Spanish Paella & Outdoor Spanish Cooking

Why Orce Serrano Hams is going rustic and taking inside, outside... Spain has over 300 days of sunshine annualy and good weather is the cooks best friend when cooking outdoors whether it be the traditional barbeque, the paella or a simply a table spread of tasty Spanish tapas.

Now we understand that our customers in the UK don't get as much sunshine as Spain, however when the sun does decide to get his hat on and the Spanish food enthusiasts among you decide to cook outdoors then thats when some rustic cooking comes in... The good old paella was traditionaly cooked over an open fire and still can be, forget that bag of charcoal from the supermarket, DIY store or local garage and go find yourself a few kindling sticks...

Cooking over a naked flame is how its done in rural Andalucia, the smoke adds a real rustic "campo" flavour as well as a fire being a focal point for outdoor eating. Gas burners are good, metal tripods do the job but the problem is its all a bit too modern. For a real paella it needs to be cooked over a fire. We are not talking about November the 5th here either, that tin barbeque sitting in the back of the garage or at the end of the garden will do quite nicely, a metal tripod that sits over the flame actually "in" the fire will support your paella pan leaving you to simply add a few kindling sticks to generate some heat when required.

There is no need for a layer of hot coals, using kindling sticks is actually a very good way of regulating the heat, add more or take them away, what the paella needs is flame under the pan, hot coals are simply too hot. Other dishes that can be cooked in the same way are Spanish "migas" and also anything that can be cooked in a terracotta cazuela - the versitile clay dish that is perfectly at home over a fire (gambas al pil pil is delicious over flame)

Our aim here is to get back to good old fashioned rustic Spanish cooking and as such we have created a very different paella and bbq page on the online deli. Catering for the adventurous cook you can now discover a range of outdoor cooking utensils including paella pans, tripods, terracotta cookware, migas pans and few other, typically Spanish table top accessories designed to complete your outdoor summer dining experience in real Spanish style. Designed for paella lovers and barbeque enthusiasts everywhere we hope that the new and ever growing "rustic range" may tempt the authentic Spanish cook among you. Afterall, when its outdoor eating weather why not do it the Andalucian way?

Visit the new page

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Liver and Beans with Paprika

On the odd occasion fresh liver is available from our butchers and when it is we always snap it up straight away. I have always been a big fan of liver ever since I was a child when Grandma would cook up liver and bacon for lunch in her old terraced house in the North of England.

As one of the cheaper foods that would help see people through harder times liver is now regaining popularity, an aquired taste perhaps, but throw in some bacon, tomatoes and a Spanish twist with some smoked paprika and you have a delicious lunch or warming winter meal.

Ingredients: (serves 3)

750g Fresh liver, cleaned
200g Bacon
3 Ripe tomatoes, chopped
400g White beans, soaked
Ground black pepper
Smoked paprika
Olive oil

How to cook:

1. Slice the liver and the bacon into strips.

2. Pour a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and fry off the liver.

3. In a cazuela, heat up the tomaotoes and white beans.

4. Add the liver and bacon and warm through.

5. Season with pepper and add a small pinch of paprika, mix well.

6. Cook in the cazuelas for 15 minutes.

7. Serve with seasonal greens and potatoes.

Tip: to add a real Spanish twist to this dish try replacing the bacon with some pancetta and fry until crisp to add a little "crunch" to the dish.

Spanish Spices and Smoked Paprika >>>


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Spanish tapas up in smoke?

With the introduction of the smoking ban in Spain earlier this year there has been a significant difference in the number of clients in the local bars these days - or at least in the rural village of Orce in Granada. When the first ban came around bar owners and clients never really took that much notice as there where too many rules and regs (establishments of certain square meterage etc etc) to consider, in places like Orce such new regulations take time filter through and given the relaxed nature of the place many chose to ignore the rules until it became "the norm" to smoke again in bars where people had done so for years previously.

This time though it is very different, bar owners are in fear of being fined and the new smoking ban has been enforced with immediate effect. Nobody really agrees, even the local Orce "non smoking" residents, afterall, smoking in Spain is like a national pastime so the ban has taken some getting used to. The offset of this of course is that bars in the village are much quieter, particularly during the day after lunchtime when people would go out or have a bite to eat after finishing work. Put a mornings graft in and it was customary to relax and have a beer before going home for a couple of hours, now though people are skipping the bars as the new ban means they have to spend 5 of the 15 minutes they would normally have had standing outside...

All of this does mean less trade for the bar owners and fewer tapas. Having spoken to a bar owner today who tells me his trade is down 20% he also blames the recession but mainly the smoking ban, he is also wishing along summer where, in his opinion trade will return to normal given the fine weather and is making arrangments for additional chairs and tables so his clients can smoke outside. What he is dreading is next winter...

