Spanish Halloween

Halloween in Spain is becoming more popular year by year, the UK and American influence has rubbed off and provides the opportunity for kids of all ages to enjoy Halloween and have a bit of fun on October 31st. After being outdoors trick or treating on a cold Andalucian night what better than some traditional Halloween pumpkin soup....Enjoy.

Ingredients: (Feeds the family!)

2 kilos Pumpkin, peeled and chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
2 Onions, diced
4 Potatoes, cubed
1 ltr Chicken stock
500 mls Cream
400g Cured pancetta
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil



How to make:

In a soup pan (or Spanish “Olla”) cook the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the pumpkin and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, add stock and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the cured pancetta into strips and then dice, lightly fry in olive oil until crispy and golden brown.

Blend the soup in the pan using a hand blender.

Add the cream and cracked black peppercorns and mix well.

Serve up the soup and sprinkle very generously with the fried pancetta.

Enjoy with fresh crusty bread.

Happy Halloween!!!

Cooking with Kids

Cooking with the kids... The reason our 7 year old little boy likes to cook and get involved in the kitchen is probably because his parents are never out of there! Maybe a little passion for cooking and Spanish recipes has rubbed off.

OK, be prepared for a real gourmet experience! a treat to the senses!

"Andalucian scrambled eggs with melted butter and cracked black peppercorns served with pan fried crispy pancetta"

Ingredients:

6 eggs
250g Cured pancetta
Knob of butter
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil

Cooking:

1. Beat the eggs in a pan
2. Carefully cut thin strips of pancetta
3. Cook eggs over high heat, stirring, add butter
4. Fry pancetta in olive oil, 2 minutes each side
5. Serve scrambled egg with pancetta arranged around the outside
6. Sprinkle with black pepper


Tomato sauce is of course optional :)

Enjoy.

Pork in Cider

Pork and apple, pork and apple sauce, pork and cider... Recipe for pork and Asturian cider. Absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

2 kg Boneless pork piece
3 Large onions
1 Large red bell pepper
6 Garlic cloves (crushed)
Good pinch fresh Rosemary
Good pinch fresh Thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (picante)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
500ml Spanish cider
All purpose flour



How to Cook:

1. Halve then slice the onions and place in the bottom of a large terracotta cazuela.

2. Place the pork on top and generously season with the herbs, add crushed garlic and the smoked paprika.

3. Slice the red pepper into rings and place around the side of the pork.

4. Drizzle the cider vinegar over the meat then pour over the cider.

5. Cover and cook on a high heat for 30 minutes then on a low heat for 4 – 5 hours.

6. Remove from oven and pour the juices into a pan, bring to the boil then add the flour and whisk to thicken. Serve with pork.

Delicious winter warming recipe.

Chicken and Mallorcan Sobrasada

Mallorcan "sobrasada" is a soft, spreadable type of sausage. Usually served with honey sobrasada is one of those Spanish sausages that goes well in a variety of combinations - chicken being one of them. Enjoy...

You will need:

4 chicken legs or thighs
300g chickpeas, drained
6 vine tomatoes, chopped
100g sobrasada
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
100ml virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper



How to Cook

Heat the olive oil in a large cazuela and add the chicken pieces then cook for about 10 minutes until browned all over.

Add the sobrasada and stir gently, allowing it to melt into the juices of the chicken.

Add the onion and tomatoes to the cazuela and season well.

Cover and turn the heat right down cooking for 45 minutes to an hour then uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes or so to allow the sauce to thicken.

Serve garnished with fresh broad leaf parsley and crusty bread.

Delicious!

Spanish Priorat Wine

An introduction to Priorat Wine.


