hungry traveller.

It was the bit of I’d always wanted to visit – and now the Costa de la Luz is the place I most want to return to. The LOOK BACK IN HUNGER stretch of Atlantic coast from Portugal to the Strait of Gibraltar, it’s a hallowed spot for seafood geeks like me, with celebrated langoustines and THE PLACE I LONG even-more-celebrated bluefin tuna. (Each May, following ancient tradition, fishermen set up TO GO BACK TO a labyrinth of nets, the almadraba, to catch tuna migrating to the Mediterranean.) The area is also A holiday abroad isn’t on the cards for many this summer, but home to the Triangle – the that doesn’t mean you can’t fondly remember past trips and dream three towns where the has of those to come. In this travel special, Les Dunn talks about his been made for centuries. yen for Spain’s Costa de la Luz, while editor Karen and delicious. In lockdown, flicking through the pics, my family relived last year’s fans reveal the places they can’t wait to return to – and what trip several times: our small son they’ll eat when they get there. Still frustrated by being stuck at catching his first wave in a surf home? Discover books that let you travel in your imagination lesson (watersports are big on this wild ‘n’ windy, golden-sand coastline); mummy and daddy looking comically flushed at an 11am sherry tasting... If we get to go back, perhaps we’ll visit the bits we missed last time. But mostly I want to eat that seafood fresh from the ocean, in the sunshine. And if we don’t manage to make it any time soon – well, thanks for the memories...

IN THE LIGHT Windswept golden sand beaches and the beautifully preserved hill town of Vejer THE VIEW I WANT TO SEE AGAIN are visual highlights of Spain’s Costa de la Luz, while treats for food lovers include sherry We quickly became blasé about from the barrel in vast ancient cellars and the world’s most celebrated tuna the vistas from the whitewashed hill town of Vejer de la Frontera (“What’s that you say? Swathes of olive and orange groves, stretching down to the crashing waves of the Atlantic? Whatever…”). How I’d love to be up there again now, though... We’d head for the Casa del Califa hotel (califavejer.com), once the home of a Moorish bigwig, where the food pays homage to the land across the strait. The view from its rooftop teashop, La Tetería, has the power to re-blow an already blown mind, plus the mint tea is

PHOTOGRAPHS: ITOCK/GETTY IMAGES, LES DUNN LES IMAGES, ITOCK/GETTY PHOTOGRAPHS: excellent (no booze before →

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served in 25 different ways, in all manner of obscure cuts. We ordered something that translated unsexily into English as ‘fatty gill’. TRAVEL WANT TO LEARN It looked a bit like a weird rib-eye IN YOUR MORE COSTA DE steak and had a meaty succulence KITCHEN LA LUZ unlike any tuna we’d had before. El COOKERY? As travel opens Campero isn’t cheap, but tuna isn’t up a bit more, cheap, and surely few restaurants on well regarded earth cook it this well. Vejer cookery school Annie B’s Spanish Kitchen THE ICE CREAM I’D EAT AT THE BEACH is offering a new El Campero is on a back street, private, socially so we’d hold off on pudding distanced three-night and, instead, head to Barbate’s break for beachfront drag to buy a cone couples, staying at Pepe El Malagueño (41 Paseo in their guest annex, for Marítimo). They do an intense dark €750pp. Go to chocolate that will last you a good anniebspain.com walk along the soft golden sand. and search ‘dos copas’.

ARABIAN NIGHTS THE NEIGHBOURHOOD I’D VISIT There’s a Moorish vibe at We’d walk to Sanlúcar’s out-of-the- La Casa Del Califa hotel centre La Taberna Der Guerrita in the hill town of Vejer (guerrita.es), not just to up our phone-steps quota but because we know it’s worth it. Owner Armando Shrimp and cumin the heads have been removed. driving back down that steep, go well with a chilled glass of Guerra, whose father ran the place fritters (tortillitas) Add the shrimps, spring onions twistily narrow road, thank you…) manzanilla, the town’s signature, before him, inherited a high level of SERVES 4-6 (MAKES 16). HANDS-ON and spices, then season with

fino-like dry sherry, but I reckon sherry connoisseurship and barrels TIME 10 MIN, SIMMERING TIME 30 MIN salt. Stir to mix, then set aside to SPAIN THE GASTRO-TOUR I’D DO we’d have them with Barbadillo, from the family’s (blended rest for 10 minutes. lSEVILLE Find tiny raw frozen 2 Line 2 large baking sheets In Sanlúcar de Barrameda, one of a simple white made by the ) line the bar – to not order FOOD lHUELVA