It is well known that the Granada region is one of the few areas left in Spain to serve free tapas with an alcoholic drink. A beer is around 1.00 euro in rural parts so volume and the popularity of your bar is paramount to success. Tapas ingredients and the time taken to prepare them eats into profits and I dare say that during the colder months of the year the humble tapa will suffer, we may still get them but its more likely to be a small plate of crisps instead of fresh marinated anchovies or something cooked. Time to support the local watering hole...

Do you live in rural Andalucia? Leave a comment and tell us how the smoking ban has effected your local bars.


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Simple Fish Fillet Tapas

Spanish seafood tapas are very popular in Andalucia, the famous chili garlic prawns or "Gambas al Pil Pil" probabaly spring to mind first followed by salt cod "bacalao" al Pil Pil or perhaps even seafood croquettes...

Fresh fish in Spain is a pure delight to go out and buy, an array of fish and shellfish are always on display in the pescaderia, a mind boggling selection thats sometimes, even with the best intentions you end up buying more than you anticipated - a kilo of in season mussels for lunch would be a good example! for this very simply yet delicious and extremly healthy tapas dish you need to be looking for those oily fish, the ones packed full of Omega3 like mackerel or sardines. Either will do for this recipe although if you decide on sardines get the biggest ones on the counter.

These tapas can be cooked and enjoyed straight away but we find its always best to prep the dish then leave it for a few hours to let the herbs work on infusing the olive oil. The dish will also keep refrigerated for 48 hours so if you make too much there will be some left for later! Also great as a starter served in terracotta cazuelas with a seperate side salad and of course, fresh crusty bread for mopping up the olive oil. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 Medium fresh mackerel, filleted
500ml Extra virgin olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 Bay leaf
1 Small chili pepper
6 Black peppercorns

How to Cook: (6 - 8 tapas)

1. Wash the mackerel fillets and slice in half.

2. Add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan and fry the fillet pieces gently for 3 minutes each side.

3. Meanwhile halve the garlic cloves and slice the chili thinly.

4. Pour the olive oil into a dish or cazuela and add all the ingredients except the fish.

5. Once the fish is cooked lay on kitchen towel and leave to cool.

6. Once cool, add the fish to the rest of ingredients and turn the fillet pieces gently to ensure a good coating of oil.

7. Leave for 4 hours to let the oil infuse.

8. Serve with fresh bread.


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Paella Party

Cooking a Spanish paella outdoors in February may seem like an odd thing to do but in the "Altiplano" February usually sees some pleasantly warm days. It is always frosty in the mornings high up in the mountains but when the sun retires the temperature drops quite dramatically! There is however a good four hour window in which you can cook and enjoy what could be a summers day - any excuse for a fiesta!

Pablo is a neighbour of ours who has a cave house just a few hundred yards away, he is also a chef by trade and has an uncanny enthusiasm for Spanish food. Originaly from Asturias there is a degree of French and Catalan influence in his dishes however when it comes to paella the flavour is always spot on.

The party started early Saturday afternoon with the usual pre paella tapas, this time it was crab and a delicious sobrasada both served on biscuits. The barbeque was lit using sticks from the nearby wood and we had brought some fresh stock having had a chicken the evening before (good stock is the foundation of any good paella). The choice was mixed meat, a selection of chicken pieces, rabbit and pork. In true style most of the meat was still on the bone, all of which adds to flavour of the paella.

An hour later the paella was ready and placed center of the table to rest for a few minutes. The verdict..? Delicious!

Recipe below:

Ingredients: (Mixed meat paella to serve 8)

1 small chicken, chopped into small pieces
1 rabbit chopped into small pieces
450g pork ribs, cut into small pieces
5 ripe tomates
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 kilo bomba rice
2 litres chicken stock
pinch saffron
salt and pepper
olive oil
lemon wedges to serve

How to Cook:

1. Prepare the vegetables and chop into small pieces, crush the garlic

2. Heat the olive oil in the paella pan and add the meat, cook over a gentle flame to brown all over about 25 minutes

3. Meanwhile sautee the vegetables in a seerate pan and then cook on a low heat to soften and reduce, about 20 minutes

4. Add the softened vegetables to the meat and cook for about 5 minutes.

5. Pour the stock in a pan over a high heat to warm up.

6. Add the rice one cupfull at atime, for bobma rice you need 2.5 times the stock as the rice.

7. Add the saffron (crushed and blended with a little stock first)

8. Slowly add the stock and then season (rice needs quite a bit of salt)

9. Stir once and then increase the heat for a few minutes until the stock bubbles, leave to cook over a low flame for around 20 minutes - This paella was cooked outdoors using wood as fuel and Pablo did a great job regulating the heat, adding small sticks to increase the heat when necessary.

10. When the rice is cooked add the lemon wedges and then remove the paella from the heat, cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes or so to allow the rice to absorb the rest of the stock.