Priorat wine or “Priorato” in Spanish is a small region in the Northern province of Tarragona. The region itself has its own microclimate and a dark black soil, the area was volcanic making the qualities of the earth unique for establishing vineyards which are now scattered throughout the many of the local towns and villages. Some of these vineyards are seven hundred meters above sea level and are exposed to long hot summers and cold winters.
Old traditional Priorat wines are made from Garnacha Tinta, after the pressing the wine is fermented in two stages before being transferred to American oak barrels where it is then aged between six months and five years. Older Gran Reservas are kept for 60 months before bottling and continue to age well for many years to come. In some younger wineries the grapes are fermented unpressed.
Young crianza wines spend up to a year in oak casks and one year in the bottle, the reservas spend a minimum of one year in oak casks and two years in the bottle. It is fair to say that these guide lines which determine the wines classification (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva) are not strictly followed to the letter, the reason being that the wines will reach their peak two years down the line. The name given is “Vino de Guardia” which translates as “a wine to keep”
Although Priorat does produce white wine and rose wine the region is most famous for its deep reds, these wines can almost appear black, are heavy and of supreme quality also allowing the wine to continue ageing. The best of Priorats production are regarded as some of the finest wines in Spain – they are also some of the most expensive. Yields are comparatively low due to the topography of the region and intensive manual labour involved in the cultivation.

Excellent Vintage Years:
1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005

More wines from Orce Serrano Hams delicatessen >>>

Real Spanish Chorizos

Authentic homemade Spanish chorizos direct from Andalucia. Orce chorizos have proven very popular, especially the extra hot "Fire" chorizo. The problem is now, the locals have caught on to the Fire chorizo and are, lets say depleting the stocks!



A bit of an issue so when Julian (local family butcher) invested in a vacuum packing machine we realised a solution for both ourselves and the customer was on the horizon. In the beginning when the first batch of Fire chorizos were made most of the sausages were sent as samples to various lucky customers, the press and a few foodie friends in the UK. Feedback was very positive so the chorizos were introduced to the website.

The main problem with genuine homemade chorizos is that they cure very quickly so to receive them in prime condition was a result of placing a special order, guaranteed fresh but with a few days wait. Now though things are very different.



Each week our butcher makes us a batch of each type of chorizo. These are then hung and cured until "just right" where they are then cleverly vacuum packed for freshness. The big advantage to the consumer is that these vacuum packs can be kept refrigerated for 3 months which simply was not possible before.

Vacuum packed homemade chorizos, airtight fresh you could say!

See the Orce Fire Chorizo being made >>>

Stuffed Chicken Legs with Catalan Sausage

This is a great Spanish chicken recipe which can be adapted to use any sausage at all - the bigger the better! Take a Cumberland sausage for example, very much at home stuffed inside a rolled chicken leg, pick your herbs, season and enjoy a fantastic versatile dish.

Ingredients: (4 persons)

4 Chicken legs (de-boned)
2 Catalan sausages
Thyme
Sage
Black pepper
Salt
Cocktail sticks
Tinfoil




How to Cook:

1. De-bone your chicken legs and roll out flat ready to be rolled and stuffed.

2. Slice the Catalan sausage down its length and squeeze out the meat into a bowl, add the sage and thyme and mix.

3. Place the sausage stuffing onto each chicken leg and roll up tightly – secure with cocktail sticks.

4. Season the meat well with salt and pepper.

5. Loosely wrap with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes on 180 degrees or until chicken is done.

6. Great served with boiled potatoes, green beans or broccoli.

More chicken recipes at Orce Serrano Hams

Chicken, Mules and two old fools

You may be wondering why we are talking about a book on Top Spanish Tapas... Welcome to guest writer Victoria Twead, author of "Chickens, Mules and two old fools". This book really is a fantastic read and has already had raving reviews. Each chapter begins with a Spanish recipe (so there is the foodie bit) some of which are our very own!

We are also running a competition in our Christmas newsletter to win a signed copy of the book so get signed up and answer a simple question to enter the draw!

How ‘Chickens’ was hatched.

