Keeping It Simple

Spain has the Romans to thank for the foundation of its cuisine. Then the Moors arrived and to the fields they brought almonds, oranges, other fruits and sophisticated agricultural techniques. They brought artichokes, eggplants, spinach, rice and the reintroduction of saffron. To the kitchen they brought the characteristic combination of finely chopped ingredients that eventually led to dishes like paella. They also introduced spiced casseroles, stews, sauces and fruit syrups.

It was Rome that gave Spain wheat, the olive and the vine. When sitting down at any table the cornerstone of Spain’s culinary history – bread, oil and wine – will be present. These are not sufficient in themselves, but when all are present we move on from simple sustenance to the art of fine food. To all this add garlic. Indeed garlic is included in many dishes – garlic soup, bread rubbed with raw garlic and garlic sauces such as alioli (garlic mayonnaise).

Spanish cookery is unpretentious. Food will never be tarted up and made to look grand, rare, costly, or more colourful. There is no over-reliance on sauces. There is no confusion of tastes. Simplicity is prized, but simplicity can be a very difficult thing to achieve. The greatest effort in the Spanish kitchen goes into raw materials: correctly cured meats, carefully made cheese, correct types of rice, and how a fish is taken –by net or hook.

In recent years Spanish food has made great strides forward. In the most surprising places, sometimes hidden away in villages of the interior, or next door to a tourist resort along the coast, one can find restaurants with a style of their own, offering quality products, practising modern cuisine, sometimes delving into the avant-garde, but always faithful to their roots.

Classic Food

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a chilled raw soup originating in Andalusia made by pounding bread and garlic with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers. Olive oil and vinegar gives it a refreshing tang. It is usually garnished with diced salad vegetables and croutons.

Paella

Is this the national dish of Spain? Consisting mainly of rice seasoned with saffron, it can be a combination of chicken, vegetables and seafood, or a combination of sausages, rabbit and other meats with chickpeas.Each region will have its own variation. The combinations are practically limitless –ranging from meatless ‘Lent’ paella containing only salted codfish and cauliflower, to paella made using small game fresh from the hunt. Although many people consider paella the most typical of Spanish dishes, its origins are fairly recent. The first paella was prepared in Valencia in the late 19th century. Paella is cooked in a flat metal pan with two handles riveted to the sides.

It is a popular dish at fiesta time and curiously enough often made by men. The Valencian phrase ‘to go paella-eating’ is used throughout the region, which may involve outings, parties, picnics and such like.

The genuine Valencian paella always has a good helping of wide-pod green beans and giant dried butter beans. As for meats, chicken, pork and rabbit are used and exceptionally wild duck. To add extra flavour white-shelled mountain snails provide what some call an exquisite taste. There are also seafood and shellfish paellas which in recent years have become increasingly popular, particularly the high-priced, mouth-watering, lobster paella.

Whatever the ingredients may be, when an orthodox paella reaches the table, grains of rice should be dry, loose and golden, never mushy or sticky or leaving a trace of oil if served on the plate. When a paella has been cooked over an outdoor wood fire, the paella-eating ritual calls for diners to sit in a circle, to eat from the communal pan and to scrape the nearly burnt rice from the bottom. Some say this is the best part.