Merienda: the merriest of meals

If Carlsberg made non-dairy milk, it would be horchata. It’s sweet, refreshing and has a dedicated pastry to dunk in it. What is not to love? It’s a regional speciality of Valencia, and ornate horchaterias decorate the centre of town. Come 7pm, they are alive with gloriously glamorous Senoras, who gather to catch up on the gossip and take merienda, a marvellous late afternoon meal.

Spain has five official meals a day.  Meal number four, filling the all important hours between lunch and dinner is merienda. It can be sweet, it can be salty, for me it’s a bit of a naughty hour….

Here is a post paella Sunday merienda, we opted for a medley of ice cream, churros and hot chocolate and a glass of horchata and a fartón (pastry). This delicate drink is made from chufas (tiger nuts, which grow beneath the ground and are actually tubers rather than nuts) mixed with sugar and water. Surprisingly it has a definite nutty and milky quality. Quite the enigma, horchata even has it’s own legend, that King Jaume I (The Conqueror) referred to it as pure gold on grounds of it’s sweetness and texture. Brilliantly it has a special accompanying pastry, rather like a lighter version of an iced bun designed especially for dunking into it. It’s unique, satisfying and a lovely ritual.

So if you happen to be in Valencia late afternoon you could do far worse that get yourself to an horchateria. I hope you chance upon a group of well dressed Seniors, holding court and enjoying life. In summer it’s the most reviving of meals. And don’t be shy to dip your fartón, it’s only natural.

 

Fork notes:

• Here's a breakdown of the Spanish eating day:
• Desayuno breakfast, decidedly small, a little pastry or tostada with coffee
• Almeurzo 11am snack, often a baguette with tortilla or jamon, a beer or coffee, no shame here for a beer before midday, respect
• Comida three course lunch, naturally, between 2-4pm, bread, wine, coffee
• Merienda 7pm-ish, could be salty, could be sweet, you decide!
• Cena 10-11pm, a lighter and often social dinner, tapas or maybe hot chocolate and sweet things in front of the tv

• You can have horchata in granizada form (posh slush puppy) or without sugar
• The fartóns also vary, they can be filled with cream, or chocolate, or at the famous Horcateria Daniel in Alboraya (the birth place of horchata), they have a plethora of pastries and you can even see the chufa plants growing in the surrounding fields
• In town, I’m a fan of Horchateria de Santa Catalina 

Seville Service: operation tapas

Seville in February. The sun beat down on quaint squares, summer picked out by guitar chords and twists of flamenco dancers wrists. We could eat outside and three course menu del dias were passed in favour of tapas. It’s been a long time since I read a lonnnnngggg menu, I’ve gotten so used three options on a blackboard. My three British comrades and I put away a lot. In fact I was so swept away with tapas excitement I majorly failed on the photographic front, but I shall light upon a few of the stars, to try and tickle your taste buds.

Batter. An advanced nuance of the fry. One I have yet to try at home and jeepers we had some battered beauties here. Kicking off with tortillas de camarones. Tiny crunchy pink shrimp (camarones with shells still intact), spring onions, a mix of chickpea and wheat flour and fresh parsley. A kind of shrimp fritter/rosti/cookie. Light, sweet and salty. A typical plate from Cadiz, an Anduluz delight. There was something thai like to it, delicate. Put them with some cold beer and you'll have happy faces all round.

From light and crispy to a decadent, pillowly delights of berenjena frita con miel de caña (battered aubergine with treacle on top). It’s as ridiculously tasty as it sounds, hunks of gooey berejena with flecked with salt, kept moist in a crispy batter varnished with thin sweet treacle. So good they practically vanished from the plate, tensions arose as to the equal division of our racion. Always a good sign.

I’d also like to appoint merit-marks to porky delights that didn’t go unnoticed. Chicharrones, pork crackling made from the neck of the pig, crispy yet meaty. They are spiced with paprika, bay leaves, salt and black pepper. We picked up some on an early morning stroll to the market and enjoyed with a glass of cold beer at 11am. I love being an adult!

My second porkmendation goes to pringá. Slow cooked stewed meat, mixed with bread to form a pate like consistency which can we swept onto more bread with a slice of lomo on top. Packed with flavour, creamy and delicious, though I don’t have a photo as I was one bottle down by that point. It was a holiday! My heartiest thanks to Anusia, Kate and Lucy for being the best dining companions. You did good kids!