I’m famous for my lists and records. I can’t help myself; I think I inherited the record-keeping gene from my father. Every day I make a note of the weather, the temperature, the first snowdrop, the day the ants fly, the exchange rate of the euro, everything. I make packing lists, holiday lists, ‘To Do’ lists and ‘Joe, Will You Please’ lists. I even make lists of lists. My nickname at work was Schindler.
Also, I have terrible difficulty throwing anything away. I find my heart racing and my fingers clamp possessively on the object in question. After all, a rusty hostess trolley, or broken watch, or a 1996 calendar, or whatever, may come in useful some day… So I rarely delete old emails and have diaries dating back years.
Both these dubious character traits of mine, for a pleasant change, proved really useful and helped ‘Chickens’ to hatch.
Moving to Spain was undeniably a culture shock. Every new day produced events either hilarious or heart-warming. Food suddenly tasted better, human behaviour was more fascinating, local events more interesting. It was like seeing in colour for the first time, and the book began bubbling in my head.
Of course, Joe often lost patience with me, and rightly so. ‘Stop dreaming, and concentrate! Hold that ladder steady or I’m going to break a leg in a minute!’ But the book was relentless. As soon as I could, I unearthed all my records, notes, old emails to friends, and began to write.
It’s funny where life takes you… When I was a little girl and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered, ‘A zoo-keeper.’ No, I never realised that ambition, but life in Spain has not been that far removed. Okay, I agree, chickens, mules and all the other animals (including humans) I wrote about may not be very exotic. But their behaviour was just as riveting as that of any grizzly bear or meerkat.
As I wrote, the book made me laugh and cry. When, reluctantly, I showed it to other people, I was astonished to see them react the same way. One may easily imagine my delight when ‘Chickens’ was awarded the HarperCollins Authonomy ‘Gold Star’, and is still today the only non-fiction book to claim that distinction.
I love Spain. I love the Spanish people. I love Spanish food. I hope all this shines through in my writing, even when I’m describing some of the less savoury things that happened to us.

Victoria Twead

Visit Victoria's website >>>

or... Buy the book

Cauliflower Cheese with Serrano Ham

Cauliflower cheese is one of those recipes that is great served up in the winter months. When you need something hot and tasty this dish fits the bill with an added sprinkling of diced serrano ham and pepper the flavours really do come alive.

Ingredients: Serves 4

1 medium whole broccoli
1 medium whole cauliflower
250g Serrano ham (diced)
50g plain flour
50g butter
500ml milk
100g mature cheddar cheese, grated (plus a little extra for topping)
Salt
Ground pepper





How to Make:

1. Wash the broccoli and cauliflower and separate into large florets

2. Cook the broccoli and cauliflower in salted boiling water for 8-10 minutes until cooked but still crunchy then drain and place in a deep cazuela/casserole dish.

3. Make up the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the flour, mix well together until you get a smooth paste and then cook for a few minutes to remove the taste of the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add about one third of the milk, whisking all the time to maintain the smooth paste. Add the rest of the milk, return the pan to the heat and whisk continuously until you have a smooth white sauce. Add the cheese and a little black pepper and whisk a little more, then leave to cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the Serrano ham to the sauce then pour the sauce over the broccoli and cauliflower and mix everything together, ensuring a good covering. Sprinkle with a bit more grated cheese and place in a hot oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese in golden and bubbling nicely.

Feel like experimenting? Try this dish with thinly sliced hot chorizo...

Iberico Ham Feria

The Iberian ham fair is held every year in Villanueva de Cordoba. The feria produces quite a turnout too with this year seeing more than 7000 people attending the prestigious event.



One of the main spectacles of the fair is the ham carving competition, taken very seriously and with some of the displays you can see why. Real food art using the worlds finest ham. This years winner was Florentino Mateos, having won this competition results in an automatic pass through to the nationals.



Displays... Iberico ham is mottled with fat, much more than serrano ham and the texture is well, sublime.



You can see the labels detailing which area of the leg the slices were cut from, "Maza", "Babilla", "Punta"



Some truly professional carving requiring a great deal of skill as well some artistic flair!



Discover more on Iberico hams from the Pedroches valley

View the hams >>>

Orce Serrano Hams Newsletter

The latest news, special offers, new products and exclusive information on Spanish gourmet. Subscribe and get 10% off any full leg serrano or iberico ham.