PORTUGAL the three sherry towns, we’d take town’s biggest sherry producer. sherry in here is unthinkable. The TEAM’S shrimps in the freezer with kitchen paper. Pour 1cm TIP a €14 tour of the musty, mysterious I can almost taste it now... dish to have is the fritura mixta, section of Asian vegetable oil into a large, deep, bodegas (cellars) of the vast La If Casa Balbino was bursting, a pile of deep-fried local seafood, supermarkets. Or cut raw frozen heavy-based frying pan set over Gitana (lagitana.es), and hope we Barbiana prawns into small chunks. a high heat. After a few minutes, COSTA DE LA LUZ we’d mosey across to but it’s as much about enjoying the lSanlúcar de Barrameda got the engaging Victor Vidal again (barbianasanlucar.com), where the atmosphere of a properly local joint. check the oil is hot by dropping

lJEREZ – he guided us expertly through papas aliñas (dinky local potatoes • 75g chickpea (gram) flour a little batter into it – it should El Puerto de Santa Maríal five tastings including some rare, with a simple dressing) topped with THE SEASIDE CAFÉ FOR A SUNDOWNER • 100g plain flour, sifted sizzle straightaway. CADIZl long-aged out of the barrel. mackerel are much more mmm- If the Costa de la Luz were for sale • ½ tsp baking powder 3 Mix the batter again then, in A T L A N T I C lSan Fernando OCEAN If time was short, though, we’d inducing than my description makes on Rightmove, it would have • 125ml dry 2 or 3 batches, drop spoonfuls

lVejer book a visit at the tiny La Cigarrera them sound... Afterwards we’d stroll ‘southwest-facing coastline’ as • 175g small peeled raw shrimps into the oil and spread them Barbatel (bodegaslecigarrera.com), where up to the Barrio Alto for a cortado a USP, which is to say it’s well (see tip), thawed if frozen lightly with the back of the spoon GIBRALTAR you grab a quick taste, have a look coffee in the shaded gardens of the stocked with beach cafés for sunset • 2 spring onions, finely to form thin fritters. Cook for Tarifal at the bijou bodega, buy a bottle Ducal Palace of Medina Sidonia watching. El Chiringuito in Tarifa sliced 2-3 minutes or until they puff up, and go whistling on your way. (ruralduquesmedinasidonia.com), is by a causeway that divides the • ½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed turning so they’re browned on now a tasteful hotel. Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans. • ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika both sides with crisp edges. FUTURE PLANNING THE SQUARE I WANT TO EAT IN You can discern the different • Vegetable oil for frying 4 Remove from the pan straight • FLY Iberia flies to Jerez from Heathrow. Or fly to As well as being a sherry town, THE SPECIAL PLACE I’D BOOK A TABLE colours of the two bodies of water, • Lemon wedges to serve onto the prepared baking sheets Malaga, from where Tarifa is a 1 hour 40 minute Sanlúcar handily happens to be one Until we ate at El Campero and you can watch them change to drain. Sprinkle liberally with drive. Check skyscanner.net for the best flight deals. of the greatest places in Spain to eat (restauranteelcampero.es) I didn’t as the sun sets – a phenomenon 1 Put the flours and baking salt and serve immediately with • STAY In Tarifa, the charming Posada la Sacristia is tapas, too. I’d hope our luck was in realise I’d only scratched the surface enhanced by one of El Chiringuito’s powder in a bowl, then whisk in lemon wedges to squeeze over. close to everything. Doubles from £68; lasacristia. and that we’d manage to grab an of tuna eating. In this Scandi-ishly massive G&Ts. Oh, to be back there 150ml cold water and the wine PER SERVING (FOR 6) 184kcals, net. Casa del Califa in Vejer costs from £85 a night. outside table at the perma-busy cool modern restaurant in Barbate, now, condensation-dripping to give a batter with the 4.9g fat (0.5g saturated), 9.8g In Sanlúcar, on Airbnb there are light, bright, central Casa Balbino in Plaza de Cabildo, the historic centre of the costa’s goldfish bowl in hand... One day. consistency of thick cream. If protein, 20.1g carbs (0.8g Turn the page apartments sleeping four from around £60/night. a ‘temple to tortillitas’. These crispy tuna fishing, you get to go deep. Many restaurants are now open but using small shrimps, make sure sugars), 0.3g salt, 2.2g fibre for more

