Traditional Spanish Cuisine

What is Spanish Cuisine?

Spanish cuisine consists of a small variety of dishes influenced by geography, culture and climate. Therefore, our cuisine is very eclectic with literally thousands of recipes and flavors differing from one region to the next, but there is one unifying element: fresh ingredients. The Spanish are very proud of their ingredients and value the time and effort it takes to combine them with both passion and perfection.

Here are common characteristics you will find in all regions throughout Spain:

• Olive oil is used both as a cooking fat and raw with simply a piece of fresh bread.
• Garlic and onions as major seasonings.
• Bread and salad is served with the vast majority of meals.
• Fruit is a typical dessert, while tarts and cakes are generally reserved for special occasions.
• Finally, Spaniards love a glass of wine with their meal!

All of the dishes we have included on this page can pair beautifully with our wines, as they are versatile. They are also strong bodied, meaning that even heavier dishes like fried chicken and roasted pork will only enhance the wine, bringing out their rich, fruit characters. Let us know if you have a dish you would like us to include on our site!

Canapés of Quesuco Cheese with Caramelized Onion

Tostas, toasted bread with various toppings, are typical throughout Spain, but the recipe will change based on the local ingredients found in each region. This particular recipe was taken from Tienda.com.

Liébana Quesuco is a rare, semi-sweet, mild cheese made from three milks –try Mahón,Tetilla or San Simón as a substitute.

Ingredients: Servings: 4

1 brioche-type loaf of bread
1 smoked Liébana Quesuco cheese (or Mahón,Tetilla or San Simón)
Caramelized onion
1 lb 2 oz onions
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp vinegar
Salt

Preparation:

Caramelized onions: Finely slice the peeled onions and place in a pan with the sugar, vinegar, oil and salt. Simmer until any liquid has evaporated and the onions are beginning to caramelize. The process can be speeded up by cooking the ingredients in a covered container for 15 minutes in the microwave, then quickly boiling off any excess liquid.

Slice the bread into medium-sized slices, trim any rind off the cheese and cut it into wedges. Place one wedge of cheese on each slice of bread then top with a spoonful of caramelized onion. Place the canapés in a hot oven 360 degrees F for 5 minutes to quickly melt the cheese.

Serve hot, direct from the oven.

Higueruela - Chicken Soup

Like many cultures, we have our own traditional food that warms our hearts and our souls with feelings of familiarity and comfort. And of course, our wines are made for such occasions. This particular soup we only serve at weddings, typically accompanied with homemade bread that has been only slightly toasted. We like to thank our local Higueruelana, Segunda Sáez, for both the recipe and her wonderful website filled with traditional recipes of Higueruela. We encourage you to give this recipe a go and let us know how it turned out!

Ingredients: Serves 12

1 chicken
12 eggs
2 heads of garlic
2 laurel leaves
water
salt

Preparation:

Remove the skin, the legs and the giblets, placing them to the side. Take the giblets, clean them, and cut them up into small pieces.

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Place the entire chicken, the legs (cleaned) and the giblets into the boiling water. While the chicken is boiling, take a second pot and fill it with water. Put the eggs into the pot and bring them to a boil until cooked. Take the eggs out of the water, peal their shells and separate the whites from the yolk. Cut the whites of the egg into small pieces and reserve to the side. Place the yolks into a small bowl of hot water. When the yolks fully separate, add them into the large pot with the chicken.

When the chicken is cooked, de-bone it, cut the meat into small pieces and place them back into the water. Add laurel, a touch of salt and the egg whites and cook over medium to low flame for 4 to 5 hours.

Regional - Pollo en Pepitoria

This is a simple and delicious regional dish of Castilla la Mancha, taken from the Cuisine from Spain website. If you’re interested in preparing Pollo en Pepitoria, we suggest you take a moment to listen to their podcast!

Ingredients:

2 Kg (4.4 Pounds) of Chicken (Drum sticks and thighs)
1 Chopped onion
3 Garlic cloves chopped roughly
3 Boiled eggs
2 Bouquet Garnis (or 2 bay leafs)
White wine (1 ½ glasses)
Water (1 ½ glasses)
White Flour (Enough to cover a plate)
Olive oil
Salt

Preparation:

Start by sprinkling salt over each piece of chicken and coating them in flour. Cover the bottom of a cast-iron frying pan with olive oil and let it heat up. When the oil starts to smoke, fry the pieces of chicken lightly in two lots for about 5 minutes each, then take them out and leave them on one side on a plate.

Using the same oil (or if there is too much oil get rid of about 1/3) cook the onion and garlic over a low heat with the bouquet garni for about 15 minutes. Next add the wine and water and leave to boil for 10 minutes, allowing the flavours to come out. Then add the chicken, check it is completely covered by the liquid (if not, add some more water), and cook everything very slowly for 30 minutes. Finally, chop the egg whites and crumble the egg yolks before adding them to the stew, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve with boiled potatoes and a green vegetables.