do you do with a few kilos of pork ribs from the butcher? Invite friends! This terracotta tray is almost stacked with ribs ready for the oven but ribs need flavour, a marinade or spicy rub and to get the meat 'falling off the bone' they need to be slow cooked.

Now we like braising so these ribs would be well at home slowly cooking away in wine or beer but for this recipe we have a dry rub using the Spanish favourite smoked paprika and also a few herbs from the garden as well as mixed spice.

Very easy to prepare (although you will get your hands red!) and results in a typically Spanish bold flavour as well as colour once ready to serve.

You will need: (serves 6 - 8)

3kg pork rib, left in racks, cut in half
2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
3 Large sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped/diced
2 tbs Mixed spice
2 tbs Sweet smoked paprika
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Juice of 1 orange

How to Cook:

1. Mix and grind paprika, s & p , garlic, chopped rosemary and mixed spices in a pestle.

2. Rub the mixture well all over the ribs (both sides)

3. Place the ribs in a terracotta cooking tray, drizzle with olive oil and the juice from the orange.

4. Garnish with rosemary and fully cover with kitchen foil.

5. Cook in the oven at 140 degrees for 3 hours.

Optional -  After 3 hours remove from oven and drizzle with honey and cook for a further 20 minutes to make the ribs sweet and sticky. Great flavours with soft succulent meat.

Campo Roast Pork

Spanish roast pork comes in many guises, pork is very popular in Spain, particularly in Andalucia. There are so many pork recipes handed down through the generations it is hard to keep up! Many, like this one are very simple and require only a few ingredients but with flavour being the most important aspect of food even a basic roast can deliver. 

Here we have a sweet campo pork roast using vegetables, plenty of seasonings and the secret ingredient – amoroso sherry.

You will need: (Serves 5 - 6)

1.5kg Boneless pork joint

3 Large carrots, halved lengthways

1 Large onion, thinly sliced

2 Sprigs fresh thyme

4 Bay leaves

Cracked black pepper

25cl Amoroso sherry

Sea salt

Olive oil

Method:

1.    Preheat the oven to 140 degrees.

2.    Halve the carrots lengthways, leave the skins on and lay in the bottom of a terracotta cazuela.

3.    Peel and slice the onion laying the slices on top of the carrots, add two bay leaves.

4.    Place the pork on top and drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper then rub in all over the top of the joint.

5.    Pour in the amoroso sherry around the pork.

6.    Place the remaining two bay leaves and the thyme on top of the pork, cover with kitchen foil and roast for 2 hours.

7.    Remove the kitchen foil, turn up the oven to 180 degrees and roast for a further 45 – 60 minutes.

8.    When cooked remove the pork and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

9.    Meanwhile place the cazuela on the hob and reduce the liquid by half.

10. Slice the joint and pour over the juices, serve with seasonal vegetables.

More Recipes

Churros

This recipe for Spanish churros is exactly the same as the recipe used here in Spain. Simply add sugar to your churros or some thick Spanish drinking chocolate (chocolate a la taza) for a fabulous Spanish breakfast!

Ingredients: (Makes one large plate full)

Olive Oil for frying
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
pinch of salt
1 cup plain flour
3 eggs

How to prepare:

1.   Place water, butter and salt into a large saucepan and heat until it just begins to bubble.

2.   Reduce the heat and add the flour stirring continuously until you get a smooth mixture.

3.   Add the eggs (already beaten) to the pan and continue to stir until the mixture resembles a smooth, thick batter.

4.   Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan and when it is hot, just before smoking, you are ready to cook the churros.

5.   Spoon the mixture into your churro maker and squeeze about 3 strips at a time into the hot oil.  Cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown drain on kitchen paper and repeat for the next batch.

Traditional Churros

Churros can be purchased all over Spain and are traditionally made outside of Spanish coffee bars and in catering vans usually pitched at local markets. The “churrera” is the piece of equipment used to hold the freshly mixed batter, the mixture is poured into the churrera and then forced out via a nozzle using a large wooden plunger directly into the hot oil.

The process is carried out using a large degree of skill and is very quick! Large swirls of batter are poured into the fryer, removed a few moments later then chopped up using scissors into six inch lengths before the churros are served in paper.

Most Spanish coffee bars will have churros being made, usually all morning directly outside the front doors. These bars are where you can order “Chocolate a la taza” the thick Spanish drinking chocolate which can be served hot or cold. It is said that if your churros stand up in the chocolate without falling to the side of the cup then the mixture is perfect!

Sugar or chocolate – the choice is yours.

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.