Tis the season - for food and festivities.

[jirit]

Since we are quickly getting closer that time of the year...

I was wondering what you favourite camino recipe (s) would be?

This could be something from the Spanish camino or some other camino in another country like France, Italy, etc.

It could be something you had or something you made while doing the camino - something you believe reflects the spirit, culture and location of where you were at that time?

Furthermore, have you tried to duplicate the same recipe at home and if so how did it go?

 

[nellpilgrim]

Since we are quickly getting closer that time of the year...

I was wondering what you favourite camino recipe (s) would be?

This could be something from the Spanish camino or some other camino in another country like France, Italy, etc.

It could be something you had or something you made while doing the camino - something you believe reflects the spirit, culture and location of where you were at that time?

Furthermore, have you tried to duplicate the same recipe at home and if so how did it go?

A plate full of stadwurst mit musik with a large glass of radler to wash it down......the essence of Nuremburg and the start of my Jakobsweg.....yum

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I'm thinking of doing Arroz con Leche this weekend.
I had that on the Salvador, in the bar at Puerto de Pajares (that is a special place which means much to me)
I thought that was the best Arroz con Leche I ever had.
I'm not sure how to achieve that special anise taste? I don't know if they used anisette liqour or if they used real anise.
Will have to do some tests and report back later.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Jirit -
Caldo Gallego (Galician soup) has always been a winner for me. I enjoyed many bowls of it while on Camino last year - all those 'nuts and bolts' in the soup! Since then I've made it countless times at home, adding MORE 'nuts and bolts' so it was more of a casserole than a soup - so delicious!
And to finish, well, who can go past the dessert 'star' of the Menu del Dia ... Flan!
Cheers - Jenny

 

[jirit]

Hi Jirit -
Caldo Gallego (Galician soup) has always been a winner for me. I enjoyed many bowls of it while on Camino last year - all those 'nuts and bolts' in the soup! Since then I've made it countless times at home, adding MORE 'nuts and bolts' so it was more of a casserole than a soup - so delicious!
And to finish, well, who can go past the dessert 'star' of the Menu del Dia ... Flan!
Cheers - Jenny

Hi Jenny

What do you use for the greens? Seems my wife and I had numerous discussions with folks in Spain about what the greens were in Caldo Gallego when we were there this past May. We got different answers depending on who we asked
I seem to understand that the plant is local and native to Galicia too

Cheers

 

[jirit]

I'm thinking of doing Arroz con Leche this weekend.
I had that on the Salvador, in the bar at Puerto de Pajares (that is a special place which means much to me)
I thought that was the best Arroz con Leche I ever had.
I'm not sure how to achieve that special anise taste? I don't know if they used anisette liqour or if they used real anise.
Will have to do some tests and report back later.

Hi Susanna

Sounds just the kind of thing for this time of year! Lets us know how it works out!

 

[jirit]

A plate full of stadwurst mit musik with a large glass of radler to wash it down......the essence of Nuremburg and the start of my Jakobsweg.....yum

Looks like a great dinner meal!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Jirit -
Caldo Gallego (Galician soup) has always been a winner for me. I enjoyed many bowls of it while on Camino last year - all those 'nuts and bolts' in the soup! Since then I've made it countless times at home, adding MORE 'nuts and bolts' so it was more of a casserole than a soup - so delicious!
And to finish, well, who can go past the dessert 'star' of the Menu del Dia ... Flan!
Cheers - Jenny

Hi, Jenny, I see jirit asked the same question I was going to ask you. What greens do you use? I love Caldo Gallego (or its Portuguese equivalent, Caldo Verde) and I think the closest greens are collard greens and turnip greens. Swiss chard and kale work but seem different to me. Would you care to share your recipe? I will hunt for mine later today as well. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi, Jenny, I see jirit asked the same question I was going to ask you. What greens do you use? I love Caldo Gallego (or its Portuguese equivalent, Caldo Verde) and I think the closest greens are collard greens and turnip greens. Swiss chard and kale work but seem different to me. Would you care to share your recipe? I will hunt for mine later today as well. Buen camino, Laurie

I agree Laurie. My family is Portuguese and they use either Kale or Watercress in what you're calling Caldo Verde. We call Querves (sounds like Quevish), not sure about the spelling. Some people use Portuguese Linquica or Chourico (NOT the same as Mexican Chourizo!). You can also make it without meat and it's great!

 

[tyrrek]

The less celebrated Sopa Castellana is a lovely winter warmer. I suspect it‘s another one whose core ingredients depend upon who your mother is, but it always seems to end up tasting good. Buen provecho!

 

[Pelegrin]

There are three types of caldo gallego: berzas, grelos and repollo.

