Almería, Charms of Cooking

190,000 “thankful palates” 2 Almerian Gastronomy The Almerian cuisine is imaginative, varied, unique and original. With obvious Arab influences, it is an exquisite food, rich in nutrients which has conquered thousands of palates.

When it comes to enjoying the gastronomy, Alm- vinagre (anchovies in vinegar), calamares fritos ería has much to offer: fresh fish and seafood from (fried squid), cazón en adobo (marinated dog the port of the city, traditional soups and stews, fish), caracoles (snails), cherican or chérigan (gar- salads and local vegetables, like the famous “raf” lic toasts with topping), ensaladilla rusa (russian tomatoes, to mention one. However, the most fa- salad), tabernero (ratatouille), gambas a la plan- mous of the city are the typical tapa bars. cha (grilled prawns), jibia a la plancha o en salsa (cuttlefish grilled or in a sauce), gurullos (game TAPAS, A CULTURE stew), trigo (durum wheat stew), lomo a la plan- The tapas form part of the Almerian culinary tra- cha (grilled pork loin), amongst other delicacies. dition and are served free of charge when order- ing a drink (beer, wine or grape juice) in practi- THE TRADITION OF THE TAPAS cally all of the bars. There is a very good choice According to the story, it was King Alfonso X el to try, among the most traditional are: migas Sabio (the Wise), who ordered, that in the Castil- 3 (fried breadcrumbs), patatas ali-oli (garlic pota- ian inns food be served with wine, to prevent the toes), pinchitos (kebabs), pipirrana de pulpo (oc- alcohol going straight to your head. A tapa was topus relish), patatas a lo pobre (sautéed pota- placed on top of the jug or glass of wine to cover toes), patatas bravas (potatoes with a hot, spicy it, (hence the name, as tapa means lid) this also sauce), pescaíto frito (fried fish), ajoblanco (white prevented any flying insect from going into the garlic), aguja (swordfish), paella, boquerones en drink. 4 Essences of local gastronomy 5 There is a great culture and gastronomic tradition There are guided visits to some of these green- which has given a high quality to the Almerian houses, where you can get to know all the secrets cuisine. Tapa bars by the sea, beach bars, lively of this cultivation under plastic, which is one of terraces, emblematic premises in the historical the driving forces of the economical development quarter, modern restaurants… in any area of the of the province. city you can find a varied gastronomic offer.

Almería boasts the best vegetables, which are grown on thousands of acres in the greenhouses of the province, in sanitary conditions using sustaina- ble farming methods. This produces the real gems of the Mediterranen garden: aubergines, courget- tes, lettuce, cucumber, peppers, beans; amongst others and not forgetting the famous “raf” toma- to, which originates from La Vega de Almería.

The famous “raf” tomatoes 6 The products from our sea are another staple of the Almerian cuisine. It has a great fishing tradition and with 200 km of warm Mediterranean coast, the freshness of the fish and seafood is guaranteed. Some of the most typical and exquisite are: gambas rojas de Garrucha (red prawns from Garrucha), Gallo Pedro (John Dory), salmonetes (red mullet), galanes from the area of Carboneras, caballa (mackerel), mero (grouper), boga (bogue), jurel (mackerel scad), pulpo (octopus), almejas (clams), mejillones (mussels), calamar o jibia (squid or cuttle fish). These are only some of the examples The rich gastronomy of Almeria should be accom- that we can find in any one of the good fish panied by an excellent glass of local wine. In restaurants. recent years, more wines of good quality are be- ing produced. Now, more and more people are some places, like the desert of Tabernas, make interested in knowing the oenological secrets of these areas unique in the production of the best the good products of Almería; the reason for this extra virgin olive oil, full of natural antioxidants. tradition is due to its famous grapes, which have been some of the best in the country. Thus we find the local wines of Laujar-Alpujarra, wines of the Ribera del Andarax, from the Desert of Tabernas and local wines from the North of Al- mería.

You can also taste the excellent cured meats from the different areas of Almería, such as Serón and La Alpujarra, which are famous for 7 their serrano ham, chorizo, white pudding and other homemade delicacies.

The confectionery is another of the strong points of the city. Almerian people are very fond There are bodegas that already have a certain of meringues, therefore the most typical and prestige and have won various prizes and it is most consumed cake is glaseado de merengue possible to visit some of them, such as: Albolo- (glazed meringues). There are other great tra- duy, Berja, Fondón, Laujar de Andarax Lúcar, ditional ones such as yemas (egg yolk cake), Ohanes, amongst many others. milhojas (millefeulle), suspiros or milindres. One of the culinary treasures that appears on At Easter there are more possibilities and you the table of any establishment, and is waiting can try borrachillos, papaviejos or buñuelos to be discovered from the land of Almería, is rellenos (stuffed fritters). the Olive Oil. The special climatic conditions of A rich culinary history 8 Basic Recipes of the Almerian cuisine

