In 850 the first king of Navarra (Iňigo Arista) gave his subjects absolute freedom of speech and despite the fact that the kingdom fell to Castille in 1512, the people, somehow, managed to keep the status until 1841 when Navarra adopted a Spanish constitution. The region has been blessed and almost everything one can think of, grows here. Trout from the rivers, asparagus and artichokes, pimentos, garlic, onions and aubergines thrive and poultry is plentiful with ducks, pigeons and chicken appearing on the menu regularly. The

festival of Pamplona (of Running of the Bulls fame) is a 9 ½ day affair that commemorates the life of Firminus who died a martyr’s death – it is also the occasion when Estofado de carne de toro (braised steer) is cooked. The Navarrans cook their duck with peaches instead of oranges (pato con melocotones) and their partridges in chocolate (perdiz con chocolate).

MADRID

Madrid is the capital and slap bang almost in the middle of the country – she’s famous for bull-fights, churros and hot chocolate for breakfast, a massive variety of bread and the montaditos – Madrid’s answer to the tapas. Here slices baguette are topped with a variety of meats, fish or cheese and served on little plates at bars or taverns.  Coffee houses (really just a biggish coffee shop) are plentiful and the coffee is always good. The town is large, modern and noisy and the cuisine is cosmopolitan but here the tortilla reigns supreme and  there is nowhere else in Spain that it is made so well.

Ingredients

• 200g flour
• 250ml water
• 1 litre full cream milk
• 115g dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 50ml sunflower oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp sugar
• Sufficient caster sugar, to dredge
• oil for deep frying

Method

• Pour the 250 ml water, the oil and the salt into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil.
• Turn the heat down and sift in the flour before beating briskly to form a smooth ball – then remove from the heat.
• Heat the oil for deep frying until hot and then, using an icing syringe (or a plastic bag with the corner cut off), pipe thick tubes into the oil and fry until golden brown.
• Drain on absorbent paper and dust with caster sugar.
• To make the chocolate, place the chocolate and half of the milk in a pot and heat to just below boiling point.
• Dissolve the cornflour in the rest of the milk and combine with the chocolate milk and the sugar, continue heating the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously – as soon as it has thickened, remove from the heat, pour in cups and serve with the warm churros.