Spanish Ceramics Australia

Orce Serrano Hams in Australia

Buying traditional Spanish ceramics in Australia has, until now been slightly difficult for those who perhaps only require a few pieces. The cultural tapas scene has really taken off down under and there are a surprising number of Spanish expats living in Australia. An increasing demand for Spanish themed tapas bars and eateries has led to an equally high demand of Spanish ceramics so when we were approached by managing director of “Artesano” Sarah Beard we were more than happy to help out.

Logistics to the other side of the world does take some organising but nearly 300kg of hand made ceramics later Artesano received its first pallet just in time for the Portuguese and Spanish festival. The festival is held in Sydney and attracts over 16000 visitors including the public and businesses. Part of the consignment were our ceramics from Guadix made by Juan Manuel, prior to this festival the furthest these ceramics had travelled was to Germany so you can imagine how intrigued Juan Manuel was to see his work on display in Sydney.

The festival was a huge success with all the ceramics proving popular, from simple tapas dishes to large 37cm terracotta cazuelas. Until now, ceramics from Guadix (Granada region) have been unavailable in Australia so if you are considering Spanish pieces for your establishment or would like to place an order then we highly recommend speaking to Sarah at “Artesano”

If you are tempted by what you see then keep an eye out for Artesano, an online retail store is due to go live early this summer.

Buy Spanish ceramics in Australia >>>


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Carving Spanish Ham

Carving Spanish ham is an art form. If you are a Spanish ham enthusiast and would like to achieve the very best from your serrano or iberico ham then Pilar Esteban Ordorica's beautifully illustrated book with 363 photographs is the "ham carving bible". Pictures speak a thousand words and Pilar has this book just right, a carefull blend of stunning step by step photography accompanied by easy to understand text describing every aspect of Spanish ham carving.



This unique book is available from Orce Serrano Hams in English and Spanish. Love Spanish ham? then this book, without doubt is the essential read for ham carvers of all levels.

Available now. >>>


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Iberico Tapas

Iberico Bellota Jamon with strawberries

Spring is in the air in Andalucia...

Tapas recipes >>>


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Chicken and Serrano Ham Casserole

This Spanish chicken recipe was enjoyed by us one evening at a neighbours house, the recipe originally began as “Pollo Extremena” a traditional dish from the Extremadura region of Spain. The recipe remains the same although there are some additions such as garlic and red pepper which add a real depth of flavour and sweetness to this warming casserole. Upon making this recipe ourselves we were out of Serrano ham so substituted this some cured “lomo de cabeza” a pork tenderloin marbled with fat, the end result was very pleasing as the lomo added a subtle twist of flavour compared to the ham. Enjoy!

You will need:

1 Large chicken, separated

1 Onion, diced

5 Plum tomatoes, diced

1 Small red pepper, diced

12 Garlic cloves, whole

150g Serrano ham, diced

2 Tablespoons Spanish brandy

3 Bay leaves

Cracked black pepper

Salt

Olive oil

Method

1.    Place the chicken pieces into a cooking tray or large terracotta cazuela, drizzle with olive oil and brown on all sides over the hob.

2.    Place the rest of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well, seasoning with salt and pepper, garlic cloves can have their skins left on.

3.    Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces and turn the chicken so all is well covered.

4.    Place in the stove or in the oven at 180 degrees and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes.

5.    Serve with seasonal greens and potatoes.

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Spanish Recipes

Discovering the art of Spanish cooking need not be a daunting task, Spanish cuisine by its very nature is both versatile and very simple. Spanish recipes let the flavours of the ingredients do the talking so when it comes to the simplest of tapas to the more in depth asado or other regional dishes then the slightest sprinkle of smoked paprika or addition of the humble olive an make all the difference. For the cook, Spanish cooking is the perfect way to get started and there is of course the complete tapas culture to learn and experiment with, after all cooking is about experimenting and blending flavours. We believe that pushing the boundries is a necessity!

Since 2005 we have been nurturing and adding to on a regular basis a bank of Spanish recipes. The list includes some of the more popular Spanish recipes such as paella, gambas al pil pil, bacalao fritters etc to the more unusual ideas which are normally offered by either Spanish neighbours, originally from Madrid and Barcelona or from the local bar owners in Orce and other surrounding villages.

It is worth saying at this point that the recipes on the Orce Serrano Hams website were originally designed to be a point of reference to the Spanish food enthusiast, a few authentic Spanish favourites bundled into one page… however as we kept cooking the list kept growing! After catching the Mediterranean cooking bug shortly after moving to Andalucia the recipe bank has grown into something of a passion which now has (at the time of writing) nearly 300 recipes published. Ideas are always forthcoming from the locals, the resident butcher or fishmonger which all makes for good cooking and the chance to make and publish the more unusual – something special from the butchers grandmother is always a real treat!

