- Monday, May 26, 2008, 11:08
- Foods
And that search for emulsion brings us to the undisputed king of sauce on the Iberian peninsula. Unless you hide out in your room and shun the company of humanity entirely, you are going to see mayonnaise every day that you are in Spain. Gobs of it....
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- Monday, May 26, 2008, 11:07
- Foods
The most popular herb in Spain, by far, is perejil (parsley). Spaniards love its subtle earthy taste and palate-cleansing freshness. Other herbs they use very discreetly, if they use them at all. But they use parsley with abandon. Thus, salsa verde (green sauce), made with olive oil, garlic and bunches of minced parsley
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 5:00
- Foods
Marinades are the spiciest of Spanish sauces. They employ strong vinegar, garlic and oregano, bay leaf and sometimes chilli. Their original purpose was not so much gustatory but preservative. Marinades are still popular, especially for cooking game and heavy meats.
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:59
- Foods
Almonds blanket huge swathes of Spain. Galicia is covered with chestnuts, the Basque country with walnuts, Catalunya with hazelnuts. The sauces made with these nuts have been around for centuries. The nuts arc finely ground with such things as garlic, bread, saloon, wine and, of course, olive oil.
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:58
- Foods
In this category we find what many say is the queen of' Spanish sauces, the Catalan salsa romesco (see recipe on previous page). These sauces are flavoured with, indeed are vehicles for, red capsicums. Most often this is in the form of paprika. In Spain paprika is sweet but not mild. It asserts itself upon the tongue but does ...
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:57
- Foods
This is Spanish tomato sauce, very quick and simple. Chopped tomato, onion, green capsicum, a little garlic are cooked in olive oil until the liquid is cooked away (10-15 minutes). It's now ready to be used in cooking or stored for later.
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:54
- Foods
If you pick up your average European cookery book you'll find a whole section on sauces; sauces with grand sounding names like Grand Veneur, or Chantilly. You might even se Sauce Espagñole. So named because when tomato is added to basic brown sauce it takes on a deeper colour, giving it a swarthy hue. Hmmm. But you won't find ...
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:52
- Foods
For a people with a sweet tooth the Spanish are short on sweets. Or at least variety in sweets. You won't find much in the way of Bavarian flights of sugary fancy, or French panache in pastry. The Italians surpass the Spanish in confectionery. Even the English are more imaginative with their traditional sweet trolley. You ...
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:51
- Foods
So alright. Now we’ll talk about paella. What exactly is it? It depends on who you ask. Put two Spanish cooks together and you'll likely get three paellas. All will agree that a paella contains short grain rice, garlic, parsley, olive oil and saffron. The popular image of paella is a pan of saffron-coloured rice bursting with ...
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- Sunday, May 25, 2008, 4:51
- Foods
Gazpacho is emblematic of Spanish cookery. It is a dish that says "I am Spain". It is not simply a cool bowl of tomato juice. It isn't always made from tomatoes. It isn't always chilled. It isn't always a soup; sometimes it's a cool refreshing drink. It isn't even always called gazpacho. In places like Córdoba it sometimes goes ...
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