Fork notes:

- If you're in Seville and want to eat where we did, here is a link to the bodega via a good website for tapas in Seville. Win Win.

For the Love of Sausages

Picture this. Cold Sunday in a rural Spanish town. A sunlit street lined with tables, music blaring, a bounty of balloon sellers and hundreds of hungry people rammed in giant white tents full of embutido stalls. A whole three-day festival dedicated to sausages. Spain probably has a festival to celebrate all the food it produces, so far I’ve come across jamon, tomatoes and paella celebrations. This Sunday, I made a pilgrimage to a feria de embutido, a fair to celebrate cured and spiced sausages. Hosted by Requena, a town famed for its wine and pork products. For 10 euros you got a knacky tray complete with bowl and wine glass, and tickets to cash in five rations of embutido, 2 glasses of wine, bread (naturally bread with added pork), water and something from the housewives (which turned out to be pate). I didn’t see one vegetable all day.

The town was animated with groups of friends drinking wine and chewing away. In exchange for a ticket you got a taste of various porky morsels; chorizo, cortezas de cerdo (mega crackling), fuet (a bit like saucisson), morcilla (black pudding), longaniza de pascua (Valencian cured sausages of Easter, full of sweet herbs) and sobrasada smeared on toast (a Majorcan sausage, like chorizo, but it’s spreadable). It was a pork fest, the kind where you lose control of your hand and mouth, and in fact all awareness of where you are.



Though caught up in this epic wine fueled chow-down, I was more blown away with the fact that there is such a thing as a three-day festival dedicated to embutido. All the locals had turned out, as well as those from further a field in the region. People waiting in queues talked to each other, saved spaces while someone went off for more wine and strangers shared (in our day we were given wine, extra tickets and as I squealed with delight at the food being eaten by the lady in front of me, she offered me a bite.) 

When it comes to food in Spain, I’m constantly bowled over by the delight people take in it, their enthusiasm and sheer generosity. Sometimes I get down on the fact that Valencia is lacking cultural things to do in comparison to London, I’ve only just realised that their culture isn’t between the walls of a museum, it’s in the way they live their lives, how they eat. They have enough of this culture to fill the British Museum, a few times over.

Fork notes:

• I got too drunk on wine and pork fat to make proper interviews, but if you’re interested here is a list of the products on offer in Requena.
• 'Salud!' is how to say cheers in Spanish. It always makes me smile that the translation means you are saying 'Health!'.

Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box

In 1985, in a record shop in Valencia, a meeting between the city's most notorious rave DJ's took place. Someone piped up with ‘This is the Bakalao Bilbao’, literally saying, this music is such a good export, it’s like premium cod. It stuck, Bakalao clubs sprung up in the Valencian countryside and the youth embarked on a pilgrimage know as the Ruta de Destroy. Partying and pilling from Friday through to Monday, the Bakalao movement is still going in Spain today. This week Raquel and I went in search of Bacalao. But Readers, the real deal, no jaw chewing beats, instead actual premium salted cod, cos that, is how we roll.

In these trying times Raquel and I have devoted ourselves to the kitchen, pooling our money and planning out the week’s lunches. Due to the cold snap we are craving winter warmers, Raquel suggested we cook Bacalao, dried and salted cod. This preservation technique harks back to the bronze age. Salting means the fish can last up to a year and can be flat packed and transported with ease. It’s stacked or hung in market stalls, resembling something you’d find on a pirate ship. I will add it’s pretty pricey, and fair play being that cod is over fished, so I’ll only be eating this on the odd occasion.

Like cooking beans, when dealing with bacalao, you gotta think ahead and get that baby soaking the day before. This revives and de-salts it, so it’s best if you change the water twice. Raquel’s mum used to cook this for her, so I stood by and watched. She boiled the bacalao up in water with a peeled onion for about 15 minutes, until the fish was tender and she had a cooking stock of sorts. Meanwhile she made a sauce of olive oil, chopped garlic and fresh tomatoes to which she later added the bacalao stock for extra body. Once the sauce was simmering nicely she added softened sweet red peppers, pre-cooked chick peas and the bacalao to the pan. She let it bathe together for another 15 minutes more, so the flavours could swirl and absorb. My kitchen smelt like a very expensive restaurant, I don’t think there is an ambi pur that could compare.

