Mad About Spanish Food

When we went to Lemon Tree Road Market on Sunday, we noticed that one of the stalls was selling wines. That’s always of interest to the residents of Piddock Place, but what was particularly interesting was that one of the wines was marked up as ‘The best rosado in Spain,’ and it was priced at just 5€. Now, I love rose wine almost as much as I love cava, so I had to have some of that. Tony was a bit off about paying 5€ for a bottle of rose – mainly because he doesn’t like it. However, I told him I had to have it, because it would make a really interesting post for the blog. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!

My friend Angela is over from the UK for a few days to sort out a minor crisis, and she’s been enjoying a few glasses of wine with me at night to unwind. Up to now, we’ve unwound to the tune of about 6 or 7 bottles over three evenings, so when she came around for supper last night, I suggested we open ‘The best rosado in Spain’ before we became too unwound to know or care what we were drinking.

So then, what  were we drinking? Pago del Vicario’s Petit Verdot Rosado, from Castile- La Mancha. As an interesting by-the-way, the estate at Casas near Cuidad Real has a hotel, so if you want a serious tasting session, you can book into the hotel and sleep it off.

Our bottle was the 2013 vintage, and the first thing we noticed was the 15% alcohol by volume. So we thought we were in for more of a fortified wine than a light crisp rose. And we were right, although it’s nothing like a port or sherry. The colour is amazing – dark pink, almost red, with a satin sheen to it that made it look really good in the glass.

When it came to the nose, the main thing that hit us was the aroma of red berries – strawberries and raspberries in particular, combined with a slightly creamy smell. All in all, it seemed more like liquid food than drink, and that might put some people off, especially those used to a lighter Spanish rose. However, a wine has to be really bad to deter us, so it was bottoms up time.

The fruity flavours of the nose came through on the taste buds – it was almost like drinking a fruit punch, but with that kick that you get from a high alcohol content. It was slightly sweet, but not overly sweet, so you couldn’t really categorise it as a dessert wine. The robust flavour went well with the chilli con carne I served up for supper, but it would be rather overpowering as an accompaniment for fish and poultry. It’s definitely a red meat wine.

Did we enjoy it? Most definitely. Would I buy it again? Double definitely. Is it really ‘The best rosado in Spain?’ No, because it isn’t really a rosado you can compare with others on a like for like basis. However, if you like a bit of oomph in your wine, this is one for the rack. It’s a wine to savour in small doses, rather than  a good old session with friends. Vino collapso it isn’t – it’s too rich and full bodied to knock back in industrial quantities. Apart from that, the colour hints at a heavy dose of congeners, so you might wake up with the Hangover from Hell if you’re too enthusiastic with this one. Just saying!

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I love Spanish food, especially the 'peasant style' stews and soups, which are ideal for winter, yet also light enough to be enjoyed all year round. One of my favourite recipes is estofado de garbanzos y patatas, or chickpea and potato stew. It's also one of the most versatile recipes there is. Here's my favourite version of the recipe, which I managed to coax out of the cook in our favourite Spanish family-run restaurant:

Ingredients for 4 servings

• ·         4 medium – large and 1 small potato
• ·         1 large ripe tomato
• ·         1 large onion, chopped
• ·         1 – 2 cloves garlic
• ·         1 540g jar of cooked chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
• ·         Olive oil
• ·         Knob of butter
• ·         Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ·         1 tbsp fresh or freeze dried parsley
• ·         2 level tsps paprika
•          1 tablespoon tomato frito (puree)
• ·         Small glass of red wine (optional)

·Heat a little olive oil and soften the onions and garlic. Now add a small knob of butter and the wine, if using. Add parsley, salt and pepper.

Grate the tomato into the mixture, then add paprika and a little water to prevent burning. Cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add chickpeas and large sliced potatoes, tomato puree, optional vegetables and enough water to cover everything. Simmer for about 45 minutes, then grate the small potato into the stew to help thicken the gravy. Cook for another half hour, until everything is cooked through and the gravy is nice and thick.

Serve with fresh crusty bread. This stew is even better cooked the day before you need it, as this gives the flavours plenty of time to develop.

Grated tomatoes?

Yes! It's a trick used by jut about anyone who cooks in Spain. Gives a great consistency to the food, and it's very versatile too. just cut a ripe tomato in half, and use a grater with an integrated bowl to catch the fallout. Don't worry about grating your fingers - the tomato skin will peel back and form a protective shield. For an awesome tomato paste to spread on your bread, just add a little pepper, olive oil and tomato frito to a couple of large grated tomatoes. It will keep in the fridge for several days if covered.

Preparing the potatoes

This is a trick I also learned from the cook. Peel and slice the potatoes into fairly thick slices - maybe half an inch across. Now break each slice into 2 - 4 chunks, depending on the size. This creates uneven surfaces which release extra starch into the stew and help to thicken it. It's a good technique to use in any soups and stews, as it thickens without the need for flour or other agents.

Add meat if you like

If you want meat in your estofado, you can add smoked bacon lardons (taquitos) with the onions and garlic. Or add slices of chorizo or morcilla (black sausage). You can even mix it up with different types of sausage, and you don't need to increase the cooking time.

Vegetables

The stand-alone recipe is fine, but I think it's even better with extra vegetables. Peppers, courgettes, spinach aubergines, celery and green beans go particularly well with this, but you can add anything you fancy.

I tend to make a big pan of this and freeze it for later use. It's very economical too - around 5 - 7 Euro to make a huge pan that will easily feed 8 hungry people. Buen Provecho!