Rick Stein’s Spain

Rick Stein :
 ‘I’ve wanted to make a series in Spain for a long time. I love Spanish food, I’ve been going there since I was a young boy — but until quite recently I don’t think people really took the food seriously. Thanks to a handful of really dedicated Spanish chefs and a growing enthusiasm for its rugged flavours, that has all begun to change. To me the underlying point of journeying to Spain would be to discover the “duende” in the cooking. By that I mean a sense of soul, of authenticity. The word is normally used in flamenco but I think it could be equally applied to the art of Spanish cooking because to my mind, in really good food, there is a communication between the cook and diner that amounts to art.’ 

Rick’s journey begins in Galicia where he is enthralled by the abundance of the seafood — the star of the show being the percebes (goose-necked barnacles). In Asturias Rick cooks the famous regional dish Fabada Asturiana and in the Basque region, Rick enjoys the local speciality, Bacalao a la Vizcaino. 

In Cantabria we discover the best chorizo in Spain and in Navarra we’ll join Rick for a spot of trout fishing. Then on to savour Paella in Valencia; stuffed, spicy aubergines in Castille-La Mancha; and truffles and quail in Extremadura. 
In Andalucia the highlight has to be the legendary tapas bars of Seville with the sweet and delicious Iberico ham — the best in the world.

In this beautifully designed and illustrated hardback cookbook, Rick has selected over 140 recipes that capture the authentic taste of contemporary Spain — as well as photographs of the Spanish regions and the local people - an essential book for food-lovers and a stunning culinary guide to a diverse country. Totally evocative, makes me want to jump on a plane and head for Spain.

And the great news for the legion of Rick Stein fans out there is that this book  ties into a new four-part TV series coming soon to Prime.

About the author:

Rick Stein is a respected and well-loved chef, TV presenter and author who has produced an array of award-winning books and television series, including most recently Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes and Far Eastern Odyssey. He has four restaurants and a seafood cookery school, as well as a delicatessen and patisserie in Padstow and is passionate about good-quality local produce and sustainable fishing.


Rick Stein’s Spain - Hardback - RRP: $70.00 -  BBC-  Ebury
The publishers have kindly agreed to let me reproduce the following recipe from the book which at first glance appears a bit odd but I must say I am looking forward to trying it at home perhaps for Sunday brunch..

GARLIC SOUP with EGGS

Sopa de ajo con huevos 
Serves 4

If I were to describe this soup as hot stock with fried garlic, grilled bread and a poached egg, it would sound rather dull, but the fact that it is made all over Spain and is at the very heart of the cooking of Castilla-La Mancha tells you there is something magical about this combination.

The stock is made by gently simmering chicken and a whole ham hock with vegetables for a couple of hours. The garlic, and lots of it – fresh, moist garlic from the beginning of the season is best – is thinly sliced, and gently fried with olive oil and pimentón. The bread has to be something resembling the glorious rustic bread of Spain, ideally grilled over coals, and finally the egg must be the freshest free-range egg you can get. Get all those things right and you have the most glorious combination, justifiably part of Castilian folklore.

1 litre Chicken stock

1 cured ham bone, such as serrano (optional)

1 x 200g gammon steak

1 head of garlic, wet garlic if in season

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp pimentón picante (smoked hot Spanish paprika)

4 x 1cm-thick slices crusty white bread

4 large, very fresh, free-range eggs

Bring the chicken stock to the boil, add the ham bone if using and the gammon steak, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the ham bone and gammon and season to taste with salt and set aside. The cooked ham can be used for making croquetas (see page 104).

For the soup, separate the cloves of garlic, then peel and thinly slice. Put the oil into a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat, add the sliced garlic and fry gently until lightly golden, but no darker or it will become bitter. Add the pimentón and 1 litre of the broth and bring almost back to a simmer.

Meanwhile, toast the bread on a barbecue, under a grill or singe over a naked flame and finish in the toaster, then put one into the bottom of each large soup plate.

One at a time, crack the eggs into a cup, carefully slide them into the broth and leave them to poach for 3 minutes.

Lift one egg into each bowl, resting it on the bread. Ladle over the broth and serve.