Keep it simple with these straightforward, delicious recipes from northern and central Spain.

Cooking fantastic Spanish food doesn’t need to be fiddly or tricky. The best traditions of the country’s food were created and are upheld in finca kitchens and simple hospederias, where fresh ingredients and straightforward preparation bring out the best in each dish. This month we bring you a feast of marvellous flavours from around northern and central Spain, dishes that are not only delicious but are wonderfully simple to prepare.

Asturias
The national dish of Asturias is fabada Asturiana, a rich stew made with the local large white fava beans, chorizo, morcillo (black pudding), shoulder of pork and saffron. Despite the humble ingredients, its complex blend of flavours and textures has achieved almost mythical status. Perhaps better than any other dish, this rustic stew exemplifies the simple perfection of traditional Spanish cooking.

Galicia
Pote Gallego is a nutritious dish from Galicia traditionally made in a three-legged iron pote (pot) hanging over an open fire, which is where it gets its name. It belongs to the family of hearty winter stews that are so characteristic of the Spanish diet. What differentiates this Galician version from those of other regions is that this recipe always includes white string beans, potatoes and pork.


La Rioja
Potatoes cooked Riojan style is an example of the simple recipes with local ingredients that Rioja is well known for. Using the very finest sausages in this straightforward recipe is the key to its deliciousness. Unlike most stews, which usually improve on reheating, it is best eaten immediately, so let it rest only briefly after cooking to give the sauce time to thicken.

The Basque Country
The neighbouring Basque Country helps to account for the abundance and freshness of the seafood that plays such a prominent role in Navarran cuisine. One of the most popular items is baby squid, which are eaten everywhere in taverns and restaurants, accompanied by local wines. In this recipe, baby squid lasagne with truffle oil and avocado and spring onion salsa, the fresh black pasta and the aroma of truffles produce a dish that tastes as good as it looks.

Valencia
In Valencia there have always been numerous vegetable gardens, as well as chickens, rabbits and rice paddies: it was only a matter of time before all these ingredients came together in a single dish, the paella, which is now a culinary icon in Spanish culture. There are many ways of assembling paella, but the traditional version stays loyal to the local ingredients, adding only saffron and a selection of seafood.

Paella Valenciana

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 tbsp olive oil
450g rabbit meat, cut into small pieces
600g chicken breast, cut into small pieces
280g fine green beans cut into 2 cm length
150g white string beans, cut into 2 cm lengths
150g butter beans
100g tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and finaly chopped
400g short grain rice
1 tbsp paprika
Pinch of saffron strands
1.5 pint water
150g clams, shells on
12 baby octopi
8 baby squid

Garnish
Sprigs of fresh dill
4 king prawns

Heat the olive oil in a paellera (paella pan) or a very large frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the rabbit and chicken and sauté until golden brown.
Then add all the chopped beans. Continue to cook the mixture for a further 8 minutes, before adding the tomatoes.
Sitr until the mixture dries out a little, then add the rice, paprika, saffron and water to the pan and mix well. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, season with salt and pepper, then add the clams, baby octopi and squid. Reduce the heat and continue to cook without stirring for 16-18 minutes, until the rice is tender but not dry.

Baby Squid Lasagne with truffle Oil and avocado and spring onion salsa

Ingredients (serves 4)
8 sheets of fresh lasagne made with squid ink
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
32 baby squid
2 avocados, finely chopped
5 spring onions, finely sliced
4 tsp squid ink
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion thinly sliced
2 tbsp truffle oil

Put plenty of water in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the salt, and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes.
Put the cleaned squid under a medium grill for 15 minutes until browned, turning halfway through the cooking time.
Meanwhile, mix the avocados, spring onions and 1 tablespoon olive oil together to make a salsa.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until very crunchy.
Lay a sheet of lasagne on each plate, top with 8 baby squid, a little of the crunchy onion, and some avocado and spring onion slasa. Pour a drizzle of the truffle oil on top an docver with a sheet of pasta. Finish off with a little more avocado and spring onion salsa, some strands of crunchy onion and the remaining squid. Drizzle the squid ink vinaigrette around the plate.

Pote Gallego

Ingredients (serves 4)
500g dried chickpeas
100g haricot beans
200g lamb skirt
150g salt pork
4 pieces of pigs ear
100g ham
250g chorizo sausages, chopped, plus extra to garnish
4 handfuls of turnip tops, or other green leaves
1 leg bone of beef
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 litre beef stock
300g potatoes, peeled
Fresh parsley, finely chopped

The day before making the dish, put the chickpeas and beans into a large saucepan, cover with warm water and set aside to soak overnight. Also put the lamb, salt pork, pigs ears, ham and chorizo in a saucepan, cover with cold water and set aside to soak for 24 hours.
In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the turnip tops with the leg bone, salt and olive oil over a medium heat for 10 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the heat, drain, cool under running cold water and set aside.
In another large saucepan, place the lamb skirt, salt pork, pigs ear, ham and chorizo, cover with water, bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down and simmer over a low heat for 3 hours.
Drain the chickpeas and beans and put in a cloth bag. In a separate saucepan, cook the chickpeas and beans in the beef stock for at least 1 hour until tender.
When the meat is nearly cooked, add the whole potatoes and the turnip tops. Continue to cook for about 30 minutes more over a low heat, until the potatoes are cooked and the meat is cooked through.
Serve the stew in deep bowls. Garnish with a few pieces of chorizo and a sprinkling of parsley. Alternatively, serve the meat and the chickpeas and beans separately.



Fabada Asturiana

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 kg dried white beans
300g pork shoulder
100g piece of Iberian ham or Serrano ham
2 chorizo sausages, 6 in long
2 morcillas ( black puddings) 6 in long
Half an onion
1 carrot
A few strands of saffron
Sprigs of flatleaf parsley to garnish

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. In another bowl, soak the pork shoulder and ham overnight.
Drain the beans and tip into a large saucepan. Cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for about 1 hour, skimming off any residue that rises to the surface.
After this time, add the rest of the ingredients and cover with more cold water. Bring back to the boil and simmer over a low heat for 2 hours, or until the meat is cooked throughout. Stir gently from time to time, taking care to keep the beans whole.
Remove the meat, sausages, black puddings and vegetables from the pan, cut them into small pieces to produce a mixture known as compango, and set aside. Ladle some beans and sauce into deep bowls. Then add a selection of the compango. Garnish with sprigs of flatleaf parsley if desired.

Patatas a la riojana

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 onion finely chopped
Half a chilli pepper, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 kg potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
7 oz chorizo, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sprig of thyme, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole, add the garlic and sauté until golden.
Tip in the onion and sweat over a low heat, until lightly browned. Then add the peppers. Sauté gently for 10 minutes, before adding the potatoes and chorizo. Stir all the ingredients together well and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, reduce to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the potatoes and sauce in an earthenware dish, and pile the chorizo, peppers and onions on top. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.

 

From Cook España, Drink España, Mitchell Beazley, £20