Chef Sushmit Daniels writes about the essentials of Spanish food and why it is known to be uncomplicated
Spanish cooking is full of traditional favourites comprising spices and decadent meats, fish and cheeses.The food in Spain is overwhelmingly dominated by lentils, beans, chickpeas, garlic, saffron, paprika, Spanish dried lentils, beans.
Smoked paprika has a special colour and an unforgettable flavour — it can be sweet, bittersweet or hot. Basic ingredients that are at all times required in this cuisine are olive oil, truffle oil, white onions, paprika, sherry vinegar, garlic, Spanish wine, peppers, rosemary, thyme, oregano and saffron. The flavours of this cuisine are simple delicate yet very exquisite.
Traditional Spanish cooking has popular roots. It is the people’s cuisine.Most of it is down-to-earth, uncomplicated food, based on the ingredients available locally or the crops grown regionally. This is just one of the reasons why cooking differs so much from region to region. Another is the fact that Spain was created by uniting many small kingdoms, each with their own traditions.
Many dishes are prepared today using the same cooking methods and ingredients as they were two or three hundred years ago. like the Romans, the Arabs, who conquered and lived in Spain for 800 years made fabulous contributions to Spanish cuisine, and their influence is seen in many recipes.
Other dishes sprung up from European and American influences and were adapted to the Spanish taste.One thing is for sure, food in Spain is fresh, abundant and full of flavour, and the Spanish love their food dearly.
Recipe
Spanish Meatballs
Ingredients
Minced chicken 1/2 kg
Bread crumbs 1cup
Garlic 7-8 cloves
Chopped medium sized white onions 2
Grated bocchini cheese 1/4 cup
Mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup
Dried oregano 3/4 tsp
Egg 1
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Tomatoes puree
Method
Sauté chopped onions and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken mince to the sautéed onions and garlic add seasoning and cook till tender.
Place the mince with bread crumbs, bocchini cheese and mascarpone cheese in a blender and grind. Shape mixture into balls and keep aside.
Heat one tbsp olive oil, add tomatoes puree and two cloves garlic bring to a boil. Add seasoning and little oregano, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Take a pan and add some tomato sauce, then add four chicken meat balls and cook in the sauce for five minutes. Plate the meat balls with some tomato sauce and top with some garlic mayo and a slice of garlic bread.
courtesy Pintxo–Tapas Restaurant