By Marcia Pilgeram
Reader Columnist
It’s my second week in Spain, and I’m averaging five to seven miles a day on foot (I don’t even want to think about what I might be averaging a day in weight gain). I’ve yet to have a bad meal here. Tapas, Iberico pork, oxtail and the bread of Catalonia have kept me well-satisfied. The food is reasonably priced, and it’s not uncommon to find house wines cheaper than the water.
On this trip, one of my favorite dinners was in Barcelona, and it was about much more than the food. I had a chance to meet up with former, across-the-street Ponder Point neighbors who relocated here last year, taking a pair of my favorite little entrepreneurs (think snack-shack stands and snow shoveling) with them.
I took a few trinkets from Sandpoint with me and discovered their favorite item in the goodie bag was the Sandpoint Reader. While we adults shared wine and conversation, young Isla and Julian divided the paper in half and devoured every page of “Home.”
It’s easy to see why this family loves it here so much. La familia is everything and present everywhere. I love seeing all the young family units strolling in parks, shopping and dining out, often accompanied by one or more sets of grandparents.
It’s not a sight just for Barcelona, either. Throughout this trip, in Málaga, Ronda and Sevilla, a favorite pastime of mine is taking a seat in a plaza to watch animated families interact with one another while overseeing gaggles of young children racing one another on miniature scooters or kicking soccer balls as they imitate their favorite hero-players.
There are plenty of expats here, and if I didn’t have my hoard of treasured grandchildren, I could almost see myself living (and eating) my best life here.
Whether it’s an ingredient in paella or a tapas offering, the seafood in the coastal towns of Barcelona and Málaga is delicious and plentiful. I had more than my fill of fresh fish, mussels, calamari and shrimp. There are no “previously frozen” signs in the food markets here.
Not surprisingly, beef is plentiful in Ronda — home of the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain, currently celebrating 450 years — and there is no dish finer than rabo de toro. The local stew, literally named after and prepared from the bull’s tail, is seasoned and braised for hours with onions, garlic, tomatoes and red wine before the melt-in-your-mouth meat is usually offered with crispy potatoes. The stew dates back to Roman times, when a bull was killed in the ring, and the oxtail soup served to celebrate the bullfighter.
Another culinary favorite for carnivores is Iberian pork. The black Iberian pig is typically raised on acorns and chestnuts in the southwestern region of Spain, though this delicacy is offered throughout Spain (and Portugal).
Fresh Iberian pork is usually slow-braised or grilled. The legs are saved for serrano ham, or jamón ibérico, cured for months before it is offered by the leg or sliced paper-thin and served on a round platter. Meat shops dedicated entirely to this delicacy are omnipresent. You’ll find these prized, cured ham legs on the hoof, hanging from ceilings in meat shops, restaurants and supermarkets. From there, the ham is placed in a holder, which locks the ham firmly into place before it is expertly carved.
While we might be hard-pressed to find oxtails and Iberian hams in Sandpoint, we have plenty of regional items to help us whip up another favorite dish of mine — the traditional Spanish tortilla, which you’ll also find all over Spain. Día de la Tortilla (“Tortilla Day”) is devoted to this essential side of Spanish cuisine.
Simple ingredients of potatoes, onions and eggs are all you need to whip up this typical Spanish staple. Finding a couple of lovely neighborhood kids (like Julian and Isla) to share it with — an added bonus!
Spanish tortilla (Tortilla de Patatas)
This easy and authentic Spanish omelet recipe combines eggs, potatoes, onion, olive oil and salt for the best tortilla ever. Practice makes perfect (flipping). Save the leftover oil in the fridge. Cut wedged for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Makes a wonderful tapas, too, when cut into small cubes. Serve 6-10 people.
| Ingredients:
• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes salt to taste • 8 large eggs at room temperature • 1 large Walla Walla sweet onion • Best quality extra virgin olive oil |
Directions:
Peel the potatoes and rinse them under cold water. Slice as thin as possible, using a sharp knife or preferably, a mandoline. Pat the potato slices dry with paper towels and put them into a large bowl, sprinkle generously with salt and mix well. Heat ½ inch of best quality extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over medium low heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and add more oil if needed, so the potatoes are completely covered in oil. Cook the potatoes on low heat for about 20 minutes, when nearly tender, add the onions. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, season with salt and set aside. Remove the potatoes and onions from oil with a slotted spoon or spider/skimmer, into a colander and allow them to cool and drain for at least 5 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooled, add the potatoes and onions to the egg mixture and toss until well mixed, let mixture rest for about 15 minutes. Pour out most of the frying oil from the potatoes (saving for another use). Place the pan over medium-low heat and pour in the egg mixture. Cook over medium-low heat for about 6-8 minutes. Cook low and slow, running a rubber spatula along the edges to make sure the tortilla doesn’t stick. To flip the tortilla, take a large plate and put it over the pan and flip quickly. Slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook the other side, and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Slide the tortilla out of the pan onto a serving plate, garnish with a bit of green herbs, and let cool a little before slicing and serving. Store leftovers covered in fridge for 2 or 3 days.
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