Caldo de berzas and grelos are much more common than caldo de repollo.

Berza gallega (port. couve galega) (lat.Brassica oleracea )I don't know how to translate it into english (collard greens?, kale?. It is very difficult to find berza gallega outside Galicia and Portugal, even in the rest of Spain is very difficult.

Grelos are the turnip leaves, This vegetable, though, is relatively easy to find in Spain outside Galicia.

Repollo. I think is cabbage. As I said before is the caldo less popular , but it can be used as a substitute of grelos and berzas.

The basic ingredients of caldo gallego are potatoes, berza/grelo/repollo, beans and fat pig. Usually in menus, fat pig is replaced by spanish ham, to make the caldo softer.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi Jirit, Laurie, Annie, Pelegrin and Forum members -

I use Tuscan Kale here at home in Sydney as our options with the dark leafy greens are sometimes a bit limited in availability. I've used silverbeet too but the Tuscan Kale gives a better result. Here's the recipe I use ... it's a variation on the original but really delicious ...

CALDO GALLEGO – GALICIAN STYLE SOUP

The recipe I use at home is from Jane Lawson’s “The Food of Spain”. I’ve “Nigella-ed” it somewhat in that I’ve taken a shortcut with just using a can of cannellini beans instead of the 250g dried haricot beans that Jane has used as they need several hours soaking time. Jane says “this dish is served in all Galician restaurants, and in most Galician homes during the Winter months. It can accommodate as many different ingredients as there are cooks making it”.
I love that – a recipe that can be adapted to individual tastes.

Note: I normally use chicken thigh fillets but if you want to be as close to Jane’s original recipe as possible, use 500g baby back pork ribs or American-style ribs, separated into 5cm widths instead of the chicken, brown them first and cook the dish for 45 minutes. Nigella would say use the chicken – easier!
Ingredients –
400g can cannellini beans (I use organic ones), rinsed and drained
500g smoked ham hock
750g chicken thigh fillets – skin off and cubed into bite-sized pieces
2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 leek, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons seasoned plain flour
1 bay leaf
625 ml reserved cooking liquid from ham hock
1 bunch Swiss Chard or Tuscan Kale (I use Tuscan Kale), washed well and shredded.
Method -
Put the ham hock in a large heavy-based saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat starts to come away from the bone and is tender. Remove from heat. When the hock is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and cut into 2cm cubes. Reserve 625 ml of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, lightly dust the chicken thigh cubes in the seasoned flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat until golden. Remove from saucepan and set aside. Drain off any fat but keep the ‘browned bits’ that remain in the bottom of the saucepan.

Add the other tablespoon of oil and heat over medium heat - cook the leek and garlic for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the ham, beans, chicken thigh cubes, potato, bay leaf and the reserved cooking liquid. Cover pan and bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the kale and cook for another five minutes. Serve in some warmed soup/pasta bowls.

The recipe, served with some crusty bread, makes enough for 4 people, with some extra for 'leftovers' - the best part! ᴉBuen provecho!

I hope you enjoy it if you have a chance to make it.

Cheers - Jenny

 

[JennyH94]

Hi, Jenny, I see jirit asked the same question I was going to ask you. What greens do you use? I love Caldo Gallego (or its Portuguese equivalent, Caldo Verde) and I think the closest greens are collard greens and turnip greens. Swiss chard and kale work but seem different to me. Would you care to share your recipe? I will hunt for mine later today as well. Buen camino, Laurie

Hi Laurie - I'd love to try your recipe for Caldo Gallego, plus any other Camino-inspired recipes you like to cook. I have a dessert I've put a 'Camino' spin on ... I call it 'Camino Crumble' - it's basically Gary Rhodes' (British chef and food writer) nutty apple crumble but I also make a hot sauce to go with it which consists of Pedro Ximenez sherry, lemon juice and dark brown sugar, which is served in a jug at the table along with the crumble and a bowl of whipped cream - it's really good!
Cheers - Jenny

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Laurie - I'd love to try your recipe for Caldo Gallego, plus any other Camino-inspired recipes you like to cook. I have a dessert I've put a 'Camino' spin on ... I call it 'Camino Crumble' - it's basically Gary Rhodes' (British chef and food writer) nutty apple crumble but I also make a hot sauce to go with it which consists of Pedro Ximenez sherry, lemon juice and dark brown sugar, which is served in a jug at the table along with the crumble and a bowl of whipped cream - it's really good!
Cheers - Jenny

Hi, Jenny,
Thanks for posting your caldo recipe. My recipe is essentially the same, except without the ham and chicken. I use a little chorizo (which we can FINALLY get in the US) and sometimes throw in some hot pepper flakes, even though I assume no Spanish or Portuguese cook would ever do that.

