Forget about the Russian salad you might have had more often than not at school. The origin of a recipe known internationally as Russian Salad (Ensaladilla Rusa) is associated with a rather baroque cold dish that included game meat and mayonnaise. It appears that it was invented by Lucien Olivier, a 19th Century chef from … Read more
Quite often the paternity or maternity of well known recipes is difficult to establish, particularly when two or more countries claim ownership. This is the case with one of the most distinguished sauces of all: a perfect emulsion made with oil, egg yolks, a little salt and lemon juice or vinegar and little else. The … Read more
What I have missed during all the years travelling and eating in Spain has been a good recipe for simply roasted duck that I could prepare at home for a dinner party. I was determined to find one.
The Spanish word Arroz (rice) derives from the Arabic Ar-ruzz . It may have been known in the Iberian Peninsula before the arrival of the Arabs in 711 however this Asiatic wonder was extensively planted by Berbers first in the area of Seville and later on around Valencia and Southern Catalonia, in Mediterranean Spain.
Surprise, surprise, one of the most popular foods among young Spaniards is pasta which today is prepared, like in most countries, following best known Italian recipes. Long gone are the days in which with some exceptions in Catalonia, macarrones con tomate y chorizo or with carne picada (mincemeat), recipes well adapted to the ‘Spanish taste’ … Read more
One day the cook of the fishing boat, Santa Isabel working off the Alicante coast was preparing a fish and shellfish rice for the crew. Realising that he had run out of rice he decided instead to use some pasta known as fideos. A new dish was invented; Fideuà cooked in a paella pan. … Read more