Tonight Spain will meet Paraguay at Ellis Park in another 2010 FIFA World Cup ™ quarter final and, as this year’s World Cup has proved a few times, absolutely anything is possible – so if if you support Spain, keep your eye on the clock and your team when they do battle at 20h30 South African time. For those of you that would like to know a little more about the country, we dug through our notes and came up with a (very) brief history and, more importantly, a region by region overview of the food of Spain as well a some recipes to try tomorrow. Thirty five thousand

years ago the first humans* began settling in Spain having migrated from the Pyrenees and 20,000 years later had developed to the extent that they were proficient artists (see the drawings in the Altamira caves). Like today, it was a beautiful country; the Phoenicians were the first foreigners to arrive by sea, followed by the Greeks and the Carthaginians who founded thriving trading colonies. Since most of us dream of a Spanish holiday, it’s understandable that the Romans arrived in droves and then the Suebi and the Visigoths. By 711 the Moors, Berbers and Arabs invaded and soon began establishing independent Muslim states, calling the region Al-Andalus. Then Spain fought back and by 1492 the Kingdom of Spain had been born – around the same time that Christopher Columbus set off on his first voyage to the Americas to begin the expansion of the Spanish empire. Columbus took priests, scientists and botanists with him – the priests (in the name of God) annihilated entire cultures but brought back gold and treasures, the scientists and the botanists, on behalf of Spain, brought back fascinating new plants and foods and gave the world a host of new foodstuffs like potatoes, tomatoes, maize and pepperoni – to mention a few. Back home, the Church (clearly not having enough to do) began the Spanish Inquisition and Jews and Muslims that refused to covert to Catholicism were summarily deported.

CROQUETAS

Ingredients

• 150 g Serrano ham (if you can spare the pata negra, it would be great here too)
• 1½ tbsp cake flour
• 250 ml full cream milk
• 1 tbs spoon of olive oil
• 1 Egg
• 100 g bread crumbs
• 150 grams of ham, cut into small pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• A good grating of nutmeg

Method

• Pour the oil in a saucepan to heat and once smoking hot, remove from heat and add the flour to the oil, stirring briskly to form a paste.
• Turn the heat down, return the pan to the heat and add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until it has thickened and is quite smooth.
• Grate in the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the chopped ham – continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture is stiff at which point it needs to be set aside to cool down.
• Once the mixture is cool, divide into small portions and form, by hand, into small oval croquettes, dip into the whisked egg and then into the bread crumbs, making sure the croquette is completely coated with breadcrumbs.
• Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or even longer (until you are ready to fry them).
• Deep fry in medium oil until they are golden brown, drain on absorbent kitchen paper and serve immediately.

For the next 300 years Spain became the most important colonial power on earth and all things Spanish became de rigueur. The Spaniards went on the colonization trail and wealth from all over the world poured in from the colonies at which point the Church (seeing an opportunity to become even wealthier) started interfering again. They interfered in Italy, France, Germany and even the Netherlands and went to war with just about everyone – always in the name of Spain, of course. In time, Spain overplayed her hand and by the end of the 17th century the Spanish War of Succession shook things up and Spain lost her position – of course the wars of Europe affected Spain and of course the bloody bickering between royals and revolutionaries harmed her but it was a short man who had unleashed his dogs of war throughout Europe, that did the most damage and it saw the French occupy Spain, forcing her to relinquish control of her colonies and allowing the new countries their freedom.  In the early 20th century Spain fell into the trap of civil war that ended badly when the dictator, Francisco Franco took over and controlled everyone – except the Basques who don’t take kindly to control. He died in 1975 and Prince Juan Carlos, head of the Bourbon monarchy began to rule and stability returned to Spain,  with the exception of the Basques and Muslim immigrants. Luckily Juan Carlos is popular, his democracy modern and the country a pleasure to visit.

TAPAS

The origin of the tapas is a subject of bitter debate amongst the various regions. The Castilian King Alfonso the 10th (ruler of Cordoba, Jaén and Seville from 1252 onwards) was instructed by his doctors to eat less with the result that his chefs had create tiny dishes that also looked appetising and it was here that the tapas began. The Andalusians know better because (they insist) the first tapas were created in the south when sherry drinkers sitting outside in the sun, had to protect their glasses from pesky flying insects. They were forced to cover their glasses with covers (tapas) and because it’s rather rude to put an empty dish over a glass, they had no option but to fill the covers with something to eat.  Then there’s the unpopular origin – in the Moorish tradition, it is a sign of refined hospitality to offer lots of little tiny dishes to be served to one’s guests – my money’s on the latter.