You have been asking us if we can keep you up to date with all the latest products, Christmas specials, new Spanish hams etc so here it is - the Orce Serrano Hams newsletter. After signing up you will start to receive the very latest news, special discount codes to use at the checkout, featured tapas recipes and a whole lot more!


You will also hear about new, up and coming offers and products before they even hit the website so if you like to be kept "in the know" the newsletter is ideal. To begin with we will be sending it out every 8 weeks, next up is a Christmas special which will detail some fantastic offers, freebies, competition as well as Christmas gift ideas.



Signing up is easy, we do not share any details with third parties and should you not wish to continue receiving you can simply unsubscribe. So if you fancy seeing what its all about why not drop into the website and subscribe. As a thank you, you will be given a voucher to use which entitles you to 10% off any full leg serrano or iberico ham.

Subscribe here!

Spanish Croquettes

Spanish croquettes make popular tapas and are served in many tapas bars up and down Spain. The good thing about this recipe is that it so versatile so if you hate waste and have some leftover vegetables from the night before simply throw them in the mix and make up some delicious hot tapas.

Ingredients: (10 - 12 tapas)

6 medium sized boiled potatoes
Left over veg, chopped into small pieces – broccoli and peas are great also carrots, sweet corn or cabbage work just as well.
300ml water
Olive oil
75g plain flour
Salt and pepper



How to make:

1. In a large bowl or cazuela, mash the potatoes and mix with the vegetables.

2. In a saucepan, bring the water to the boil, remove from the heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Slowly beat in the flour until you get a smooth batter.

3. Add the mashed potato mixture and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring all the time until the mixture is smooth and thick. Season.

4. Leave to cool which will also help to thicken the mixture more (it should be thick enough to hold its shape when made into balls)

5. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, form the mixture into potato cakes, balls or croquette shapes – whatever you prefer.

6. In a small but deep frying pan, heat more olive oil for frying and then deep fry the croquettes in batches until golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper and serve while still hot.

More Spanish vegetarian recipes and tapas here >>>

Sliced Serrano Ham

Spanish Serrano ham reserva sliced to order and dispatched direct from Andalucia.

We can remember when local butcher Julian agreed to supply us with what is now the Orce Serrano Ham Reserva. At the time it was named the "150 Reserva" due to only 151 being available (the extra one was for us:) Fortunately now, due to the phenomenal success of the 150 reserva Julian has been curing the reservas for a good few extra months now.



So whats the difference? In a nutshell its all about size and flavour intensity. Reserva hams tend to be larger examples because they have to hang for longer, bigger hams are chosen for the 16 month curing.

Flavour - the important part! A reserva ham hangs for at least 10 - 12 weeks longer than a bodega ham (sometimes also known in Andalucia as "curado" or "campo" ham) With curing comes maturing, a well matured ham will boast an immediate aroma, reserva examples have a slightly stronger aroma, more intense flavour and have a more velvety texture.

Is the difference noticeable? In a word, yes. If you know your Spanish jamon you will recognise a quality well cured example as soon as your knife carves the first slice. All this of course is not to take away from 12 month cured "bodega" hams which, in their own right are superb, milder in flavour and perhaps a little smaller but ultimately a great Spanish ham.



The Orce Reserva ham is now available in slices, pack sizes are 250g and 500g half kilo size. To celebrate the launch of these two new lines we are also giving away free complimentary tapas (almonds whenever possible which are a great pairing!) to accompany each pack of sliced ham.

Need more info on Spanish ham, fancy venturing into the world of Iberico? Drop us a line and and we will be more than happy to help.

Homemade Pork Scratchings

Homemade pork scratchings, an easy to make delicious tapa. If you buy a sheet of fresh pancetta to be used in a recipe such as braised pancetta where you don't need the rind then keep it for pork scratchings.



Cut the rind away from the pancetta.

Smear with olive oil and season well with salt.

Place in a pre heated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and slice into inch wide strips around 2 inches long.