Many (if not most) of the ideas given use local produce, as a small village Orce is like its own little economy. You can quite often see bar owners visit the pescaderia, perhaps on a Tuesday or more commonly Friday to purchase a large bag of anchovies which will then be marinaded or fried for tapas over the weekend, or the restaurant owners buying the famous “Cordero Segureno” for a lunchtime special or “Menu del Dia”. There is no buying in fresh meats or fish or getting up at 3.00am to be the early bird at the traders market, this rural village just seems to manage with businesses supporting each other in what must seem an pre industrial environment to urban areas, the noticeable thing is – it works and it works very well.

Your Spanish recipes have been split up into categories:

Tapas

Meat

Fish

Poultry

Vegetarian

Spanish vegetarian recipes may seem like an unusual category to have and indeed the list is shorter but with the likes of Catalan Calcots in Romesco salsa, char grilled escalivada, stuffed mushrooms, tortilla and poor man’s potatoes  to name but a few your Spanish veg section certainly deserves its own status.

The Spanish also love to cook outdoors, especially over the barbeque so if you are a fan of outdoor summer cooking there are plenty of ideas to browse through. You will also find emphasis on “rustic” cooking, in a what you see is what you get type of format many of the recipes on this website have been traditionally prepared over naked flame and adapted to being cooked over the open fire. One typical example would be “escalivada” (char grilled onions, pepper and tomato) a super recipe that is cooked on the fire then wrapped in newspaper before the vegetable are skinned, chopped and served with extra virgin olive oil either as a salad or side dish with barbequed meats – the bits of black are crucial to the rustic outdoor flavour!

Keep an eye on your recipe section over the coming months as new recipes are added on a regular basis, some of which are quite unique, others traditionally rustic and all with a great Spanish flavour!


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Spanish Cured Meat (Special Offer)

Cured meats from Spain are a true gastronomic experience, each region having its own artisan specialities. Andalucia is no exception, as the biggest Spanish region and in the south conditions for curing pork products and hams are perfect. Last month we sat down with some of our suppliers and discussed the opportunity of promoting cured meats from Andalucia, we were bombarded with a high degree of enthusiasm, the end result being a limited time offer for no less than 2kg of cured embutidos (rrp 32.00 euros) for every customer purchasing a Spanish serrano ham.

Secaderos Torrente, Ovalo and Carniceria de Julian have all agreed to supply some of their finest produce for this limited offer through Orce Serrano Hams so if you are a Spanish ham enthusiast residing the EU why not take advantage?

Complimentary 2kg packs come free with every Serrano ham during the month of March and contain some real Andalucian flavour. Chorizo, salchichon and cured lomo tenderloin although products can vary depending on what is ready at the time. We are sure that this offer will be of interest to anyone who loves traditional Spanish food so why not travel south to inland rural Spain and discover some real treats from local, small family run businesses.

Find Spanish ham

Discover Andalucian Sausages

This offer must end soon, should you have any questions relating to Spanish hams, cured meats or indeed Spanish recipes please do not hesitate to get in touch.


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Catalan Calcots

Catalan Calcots served with Romesco sauce is a real springtime treat, typical to Catalonia. We have been lucky enough to experience this feast on a few occasions and this recipe is provided with help of our good friend and neighbour Montse and her Dad Rafael who have been preparing and serving calcots for generations, literally from seed to table...

Ingredients

Home made Salsa Romesco:

250g Toasted almonds
150g Toasted hazelnuts
4 Walnuts
100g pine nuts
1 Dried sweet red pepper or (nora), roughly chopped
¼ Dried chilli pepper, roughly chopped
6 Medium ripe vine tomatoes
7 Cloves garlic
3 Calçots
Salt
Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil

Equipment:
Natural wood fired BBQ, newspaper for wrapping.

Method:

* Roast the vine tomatoes, two of the calçots and the garlic on the barbeque, keeping one clove of garlic aside. Allow the vegetables to cool and then peel removing the seeds from the tomatoes too.

* Place the almonds and hazelnuts, sweet pepper, chilli, all the vegetables, salt and vinegar into a blender or food processor and mix well.

* Slowly add the olive oil as you continue to mix (about 300ml, as the nuts will make the salsa quite thick and textured)

* Keep mixing, slowly adding the oil until the sauce is smooth and thick.

* Check the seasoning and spoon the Romesco into a cazuela or small tapas bowl, cover and keep in a cool place for a day or so until you are ready to enjoy.

For the Calcots:

For this Catalan recipe you will need 5 dozen calcots or "scallions" in their entirety. Give them a quick rinse under the cold tap and leave to dry. The barbeque coals are the crucial to success with this recipe – a thick layer of hot coals or "brassa" is ideal, place the scallions on top of the grill and cook until the undersides of the scallions turn black. Rotate and cook until they are black all over (20 – 30 minutes and don not be afraid to burn them slightly). Once cooked wrap them up into bundles of 12 using good old fashoined newspaper. Your Catalan “Calcots” are now ready to eat!

Read the full article inc prepping Calcots here

Photo credits: Montse Capdevila


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