11. Serve and enjoy - as we did!

¡Buen provecho!


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Caves for sale

Andalucian caves for sale.

Sometimes, in fact most of time in this part of rural Granada its a case of "Its not what you know its who you know..." this can be relevant in all walks of life but no more so than in rural Spain. Having arrived as a new expat into the far depths of the Andalucian "sticks" we have on occasion, had the fortune or misfortune of being approached by locals who have quickly recognised the value of cave houses in the area. We were lucky enough to grab a bargain back in 2004 when we moved to Spain and almost as soon as we arrived offers were coming in from roundabout cave owners... "Mine is only 30k, do you want to buy it?" Seems the fact that an English family might not have any money falls on deaf ears - afterall we are all apparently rich according to the average local Spaniard.

Times however have changed - quite significantly which is why we are detailing this particular cave for a local bar owner in the village who needs to sell at a reasonable price... The price is 75k euros and its well worth the dinero (63k GBP at time of writing). Many of the local cave owners now realise that the boom time has gone, it took a while but the serious sellers recognise the market and they need to offload a property or two, afterall Spain, as with the rest of Europe is experiencing a "Crisis".

Where is it? The cave is situated in a small hamlet on the outskirts of Orce called "Fuente Nueva". The property is only just around the corner (100m) from our own cave overlooking the Sierra de Maria mountain range.

The owner is selling due to the present climate (2011) and needs to expand his tapas bar in Orce village.

Features: 3 double bedrooms, large kitchen, living room, bathroom. Gas fired heating and full electrics installed. The cave also has a HUGE garage equipped with log burning stove which could be converted into a further 3 rooms or large workspace. There is also potential to easily open up a window at the rear of the cave to expose via doorway access to a very large roof terrace.

For the price, this cave house is excellent value for the money, one of those unknown bargains that tends to slip by. The cave is fully habitable and has been lived in until 2010, however with a little paint and some new funiture this property could be spectacular either for full time living, holidays or rental.

This cave house is available for private sale via the owner, we do however recommend a full survey and to speak to the owner personally (translation available by request)

So what does this have to do with tapas? The vendor happens to own the local tapas bar just a few doors down from from our office in Orce so we are always happy to help in any way we can. We get the same back so throwing his "Se Vende" ad on this blog is the least we can do. - A knees up paella is guaranteed for the buyer!


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Iberico Sliced Meats

Sliced meats from Spain make ideal tapas, especially when your having a spread, tapas evening or simply want to enjoy something different perhaps with an after dinner cheese board or Spanish tapas. Sliced doesn't have to be boring either, particularly when it comes to cured Iberian ham, pork tenderloin or chorizo as the flavours speak for themselves.

There is however no getting away from the fact that any sliced meat vacuum sealed in plastic will not be quite the same as the "real deal" right? Well maybe, there are pro's and cons... For starters sliced meats are convenient, they usually come in handy sized 100g or 200g packs so just sufficient for tapas or creating a buffet style Spanish table. Smaller packs also have the distinct advantage of allowing you to taste test the likes of Iberian ham in all its grades which is why we have added four new types of Iberian ham sliced packs to the deli website.

So what does this mean? If you have heard about Iberian ham and never had the gastronomic pleasure of tasting Spain's most famous delicassy then the 100g pack is your friend. Discover the differences between, Cebo, Recebo, Bellota and Bellota reserva at a price that won't upset the bank manager.

It is really worth a go and letting your taste buds make the decision for you. All good Iberian ham suppliers will also offer the cream of the crop by way of "hand sliced" iberian ham in convenient packs. Price is at a premium as you are paying for the skill as well as the product but when you open up a pack like this - take care as those slices are wafer thin, carved by the maestro secadero. Sliced ham like this actually represents very good value for money as you get more bang for your buck through more slices and increased flavour...just the way a good ham should be carved!

Not forgetting pork tenderloin or "lomo" as its known in Spain and also chorizo. Two exquisite products which again, presented in small sliced packs create the opportunity to taste test flavours. If you have some sliced Spanish ham, chorizo, lomo or sausage sitting in the fridge right now here are two good tips to make sure you get the best Spanish flavour:

1. Most importantly, leave the meat to breath. Its tempting to get stuck in as soon as the pack is opened but the best things come to those who wait, like a good wine, open the pack and leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes where it will begin to "sweat". It is at this point the flavour and aroma as well as texture will be at their best.

2. Pair it up, Spanish ham and Manchego cheese go together like English fish and chips and don't be afraid of introducing fruit and good red wine to any good ham or cured Spanish tenderloin.

For more information on cured Spanish cured meats, tapas recipes, tips, advice and online shop visit www.orceserranohams.com


The new range of Iberian sliced meats is available mid February 2011

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