Top Spanish Tapas...

FIESTA! FIESTA! I wouldnt say we were avid football fans but recently as the Euro 2008 tournament built up with Spain winning again and again the sheer enthusiasm of the locals and a few Spanish friends became infectious...

Then when they beat Germany 1-0 in the final the whole country went crazy. There will be quite a few "bald" Spaniards today - around 20,000 in fact who vowed to cut off all their hair if Spain made and won the final!

In surrounding villages you could hear fireworks after the match came to a close and in true Spanish style the party went on long into the early hours...



So... to celebrate one of Spain's finest sporting acheivements we are giving away FREE Spanish beer with every serrano or iberico ham.



Missed the game? Perhaps some Cruzcampo, Mahou or Alhambra beer will liven up the replay... :-) Watch out for the forthcoming Special Offer.

CLICK HERE FOR FREE BEER!

Buying bread is something we do almost every day here in Andalucia - always good to have with your tapas, main meal or salad for mopping up that olive oil or salsa!

In Orce village you purchase your bread from the local supermarket or one of many vans that do their daily rounds, there is even a local resident - our man "Pedro" who still bakes in an old fashioned oven before setting off in his car with a boot full of hot fresh bread.

Local bread in the kitchen window..


The good thing about fresh bread is the taste and flavour, delicious splashed with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Even the day after when not so fresh you can still use a big slice for an Andalucian "tostada"

When you absolutely must have fresh bread!:

Salsa dishes
Salad dishes
Paella dishes
Marinaded meat dishes
With olive oil...

One very small complimentary nut with a big flavour is the humble cashew nut. Now normally we would recommend salted almonds to go with a plate of serrano ham but as always experimentation with food is key.

Spanish neighbours daily aperitivo...



..and a plate of ham with cashew nuts - no need for olive oil with this simple tapa as the sweetness of the ham and the cashew are good enough.



Whats your favourite tapa this summer?

When it gets hot sometimes you just need a simple and light lunch. Salads are good but here we have something very simple which, when made smaller can be an great Spanish summer tapa served up in a terracotta cazuela.



*Serrano Ham
*Vine tomatoes
*Cucumber
*Fresh Bread
*Extra Virgin Olive Oil (as always!)

Simple serve up on a plate with salt and pepper to season. You can also use red peppers - whatever is easy and quick. A very typical Andalucian lunch.

Mackerel roe or "huevas de caballa" are a popular fish tapa in the bars. You can buy the roe in tins which is delicious on toast or served spread on fresh bread.



If you buy fresh mackerel you may be lucky to find some fresh roe in some of the larger fish, instead of discarding this little delicassy why not try frying it up into a tapa.



Rinse and clean the roe. Pre heat some good olive oil and lightly fry the roe for around one minute each side. Serve on toast or bread, also good with seafood salads.

Its BIG! New to the range we have introduced a rather special ham... from "La Cruz" this ham comes "sin pata" (without hoof) Weighing in a very large 8 - 8.5kg this is quite a substantial ham - remember its without the hoof which accounts for at least 600g of the total weight, the result is a very large and plump ham, perfectly cured.



Larger serrano hams tend be left in the salting process for a little longer due their size to guarantee curing quality. This example from La Cruz is so well cured the ham is not salty at all, a great texture and importantly very easy to carve. Due to its size the ham is very broad which, when carved with the correct technique results in ultra thin ham slices.



So far so good... We are very impressed so far but the "tapas test" takes time... Expect this ham available to the UK and Europe early July 2008.

The village of Orce is popular for quite a few reasons. Most predominantly its cave dwellings. Below we have a photo of the sign "Cuevas de Orce" Yes! you can stay in a cave - a different kind of sleep altogether (bring the alarm clock)

There is also the food to enjoy....



To say "people come from miles around" may be an over used phrase in restaurant promotion but very applicable to "Bar Salero" The owner Alfredo, a long term resident of the village who cooks THE best lamb dishes in the region. In a future post we will find out how the local bread maker (and his ovens) assist in the making of Alfredo's Andalucian "Asado de Cordero" For now though something just as mouthwatering also served up in Bar Salero.



Lamb in Beer:

Slow Cooked Lamb in Beer....lovely!

A traditional, rustic Spanish dish which has been prepared the same way for generations, whether in a fine restaurant or at the home of the local shepherd. The result is succulent and tender lamb which melts in the mouth.

Ingredients (serves 4):

1 leg of lamb (xl)
Large can of San Miguel beer (or strong lager/beer)
Half litre of water
6-8 cloves of garlic

How to cook:

1. Place the lamb in a large oven proof dish, add the garlic (no need to peel) pour in the beer and water
2. Cook slowly in a low oven for about 2-2 ½ hours until the meat is cooked through.
3. Remove the lamb from the tray and leave to rest for a few minutes before slicing, it will probably fall off the bone and this is a good sign.
4. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and mix with the juices.
5. Serve with sautéed potatoes and a generous helping of the juices.

ENJOY!

We would like to thank all of our customers who have placed their order in June and may have experienced a slight delay due to the current fuel protests here in Spain.