On the question of the beans, I've always used canned too. But last year on a whim I bought some white beans in Santiago. It was in a little grocery store on the street that goes down to the train station from Praza Galiza. They were featuring the white beans of some farm nearby and several women told me they were special and delicious. I bought a kilo for about 12 euros and I have to say the difference is pretty amazing. They are creamy and delicious. So I have added beans to my Santiago shopping list!

I don't think I really have any Camino-inspired recipes, but I'll think about that. The truth is that I am just not a very inspired cook! Laurie

 

[lynnejohn]

You can also buy vegetarian (soy) chorizo which is quite good and flavorful. So I use this and a vegetable stock with kale, chard,beans, and the rest of the ingredients others are using. Yum!

 

[Anniesantiago]

My recipe is much simpler and I got it from my great-grandmother:

1 pound stew meat (we used to use short ribs and shank because it was cheap but it's expensive now) OR 1 pound linquica, sliced thin.
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 bunches of kale
3-4 large potatoes

Brown the stew meat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until SOFT (NOT browned)
Cover with water.
Boil until it begins to fall apart.

Salt and pepper the soup.
Add cubed potatoes (leave the skins on or peel as you like)
Cook until the potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, wash the kale. Stack 2-3 leaves on top of each other and ROLL lengthwise in a tight bundle.
Using a very sharp knife, chiffonade (slice very very paper-thin slices) the kale

Put the kale into the soup.
Do not stir.
Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stir the kale into the soup.
Simmer until you're ready to eat it.
It's always better the second day.

This is traditionally the way this is made in Portugal and the Azores.
No ham, no chicken, no flour, no bay leaves.
Some people use FAVA beans in it, but we never did.

I grew up on this.
There was always a pot of this or Portuguese Beans on the stove.
YUM!

 

[jirit]

Reading this is making me hungry

 

[Pelegrin]

Jenny, yours is a ¡Top Chef caldo!, but for sure the caldo that common people eat at home almost every day in rural areas of Galicia is much simpler. Anni, everyone in Galicia uses faba beans.

I would like to remember here the caldo asturiano (pote asturiano). In my Primitivo this year, I was checking the caldo evolution from Oviedo to Santiago. In Grado, the pote was very strong for me, with asturian berza (different), chorizo and blood sausage. As I got closer to Galicia, for instance in Grandas, I noticed the caldo more and more soft. Definitely, I carried out a very interesting caldo survey.

 

[lynnejohn]

Lentil stew also a big favorite. Delicious!

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Hi Susanna

Sounds just the kind of thing for this time of year! Lets us know how it works out!

Hola,
I have now made arroz con leche. I googled it and found lots of different recipes of how to do it.
But decided as its almost the same thing as we do here in Sweden, risgrynsgröt or julgröt (that means Christmas porridge) I decided to do that, and add the anise at the end.
I think (not sure) that the anise is something special for Asturias.
First I took anise seeds and grounded them in a mortar. Then I put that in the (already cooked) arroz con leche.
That was nice but it didn't taste so much anise. So I took Ouzo (was surprised to find that in the house, it was a souvenir from Greece, not yet opened). Two large tablespoons of that. Then it started to taste something.
Very nice. In fact, I have already eaten everything.

 

[jirit]

just two tablespoons of Quzo eh?

I wonder if you could use Galician firewater instead?

 

[Susannafromsweden]

just two tablespoons of Quzo eh?

I wonder if you could use Galician firewater instead?

Yes. Wasn't sure how alcohol and milk would turn out when mixed. And it was a small pot.

What is Galician firewater? That sounds interesting.

 

[jirit]

Yes. Wasn't sure how alcohol and milk would turn out when mixed. And it was a small pot.

What is Galician firewater? That sounds interesting.

My nickname for Galician Aguardiente or Orujo.

Once told the Canadian customs folk that I was bringing home a couple of bottles of Galician firewater...

...they momentarily freaked out! ... until I told them what it really was...

 

[Pelegrin]

Galician aguardiente, also called orujo and "caña", is made from the rests of the grapes, after being pressed for producing wine.
Galician orujo is probably the best of the world, because good orujos derive from grapes cultivated in lands with no too much sunlight. This circunstance makes the orujo fruity and with no too much smell of alcohol. For the same reason I imagine that an orujo made from grapes produced in the south of England would be excelent.

White orujo has water appearance and other Galician orujo specialities are "orujo de hierbas", with its yellow colour resulting from the infusion of digestive herbs, wich is very popular in Spain, "licor café" with an infusion of whole-bean coffee and finally "licor de guindas", in this case with morello cherry.

I dare say that in almost every Galician home there is a bottle of orujo to offer to friends some drops in their black coffee.