shrimp fritters (see recipe, opposite) The almadraba bluefin tuna is ABSOLUTE). (BLOOMSBURY TISH BEN BY MOORISH FROM TAKEN RECIPE KIRKHAM KRIS PHOTOGRAPH: check websites before planning a visit. inspiration →

deliciousmagazine.co.uk <#R#> hungry traveller. deliciousmagazine.co.uk<#L#> throw in the necessitiesthrow in hotfoot and it the to airport sweep to me yearn months of dust off my old red suitcase, Much musing Idetest packing, on as my choices made has 3 2 1 Marche and the view from Karen’s friends’ house there; mackerel in Palafrugell market market Palafrugell in mackerel there; house friends’ Karen’s from view the and Marche Le in Tiglio Il Mykonos; on Kiki’s Africa; South in Tokara and cellar wine Motte La too. amust is Bay at Hell eatery Shack Crab The Bryher. of island the on shop, family atiny Fish, Island in sold and here caught lobster, and crab sweet –and waters turquoise and beaches com). On another day, brunch at Tokara day,com). brunch another On (bertusbasson. Stellenbosch in & Bone Basson’s Spek at Bertus vines the under extraordinary. was food the and courses nine for €38 was it time Last me of again. front in table the on painted dessert to have than reason no other for at Montemonaco, if mountains the up in Tiglio, Il meal, posh a For pasta). glorious her to coat enough just – ragù flavoured richly Priori’s (Mama Angelica pasta for Martino Monte of San village sleepy the in Priori Dei be it will Restaurant-wise, to drink. pecorino chilled plentiful with nowhere, ANTI-CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT ANTI-CLOCKWISE agapanthus flowers to white-sand white-sand to flowers agapanthus among walking sunsets, OF SCILLY for ISLES THE wooded hillside in the middle of of middle the in hillside wooded a on food home-cooked for friends ITALY chips and spice-dusted corn ‘ribs’) ‘ribs’) corn spice-dusted and chips polenta croquettes, pork (truffled TOWN CAPE to Le Marche to visit to visit Marche to Le SHE’S DREAMING OF MOST OF DREAMING SHE’S DESTINATIONS THE SHARES BARNES KAREN EDITOR for small-plates joy joy small-plates for A white-sand Scilly beach and lobsters in the shop on Bryher; Bryher; on shop the in lobsters and beach Scilly A white-sand to perfection over the coals. coals. the over to perfection cooked and oil olive with doused lemon, with stuffed awhole or seabass, chop pork ahuge order: ice). on I’ll rosé What of glasses free by eased is (the wait time opening before well to queue scooters on and foot on arrive people of scores times, non-pandemic (no lights). In at 7pm closes and at lunchtime opens taverna The chargrill. the on cooked everything no electricity, rustic: of kind 5 4 vineyard, Franschhoek (la-motte.com). Franschhoek vineyard, Motte at La tasting wine tree-shaded a (tokara.com), then oil olive peppery fruity- their of home abottle taking spectacular), is there (the drive vineyard dates (some in Tamariu open). (some already are dates reopening for websites restaurant Check barbie. the on cooked Palafrugell, in market the from mackerel shiny-eyed by followed peaches fresh and jamón local of shavings with made asalad Or on. going there’s afiesta while preferably of the seafront restaurants, restaurants, seafront the of one at any paella umami-rich for TAMARIU at Agios Sostis. Kiki’s is the best best the is Kiki’s Sostis. at Agios north the in sea, the overlooking MYKONOS , northern Spain, Spain, , northern for lunch at Kiki’s, at Kiki’s, lunch for

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