We have been rattling away tracking numbers as and when we get them! and also speaking with both our couriers here in Spain (Nacex) and the UK (UPS) Although orders have been delayed due to the strike the selection/packing and dispatch process has remained the same so customer purchases have not been held up in warehouses - We keep the hams hanging fresh at this end for as long as we can!



So...if your ham is not already with you expect it very soon, we are positive it will have been worth the wait.

Saludos,

Iain & Gayle ORCE SERRANO HAMS

Horchata, not a tapa but certainly worth a mention here, one because a new variety has just been introduced to the market and two, because it is a very enjoyable non alcoholic drink. (especially in the summer)



Horchata is different...the most important thing to mention is that it should always be served cold - the colder the better! Imagine a milkshake in the summer.. horchata is similar in consistancy but being made from "chufas" (tiger nuts) it is very refreshing and also healthy. Locals over here swear by it for an upset stomach too although how far true that is we dont know!

The new horchata: Artisan blend containing more tiger nuts. Very similar to the original but a more concentrated flavour - Lovely.

There are many aspects of Andalucian culture - so different to even other regions of Spain never mind other countries. One of these is "Flamenco!" Just like the famous tapas culture Granada is renound for its flamenco shows. Without going into too much history there is a strong association with flamenco culture and the caves of Andalucia. Nowadays tourists can pay to see some of the best flamenco dancing available - in situ, in a traditional cave. This area of Granada is named Sacromonte (Do visit if you can)

Here we have a video of a little cave style Flamenco!



Living in a cave ourselves in a small hamlet the community tends to be quite close, neighbours help each other as best they can etc etc. Now then.... when there is a fiesta there is a fiesta!!!! Last year we were lucky enough to witness some Flamenco dancing close up on our very own patio. Last minute barbeques are a regular occurance in the hamlet, at around 11.30pm a guest began to dance and could she move.... shortly after her husband began playing the Spanish guitar. The night was just beginning...

Octopus is a popular dish from the famous Galician recipes to Andalucian tapas. Octopus in garlic is a firm favourite in tapas bars and is very easy to make.



Octopus tentacles are available from the fish monger, they are already cooked and simply need a rinse before eating. A very easy method is to mix up with garlic infused olive oil (or even chilli oil if you like it hot) The dish is also good with "alioli", a great summer tapa that should be served with fresh tomato, cucumber or red peppers.

Need a bigger summer recipe for octopus? TRY THIS

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.

With two fish shops or "pescaderias" open Tusdays and Fridays in Orce village there is no shortage of fresh fish available, here we have a recipe for sole and mussels...

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 small soles (ask your fishmonger to clean and fillet them)
1 kilo mussels
milk
Parsley
Juice ½ lemon
100g butter
Salt
Pepper

How to cook

1. Cover a baking tray with foil and lightly grease, placing the fish on top.
2. Season lightly with salt and put a little butter on each piece of fish.
3. Place more foil on top of the fish and together with the bottom piece of foil, fold in the edges to make a parcel keeping one side open.
4. Pour in a little milk and close up the parcel
5. Cook for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven

6. Prepare the mussels by washing in cold water and removing the ‘beards’ discarding any damaged ones.
7. Place the mussels in a large pot with a little water and steam for 6 minutes or so until they have all opened. Set aside and allow to cool, then remove from the shells.



8. Make the sauce. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and cook slowly until it turns a pale brown. Stir in the chopped parsley, lemon juice and season with a little pepper, cook for another minute.



9. Remove the fish and serve onto plates, placing a few mussels on the top and pour over the sauce.
10. Serve with seasonal vegetables

Suppliers and neighbours can be a wealth of knowledge... After visiting an olive oil supplier in 2006 they told us of a way to use organic olive oil for something really refreshing in the summer...



Not strictly a tapa and about as simple as it gets cut a fresh orange (straight from the fridge) into segments and pour over with a good organic or extra virgin olive oil.

Fantastic in the summer after few hours working up a sweat in the garden!

Baked mackerel is a good dish at any time of the year, in summer we tend to do the fish on the barbeque although it is just as tasty baked in the oven.



Fresh, cleaned mackerel
1 Lemon
Broad leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Lay the fish on tin foil ready for wrapping
Place three slices of lemon on or in the fish
Salt and pepper to taste before laying the parsley over the fish
Wrap the fish and place in the oven for 30 minutes
*You can also add a splash of white wine

Great stuff for the summer and very healthy indeed!

The Spanish chorizo comes in quite a few forms, freshly cured, vacuum packed, mini size and huge chorizo "extra tradicional" The home cured chorizo's are sometimes known as cooking chorizo's - mildly cured and can indeed be cooked. Recipes such as apple and chorizo kebabs are a real hit in summer and stews with chorizo are an ideal winter warmer.



Simple chorizo tapas, although these very versatile Spanish sausages can be used in a multitude of recipes to appreciate some real chorizo flavour simply serve them on their own on cocktail sticks.

Watch out for the hot ones!!!