 

The combination is perfection. Bacalao obvs is the star of the show, juicy tender flakes of flesh, with a mouth watering flavour and just a hint of salt. The sweet peppers work alongside like Robin to Batman. A high five from the chickpeas, adding a creamy texture and the tomatoes hug everything with a gooey freshness. I LOVED it. Warmed me up good and proper, it was banging, just like this hit by bakalao DJ Chimo Bayo.

Fork notes:

• Science says this process of curing breaks down the proteins and grows amino acids which actually adds flavour.
• It’s expensive but you can buy off cuts for a reasonable price. Also a little goes a long way because it’s such a flavour hit.
• Good source of Omega 3, Vit A and my beloved Vit D.
• Other countries lay claim to this way of curing fish (Italy, Norway, Mexico, Portugal to name a few) so there are bound to be heaps of other recipes.
• If you have any left over you could use it to make croquetas (see Fear of Frying for inspo)
• Bacalao means cod. So look out for bacalao en salazón.
• If you came here to read about Bakalao music, soz, but watch this good docu here.  

A Vegducation: The Return

If your encounters of alcachofas (artichokes) are mainly via the medium of expensive jars, then this ‘how to’ is for you. Think, a la plancha (grilled), this way you bypass a mountain of soggy leaves and go straight to the nutty flesh at its meaty best. Don't let their dauntingly beautiful appearance put you off, anyone can cook these. Once again props to Pilar, for the sage advice on how to solve a problem like alcachofas!

First peel off almost 1/3 of the outer leaves. It might seem like a waste but you don’t wanna chew through that lot, believe me. Cut off the majority of the stem though not too close to the body, the tastiest bit is down there.

Next slice them across the body, and trim the tops off. Whilst tidying them up, start heating a frying pan or plancha, add the tiniest drop of olive oil.

Add them to the pan, leave for a few minutes on each side or until lightly charred. 

And bish bash bosh, lovely jubbly, you just cooked alcachofas. Maybe a squeeze of lemon for luck, but they are lovely au natural.

So unique are they in taste and texture that it’s hard to describe them as anything other than artichokey. Errrrmmmm earthy yet light, nutty and succulent, and delightfully interesting. So easy you can’t go wrong, my only word of advice is don’t eat them on a date night, they have a certain side effect….

Fork notes:

• Alcachofas have a natural dye (remember the paella), they discolour quickly so I tend to cut and cook them quickly.
• It’s said they match chicken, garlic, shrimp, mayo, cheese, paprika and veal, but you know me, I think they make a perfect pair with Jamon Serrano.
• Right now, in Valencia they are in season, and very cheap, roughly 20 cents a globe, so get involved, they aren't just for posh people.

A Vegducation

A rural romantic at heart, today I perched on my balcony, picking little habas (broad beans) from velvety pods, happily channelling my inner Laura Ingalls. I forgot how great they smell, like a summer’s day. They usually come into season in England in early July, so eating these bad boys in January has the same effect as smelling Nivea factor 15, you feel a darn sight better about life. To grow good vegetables you need sun, and since the east coast of Spain is blessed in this department, they receive yields before northern neighbours. When I saw the mounds of habas fronting every market stall, I wanted in.

The market sellers were some of my first friends in Valencia, and since my mime skills have evolved into actual Spanish words, so begins my vegducation. Pilar, my First Lady of fruit and vegetables has a stall in Mercado de Ruzafa, it’s run by the whole family. They have a huerta (land for growing) in nearby Alcasser, where they grow organic vegetables for the stall. They also sell produce from Valencia, Murcia and Almeria too. I’ve never been quite sure what do with habas, so I asked Pilar for advice, I arrived home to find an email intact with the recipe, signed off with un besito muy fuerte (a strong little kiss). I don't think customer service can get much better than this.

The recipe for Habas Tiernas a la Valenciana required jamon cortardo en daditos (rough thick shreds of cured jamon) so I trotted off to the market first thing this morning. Whilst chatting to my fellow queue comrade, I let her know that I was cooking habas for the first time, noises of approval rose and I felt and little swell of pride. Following Pilar’s instructions, I began by gently frying my daditos of jamon, then I added chopped young garlic, followed by sliced spring onion. When everything had softened nicely, in went the habas and half a glass of water, a lid on the pan. Once the majority of the water was absorbed they were ready to eat. Pilar says they make a great bocadillo (baguette) filling or are wondrous on the side of any meat, or with a tortilla or a nice little sausage. She speaks the truth.