In Almería the traditional cuisine is of great importance, a culinary art of the Mediterranean culture and a true reflection of its history. Many of its recipes are of emblematic dishes that even the most demanding palates fall in love with. Originally many of the dishes made in Almería were “poor-man” plates, but they have now enriched themselves thanks to the imagination, elaboration and the good quality of the products. Restaurant La Encina 9 Migas Preparation: Migas are one of the most typical dishes of the gas- To make the migas, heat up the olive oil in a deep tronomy from Almeria. They are eaten in any season, frying pan. Fry the whole garlic cloves, unpeeled. Take although it is on rainy days when you most want them. them out and fry the peppers cut into strips and re- Formerly the migas were made with bread, but are move them. Leave the oil on the heat and add salt they are actually made here with a flour of durum and a spoonful of flour sprinkled on top, so that the wheat, unlike in any other place. Migas can be eaten oil does not spit too much when adding the water. accompanied with anything from: fried fish, sardines, This should be added quickly so that the flour does cod, fried peppers, olives, bacon or fried sausage, cu- not burn. When the liquid reaches boiling point, add cumber and onion gazpacho, marinated fried fish and the remaining flour. Mix the dough well and with the many other accompaniments. edge of the spatula, make cuts in the flour to fill with water. Turn down the heat, taking care that the dough Ingredients: is not sticking, continue working the dough with the edge of the spatula to form small, golden balls. Once Flour of durum wheat, extra virgin olive oil, salt, water, all of the dough takes this aspect, the migas of Almería 4-6 cloves of garlic. For the garnish: fried green pe- will be ready. ppers, radishes, melon, chorizo, anchovies... whatever else you want to add. Taberna Nuestra Tierra Bodega Montenegro Gurullos with Hare or Rabbit Trigo It is an autumn/winter stew, which is usually cooked It is the most original and emblematic stew from Al- during the hunting season. In the coastal areas the mería. In its artistic elaboration, the wheat is thrown in Gurullos are made with octopus or cuttle fish and in the air so the wind takes away the husk. the interior of the province, it is more common to make them with rabbit, hare or partridge. Ingredients: Durum wheat, 200g chickpeas, 3 potatoes, 150g black Ingredients: pudding, salt, water, a piece of backbone, pig’s tail, Gurullos (flour, water and olive oil), hare or rabbit, another bone or a pig’s foot, a piece of bacon and a chickpeas, white beans, green pepper, dried red pe- handful of fennel. pper, tomato, onion, cardoons or green beans, fennel, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and olive oil. Preparation: 10 The Almerian durum wheat stew is a dish of long ela- Preparation: boration. The day before, put the chickpeas to soak and To prepare the dough for gurullos make a volcano-sha- remove the husk from the wheat. Once it is clean (use pe with the flour, add water and a little oil and knead. about 50g per person), boil it for half an hour, after Take a little dough and make a strip and then with which remove the pan from the heat, put a lid on it your fingers form shapes like grains of rice. Put them and cover so that the wheat continues swelling. The on a cloth and leave to dry for 24 hours. In a saucepan, next day, in a saucepan, boil for about ten minutes the cook the chickpeas, white beans, cardoons and fennel following: a piece of backbone, the pig’s tail, another in water. In a frying pan, fry the rabbit or hare in pie- bone or a pig’s foot, a piece of bacon and a handful ces and add them to the saucepan with the previously of fennel. Take all of these ingredients out and wash cooked ingredients. Now make a stir-fry from the oil them with cold water. Put them back on the heat in a that the rabbit has been fried in, with green pepper, large saucepan with fresh water. When it starts to boil, onion and tomato; all cut into small pieces and added add the chickpeas and cook until they are tender. Then to the saucepan. In a mortar, mash a dried red pepper, add the drained wheat and continue cooking; after se- which has already been fried with garlic, cumin and ven or eight minutes, add one or two black puddings pepper, and add this mixture to the saucepan. Finally, and leave to boil, season with salt, remove it from the add the gurullos so that it all cooks together, add the heat and begin to eat. desired amount of salt and it is ready to eat. Taberna Nuestra Tierra Asador Torreluz Ajo colorao Acelgas esparragás Ajo colorao is one of those glorious inventions of the A typical stew from the Lent menu that appeals to you, Almerian cuisine of “subsistence food”. It is a purée due to the legumes and vegetables that it has, which that used to be eaten on slices of bread, but nowadays together with the bread and almonds makes a consis- it is found in modern presentations. tency that gives it enough taste, without missing out A good way to serve it is to put a generous amount on on the proteins. half a boiled egg. Ingredients: Ingredients: 200g beans, 1 kg of chard, 3 tablespoons of oil, 3 clo- 1 kg potatoes, 250g dried salted cod, 2 red tomatoes, 1 ves of garlic, 8 almonds, 1 dried red pepper, 12 grains onion, 3 dried peppers, half a cup of extra virgen olive of cumin, 1 big ripe tomato, 150g of chorizo, a teas- oil, 4 cloves of garlic, cumin, saffron and salt. poon of paprika, 100g of bread crumbs that have been soaked in a cup of water, vinegar, a small cup of olive 11 Preparation: oil and salt. The day before, you need to remove the salt from the cod, by covering it with cold water. The water should Preparation: be changed at least three times. Peel the potatoes and The evening before soak the beans in water. The next cook them with the peeled and quartered onions, the day, boil them in half a litre of water with a little salt dried peppers, from which you have previously remo- until they are tender. Clean the chards, then wash and ved the stalk and seeds and three strands of saffron chop them using only the leaves. Peel the garlic and (not colouring). Leave this on the heat until the potato- tomato and finely chop it. Heat the oil in a frying pan, es are tender. Remove the skin of the peppers by scra- fry the garlic and almonds, then remove them and set ping them with a knife and set aside. Peel the tomato- aside. In the same oil fry the chorizo and tomato, leave es and remove the seeds. In a blender put the garlic, it to simmer and add the chard. Continue simmering onion, cumin and pepper flesh. This purée, later binds for 5 minutes. Add the paprika, stir well and pour it very well with the potatoes, which are mashed with a into the saucepan with the beans. Mash the garlic, the fork or in the blender. Olive oil is gradually added, sti- cumin, the almonds and wet bread crumbs. Pour it into rring well so it is absorbed. It should make a paste with the saucepan. Season with a little salt, add the dried the consistency of a thick soup. Next add the flaked pepper, cut into pieces and let it cook together for a cod. It is eaten accompanied by Spanish country bread. further 10 minutes. Oficina Municipal de Turismo Tel. 950 210 538 Email: [email protected] www.turismodealmeria.org

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