BOQUERONES

Ingredients

• 1 kg anchovies (known as boquerones in Spain
• 250 ml good quality wine vinegar
• 125 ml good quality wine vinegar
• 125 ml rock salt (pressed loosely )
• A few slices of fresh ginger
• 250 extra  virgin olive oil
• 125 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp whole black pepper corns
• A handful of chopped hot peppers

Method

• Clean the anchovies and marinate overnight in 250 ml vinegar, salt and the fresh ginger slices (place everything in a large Ziploc bag, pop in the anchovies, remove the air and seal (that way you ensure that all the fish are in contact with the marinade).
• The next day, discard the liquid and combine all the remaining ingredients with the 125 ml vinegar before placing in sealed jars and refrigerating for two weeks before use.

ARAGON

A somewhat stern region with long hard winters and African-type summers led to the most austere kitchens in Spain where meat was plentiful and olive oil used generously. The Aragonese proudly endured the lean years, using what little they had to create a vast menu. Boar, mutton, lamb, rabbit, sausages, snails and dried cod exist in thousand forms; bread is turned into any number of nutritious dishes and candied nuts and fruit, glorious olive oil and wine complete the menu.  Migas de pastor(stale Spanish bread fried in lard and diced bacon), piernas de cordero con alcachofas (lamb knuckles with artichokes) and roasted suckling lamb are favourite dishes.

PATATAS GRATINADAS DE ARAGON

Ingredients

• 4 medium large potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin slices
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced into very thin slices
• 2 eggs
• 375 ml pouring cream
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
• Generous amount of grated sheep cheese for topping (the amount depends on the size of your dish)
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 180 C
• Smear the bottom and sides of a baking dish with olive oil and place a later of potatoes on the bottom before sprinkling with a little thyme, salt and pepper to taste and another swirl of olive oil.
• Layer lightly with finely sliced onions and then repeat the process again until everything has been used up.
• Whisk the eggs and the cream together and pour over the potatoes and cover lightly with aluminium foil before baking for about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle the grated (or ripped) cheese generously over the top and return to the oven for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and bubbles.
• Remove from the oven, cut into squares and serve.

ANDALUSIA

The Arabs who lived here left behind a rich heritage of architectural gems but the most important ‘gem’ has to be the time they invested in the olive trees because the oil from the region is excellent and used liberally in the local cuisine. They were, actually, responsible for introducing apricots, almonds, sugar, aubergines, ginger and carrots! The most interesting of all the foods in the region has to be the mojama - tuna fillets, salted and air dried – they look like very large strips of biltong, they are absolutely delicious and go perfectly with the excellent sherry also produced in the region.

ASTURIA

It was here where the Moors were sent packing in 722 and today the region’s most important contribution is the cider (sidra) that’s used in cooking every conceivable thing one can think of. Pork is the most important meat and blood sausages, spiced sausages and flavoured sausages are used to eat as is or in cooking, for example the Asturian bean stew (Fabada Asutriana ). In sharp contrast to this sea urchins and wild salmon are favoured, the latter not as delicacy but as a matter of course. For the sweet toothed the Sobaos Pasiegos (a butter sponge cake) and the tarta de manzana (apple tart) provide the perfect ending to any meal.

BALEARIC ISLANDS

The most important of these islands are Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Cabrera and they are amongst the most contradictory on earth – there is the fashionable Ibiza and her wild nights, the equally fashionable Majorca with her peaceful Sierra de Tramuntana mountain range and the countryside, almost thick with the scent of lavender and thyme. Centuries old olive, almond and fig trees provide abundantly for the chefs who are lucky enough to live on the island and to mark the eras of poverty the red sobrasada sausage and cabbage soup fit for kings. Majorca’s sun dried tomatoes, aubergines  and olives make for incredible summer and winter dishes and the famous black pigs are turned into the sobrasada sausages (the national sausage of the islands). These sausages are done completely by hand the meat is chopped and not minced. The spiny lobsters that look similar to our own crayfish but with a broader tail, the dried skate and the squid are the most typical seafoods with quail, lamb and tukey making up the rest of the meat menu. Coca (a flat bread here), caracoles con sobrasada (snails with the national sausage) and a host of cheeses from the island of Minorca are a few of the more typical foods of these islands.

BASQUE COUNTRY

The most notorious part of Spain and also the most generous and hospitable, the Basques live in the gourmet capital of Spain. The most important fish in the region is, without doubt stockfish and dishes like Purrusalda (stockfish with leeks and potatoes)are hugely popular. Hake cheeks in a garlic sauce (uber delicious), lobsters, tuna, snow crab, blue crab, shrimps, octopus, hard-shell clams, razor-shell clams, oyster and calico scallops are a fraction of the seafood available in the region. Beans and mushrooms, especially the alubias de Tolosa (fine black beans) are the Basque favourites and this is the home of the piperrade. Today the locals barbecue their meat, fish and vegetables on a parrillada but hundreds of years ago they used a metal spit known as a burruntzi. Most Basque cheese is made from cheese milk and their desserts are similar (though of course a little different) to the rest of Spain.