 

I’ve boiled the life out of broad beans before but never cooked them in such a fashion. These humble little habas deserve praise, they have a gentle freshness of summer, yet are far more complex creatures than peas, and that texture, a delicious silken tenderness. Together with the jamon and alliums it’s a mouthwatering combination. Fresh and light and at the same time rich and creamy. I ate them this morning with a cheeky omlette for almuerzo (elevenses).

A Veducation part 2, is soon to follow, I’ve got some alcachofas (artichokes) that are asking for it. Un besito muy fuerte readers.

Fork notes:

• These habas were picked young, so are tender and sweet.
• No problem in buying fresh and keeping in the freezer.
• In southern regions such as Almeria you will come across many farms that grow beneath plastic, creating conditions that can yield crops year round with no regard to season. I understand they need to make a buck but I think veg grown the old way tastes better, and yeah there is a smugness to eating what’s in season. 
• For some reason you can get the sublimely underrated and brilliant herb, Parsley, for free at nearly every market stall (veg/fish/meat). So remember to ask for your free bundle of fun.                          

Fear of Frying

Oh January. The nights are a little colder and you are three weeks into attempting to cut down on carbs, food from the Spanish fryers is suddenly all too appealing. This week I am dedicating my blog to frequently frowned upon fried delights. I’ll state from the start that I fry with trepidation, I went to University the year the George Foreman Grill went large, when scraping off cold fat was viewed as an achievement. But I’m here to learn, and if I’m going to fry I might as well do it properly, Spanish stylee.

Huevos Friggin Fritos! The Don of fried eggs, souped up with potatoes and morcilla (black sausage, though chorizo/jamon/mushrooms would be great subs). A pan liberally filled with oil. Typically here they utilize sunflower or olive oil. Slice up your potatoes nice and thin, fry in the pan (turning often) until soft and golden, remove to a warm dish.

Then next up fry the eggs one by one, flicking oil over the yolk to seal, they should only take a minute. Remove but retain the cooking oil for the next time you fry. With the pan still slick, add thick slices of morcilla and fry until crispy. An intense mixture of brilliance. Sumptuous crispy gooey potatoes, eggs with decadent oozing yolks, and then rich, lushious black sausage to dip into it. You will need a lie down afterwards. Raquel called it a ‘bomba’ as in a calorie explosion, though I thought she meant 'da bomb', which it totally is.

Another dish I shall honour today is the humble croqueta, a kind of Findus pancake of Spain, if you will. It graces tapas menus across the land and apparently in Madrid they are enormous, so take care when ordering, you don’t want to end up with a bomba. They are also a great way to use up leftovers, I’ve started to realise that’s exactly these fried recipes are all about, and though they can smack of indulgence they aren’t pre-processed and laden with sugar and other such nonsense.

We made our croquetas following a soup so had scraps of chicken and jamon left. To make them you need to; fry a finely chopped onion, add whatever you like in terms of meat and veg in shredded form to the pan and soften. Then add 5 tbsp of plain flour, keep stirring, next pour in milk a bit at a time and stir militantly in a clockwise direction till the lot combines into a thick paste. Put the whole pan (literally) in the fridge, overnight is best to give you a substance easy to work with. The next day, take out two spoons and use them to form the mixture into croqueta shapes. Roll in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs, at this point you can freeze them, or fry and eat straight away, but when you eat them, add a cup of tea and your favourite series and you’ll be feeling 12 again.

For a sweet kick Torrijas rock. Another fine way to use up unwanted food (erm I should be getting some kind of EU commission for this blog me thinks). Got slices of unwanted bread? I have a solution. Torrijas, a kinda French Toast, harks back to the civil war, a pudding which requires very little but rewards greatly. Slice your stale bread, bath in milk then beaten egg. Add to a pan of oil, fry on both sides until golden, remove and laden with sugar and cinnamon. Eat warm with your hands, quickly and then snooze.

Fork notes:

• to test when the oil is ready chuck in a tuft of bread, it should fizz about when good to go.
• don’t fry in extra virgin olive oil no matter how loaded you are.
• Huevos Fritos are also known as Huevos Rotos. Huevos revueltos are scrambled eggs, commonly served with vegetables or shrimp.
• With croquetas you can be as adventurous/lavish as you like, think salt-cod and raisins, softened red peppers and goats cheese, or just plain chicken.