Drop into hot olive oil and deep fry until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with allioli (Spanish garlic mayonnaise)

Mojama America

Mojama cured tuna direct from Spain to the USA. According to our American customers mojama has been quite difficult to buy in the US. Being a cured loin of tuna and also vacuum packed means that the USDA will let mojama through US customs.



Dry cured loin of tuna of the highest quality available in 250g and 500g pieces - full loins (1kg approx) also available on request.



Expert advice, local fishmonger Antonio talks through bacalao, bonito and mojama.

For further details and order enquiries visit the online deli Orce Serrano Hams

The Tapas Lunch

The tapas lunch, fantastic Spanish tapas recipes served up with a cold beer and absolutely free. Serrano ham... hot mussels... braised chorizo the list is endless.



Certainly in the village of Orce, Granada tapas are still served free of charge when you buy a beer. The first thing about a beer or "tubo" as they are known locally (due to the tall slim glass) is the size, Spanish beers don't tend to be very big, certainly not a pint anyway but this doesn't matter as the food you get with your beer more than compensates. Cost is around a euro for a beer around 275ml in rural areas and if you order from a tapas bar during the week you are likely to get a small plate of nuts such as salted almonds/peanuts etc.

However at the weekend...



Weekends are when the tapas really come out! In Orce you can experience anything from small portions of Spanish paella, pork casserole, seafood and other hot dishes that have been conjured up only that morning. When it comes to larger servings you can buy what is called a "racione" - this is probably the equal to about 4 tapas sized servings, a standard starter if you like. However if you are a table of four for example you won't have to buy this as this will be your tapas, usually served with four forks or cocktail sticks so everyone has to dig in - quickly!



Weekends are when the family run bars thrive, husbands are serving the beers and dishing up from the hot bain-marie and the busy wife serving tables and tending to the food, which in most cases is absolutely fantastic.

Four or five small beers and a full belly later you can take a stroll home and not have to think about lunch let alone start cooking. All for under a tenner for 2.

Shop Tapas >>>

Serrano Ham and Lentil Soup

Serrano ham makes a tasty ingredient in many Spanish recipes. For the colder winter months soup is very popular in Andalucia, this recipe uses serrano ham and lentils. An ideal lunch on its own or a typical starter, crusty bread at the ready...

Ingredients:

25g butter
75ml extra virgin olive oil
150g Serrano ham cut into small pieces
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
500ml chicken stock
450g brown lentils, soaked overnight
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Double cream



How to cook:

1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and Serrano ham then cook for about 10 minutes on a moderate heat until the vegetables are soft.

2. Add the stock and lentils to the pan and bring to the boil then simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

3. Puree the soup using a hand blender then return to the heat. Add the cream, salt and pepper and simmer for another minute or so.

4. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley or with a swirl of cream and lots of fresh crusty bread. Enjoy!

BUY SERRANO HAM - SAVE 20%

Special offer for all Orce Serrano Hams customers! This weekend we are offering a huge 20% discount on all full bone in serrano hams (inc front leg paletas)



Simply choose your serrano ham from the online delicatessen and enter this code: OSH20 in the shopping cart.



This offer must end 9.00pm Monday 5th October.

VIEW ALL SERRANO HAMS >>>

Spanish Butchers

Buying from your local Spanish butcher can, at times be a bewildering experience. Choice cuts of lomo tenderloin, variations of offal, legs and paletillas of lamb, morcon, morcilla, brains (yes, brains) trotters and prime ham...



There is a big issue in the UK at the moment driven by all sorts of entities regarding where food originates from. Rightly so but what went wrong in the first place? Simple works, why complicate things! The UK produces some of the best meat available in the world as does Spain, France, Germany, Italy and thats just a handful from the EU.

Every country prides itself on its produce, one exceptional gourmet line from rural Andalucia is "Cordero Segureno"



To find out more about Andalucian meats from local rural butchers including what to ask for, recipe ideas, cuts of meat, offal and a whole lot more take a look at our latest article "Sausages to Sirloin"