PIPERADE

Ingredients

• 5 jumbo eggs
• 100 g Serrano ham (or smoked bacon), cut into thin strips
• 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed into a paste
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepperoni, de-seeded and sliced into thin strips
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Method

• Heat the olive oil in a deep , heavy based saucepan and sauté the onions and prosciutto until translucent before stirring in the garlic paste, combining well with the vegetables.
• Add the pepperoni and fry them for about 2 minutes before adding the tomatoes – cook until everything has almost cooked at which point you need to season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Whisk the eggs and pour them over the vegetables but do not stir them – cook over low heat like and omelette until the egg has set.
• Remove from the heat, transfer onto a large plate and serve warm.

CANTABRIA

The people living in the region never bowed to the Romans and were a fierce and rather wild people – it took the Romans centuries to subjugate them and it was only at the beginning of the first millennium (around the birth of Christ) that they gave in. It is here where one finds the Altamira cave. Sardines and anchovies play an important role in the cuisine of the region and they are roasted, baked and grilled in a host of different ways; Milk and custard dishes are also popular in the region and this is home to the flan al caramelo (caramel custard), arroz con leche (rice pudding) and leche frita (deep fried custard slices).

CASTILE LA MANCHA

The home of Don Quixote is saffron country and the best garlic in Spain grows here. The most famous of all foods is probably the Manchego cheese which is made from the sheep’s milk.

CATALONIA

The Catalan people are proud and cling fiercely to their roots, their language and their culture. The cuisine is varied in the extreme and combining meat and fish but one of the examples of their refusal to adhere to any law or principals of cooking.  Barcelona is the most exciting city in Catalonia, some say even in Spain and the Boqueria is her heart – whilst it used to be the market where goat meat was sold, today everything can be found there and people trawl the market in search of fresh gurnard or gambas (shrimps), cheeses from the Pyrenees, fresh mushrooms in autumn and anything else culinary they could possibly need to cater for their daily meals. The olive oil from this region is world renowned, their truffles and mushrooms plentiful (like the milk cap) and their desserts, like crema catalana has been incorporated into most dessert menus world wide. Typical foods are the pan con tamate (tomato bread), calçotada (green onions from the Valls region that are grilled on the open fire and eaten in a terracotta roof tile with almond and tomato sauce, rape a la marinera (monkfish cooked in garlic, wine, chillies and breadcrumbs, topped with a couple of large lightly boiled langoustines), suquet le peix (Catalan fish stew), fresh eels cooked with garlic and peppers, garlic shrimps, patacó tarragoní (tuna and snails), pollo con langosta (chicken and prawns) arròs am conill (rice with rabbit) and mató (Catalonian goats milk curd cheese).

CASTILE LEÓN

The Castilian cuisine is an eclectic mix of Jewish, Arab and Christian food and the menu is nothing short of exciting. In Segovia, the pigs are cooked whole in wood burning ovens – they are cooked like spatch-cocked chickens, flattened on a large tray – the skin becomes as crispy as chips and the flesh is creamy and out-of-this-world delicious. Jewish cuisine is also represented here in glorious style because here they could live in peace, protected by the Castilian crown until the 14th century, anyway. The food in the Jewish quarter in Toledo is so good that it’s not imprudent to buy an air-ticket only for the food. Stuffed fish, goat or mutton – rubbed with saffron and braised in onions, garlic, more saffron and herbs and roasted chicken are the stuff of legends.  Throughout the region Lechazo asado (roast suckling lamb) are cooked in huge, flat terracotta bowls in the wood burning ovens. It’s cut up into large portions (the whole rib-cage merely flattened)and popped into the oven – one orders one’s lamb to take home and enjoy but, if you’re really starving you could probably eat it right there.

EXTREMADURA

The black Iberian pigs from which the Iberian hams are made live here and they also die here.  They roam free in the Dehesa forests and feed only on wild grass and herbs but also eats loads of acorns and olives which gives the meat that unique flavour. The Jamón Ibérico is simply the best ham in the world and should always be eaten sliced a little more thickly than normal as is. No bread, no cracker, nothing. Pimentos thrive here and mountains of the stuff are exported but also used in the manufacture of the famous chorizo sausages (there are dozens of different kinds to be tried and purchased).

GALICIA

A misty region with strong winds and overcast weather makes for a kitchen that provides warming food like soups. Because fishing is such an important industry, it stands to reason that fish will appear on the menu with great regularity – octopus in huge pots can be found at many festivals and is a favourite snack. For the rest mussels, oysters, a huge variety of scallops and the inevitable sardine provides sufficient protein and omega 3 oils for a healthy diet. Galician beef is popular throughout Spain and dairy products are plentiful.  Because this is the land of witches and druids, it’s to be expected that there are many fire drinks to ward off evil spirits (or the cold).