Spanish Meatballs
It's no secret that many nations and cultures have laid claim on this dish. The meatball has been varied to accommodate different tastes, ingredients, and religious traditions. But in this post I will only concentrate on the history behind Spanish Meatballs.
So where did the first meatball dish come from? No one knows for sure. However, there are recipes for meatballs dating back to the Romans. In the thirteenth century, the Spanish monarchs conquered the region that had been occupied by the Muslims. Many of their traditions, including the culinary ones were integrated into the Spanish community. The word meatballs translates as "albondigas" in the Spanish language, but it has its origin in the Arabic word "al-bunduq", meaning hazelnut, referring to small meatballs, which is the size of Spanish meatballs to this date.
During the Spanish Inquisition, meatballs were made with pork and served to Jews who were secretly trying to pass as Christian converts. When the host announced the true contents of the meatballs, if somebody refused to eat those meatballs, or spit them out, they were immediately arrested.
Albondigas made its way to Mexico by the conquistadors where it has evolved into a soup. Spanish albondigas can be served as an appetizer or a main course in tomato sauce.
Ingredients: 1 quart water, 1 cup white wine, 1 medium onion, diced, 1 green pepper, 2 tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, 1 egg, tomato sauce or puree, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 1/2 pounds ground mix of beef and pork meat, 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs, chopped fresh mint, 1 chili pepper, 1 bayleaf, salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Mix the minced pork with the minced beef (you could also add chicken, but I don’t). Add the salt, pepper, egg, mint, and breadcrumbs to the meat, and mix all ingredients together very well.
- Make small balls with the mixture - about the size of a large marble.
- Now make the sauce. Cut up the onion and green pepper, chop the garlic, and put them in a pot with a little olive oil. Fry gently until they are soft, and then chop the 2 tomatoes and add them. Add a bit of tomato sauce or puree (or tomate frito if you live in Spain). Add the white wine, the stock cubes, the water, and the bayleaf. Stir well and put on low heat.
- Put the meatballs straight into the pot with the sauce and leave them to simmer in the sauce for about half an hour or until they are done.
- You can serve the meatballs on their own as a tapas dish, appetizers, or as a main course with fried potatoes on top.
Pisto Manchego
History tells us that in the times of Caliphate a man called Zizyabf rom Baghdad visited Al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula territory occupied by the moors in the middle ages) in the year 822 . Zizyab spread the recipe of the dish served at princess Al-Buran and the Abbasi caliph Al-Ma’mün's wedding, son of Harum-al-Rasid, the caliph of the One Thousand and One Nights. The dish was specially created for such illustrious event and it was called al-burmayya, in honor of the princess.In Spain al-burmayya became "alboronía", which has similar ingredients of modern pisto, except the original had quince which was substituted with tomatoes and red peppers when they were imported from America.
Pisto's influence has transcended the borders of its region and has become a popular and loved dish all over the country and even abroad. A famous French gourmet claims pisto evolved into "piperade basquaise" and "ratatouille" Other variations are known, such as "tumbet" from Mallorca. In Malta a similar dish is "kapunata", "letscho" in Hungary and "ciambrotta" in the South of Italy
Like many other popular Spanish dishes, there isn't an exact recipe for pisto, as the ingredients varied according to their availability and the taste of the cook. However this récipe is from the dish that originated from La Mancha peasants who used the products they farmed in their orchards.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon mashed roasted garlic or roasted garlic paste
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup dry white wine
9 plum tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
2 ounces aged Manchego cheese, finely grated
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and the fresh and roasted garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the bell peppers and zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour in the white wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the tomatoes and simmer gently until the juices have evaporated, about 30 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, parsley and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt. Transfer the pisto to bowls and sprinkle with the grated Manchego.
Serve with toasted baguette slices.
Migas
Migas (which in Spanish means bread crumbs), sometimes called "migas de pastor" (shepherd's bread crumbs), is, as it's name announces, a pastoral dish. Initially it was created to make the best of the bread's leftovers. Some people believe that it's origin is related to couscous, as in Christian territories it was made with bread and they would add bacon to distinguish it from Jewish and Arab food.
However migas is one of those recipes that doesn't have an exact formula, as it greatly depends on the region, the products available and the cook, giving way to many different variants. It is particularly popular in rural areas where people had less money and access to bread once or twice a week, so making use of old bread was a necessary way to eat. As a result, this dish is a great option for those on a small budget but who still want to try some authentic Spanish food.
This recipe is for migas manchegas: common in the region of La Mancha.
Ingredients; hard bread, a head of garlic, olive oil, salt, chorizo, pork, bacon, green peppers, water or broth.
Preparation:
1. First step is cutting the bread in crumbs. The size of each one has to be a bit bigger than a cheakpea. You can use a knife.
2, Soak the bread lightly with the water or broth.
3. Put oil and the garlic in the pan. Fry them until they become brown.
4. Add the bread crumbs to the oil with and stirfry.
5. Stir until the bread absorbs all the oil. This is an important step, be patient in this process. The bread crumbs should be loose and crispy.
6. Meanwhile fry in a pan the chorizo, pork, bacon and peppers. (Some people frythem in the same oil as the garlic before incorporating the bread crumbs).
7. You can add the meat to the crumbs or serve as a side dish.
Serve with green grapes.
Migas
Migas (which in Spanish means bread crumbs), sometimes called "migas de pastor" (shepherd's bread crumbs), is, as it's name announces, a pastoral dish. Initially it was created to make the best of the bread's leftovers. Some people believe that it's origin is related to couscous, as in Christian territories it was made with bread and they would add bacon to distinguish it from Jewish and Arab food.
However migas is one of those recipes that doesn't have an exact formula, as it greatly depends on the region, the products available and the cook, giving way to many different variants. It is particularly popular in rural areas where people had less money and access to bread once or twice a week, so making use of old bread was a necessary way to eat. As a result, this dish is a great option for those on a small budget but who still want to try some authentic Spanish food.
This recipe is for migas manchegas: common in the region of La Mancha.
Ingredients; hard bread, a head of garlic, olive oil, salt, chorizo, pork, bacon, green peppers, water or broth.
Preparation:
1. First step is cutting the bread in crumbs. The size of each one has to be a bit bigger than a cheakpea. You can use a knife.
2, Soak the bread lightly with the water or broth.
3. Put oil and the garlic in the pan. Fry them until they become brown.
4. Add the bread crumbs to the oil with and stirfry.
5. Stir until the bread absorbs all the oil. This is an important step, be patient in this process. The bread crumbs should be loose and crispy.
6. Meanwhile fry in a pan the chorizo, pork, bacon and peppers. (Some people frythem in the same oil as the garlic before incorporating the bread crumbs).
7. You can add the meat to the crumbs or serve as a side dish.
Serve with green grapes.
