Rentals, management, sale
of vacation property in Spain
 
www.spainholidayflat.com

 
Property Search
Type
Price from to
Bedroom
Bathroom
Pool
Ref-Nr
   
 
 
 
Our partners
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Culinary
 
The province of Alicante offers from the mountains of the interior, the great beaches on the coast, to traces of many a great ancient civilisation a large diversity and also a great climate. This diversity is mirrored in the historic and gastronomic patrimony of the region.

Since the times of the Phoenicians, Romans and Muslims the Costa Blanca has had an interesting development behind it, that has enriched the art of cooking based on rice, sea food and a great selection of spices and meats. Marked by the influence and the traditions of the Mediterranean space, eating developed into something to cherish and to learn, because it teaches you how to achieve much with a little and create something definitive without a rigid scheme of ingredients.

Let's talk about one of the basic elements of the alicantine cuisine: „Salsa Aioli“. this mixture of olive oil and garlic is the bae for many dishes from Alicante, normally in conjunction with sea food. This sauce has its origin in the Arabic world and is an eternal protagonist of the culinary culture of Italy, France and many other countries in Europe and Africa.

Typically Alicante
In the sector of fruits and vegetables the Orange is without a doubt the quintessence of Alicante. Despite being harvested in October and throughout the winter, it is available almost all through the year.

Most of the typical dishes in Alicante are prepared with rice. Uncontested star is the famous Paella, made from rice, chicken, rabbit, green and white beans.

Other traditional dishes are „Arroz al horno“ (baked rice), „Arroz a banda“ (rice with see food), „Arroz negro“ (rice with squid), „Arròs amb fesols i naps“, a juicy rice with beans and turnips, and then we have the „Fideuá“, with glass noodles and sea food, seasoned with saffron, which is also a typical receipe in Valencia. The Fideuá is one of those dishes you really have to try when you are visiting Alicante.

As in other Spanish regions, the so called „Tapas“ meet with much agreement. Patatas Bravas, grilled squid, mussels, anchovies in vinegar and Cod crocquettes are just a few of them, the ideal companions for a cold beer or a fresh Sangria!

Worth mentioning is also the wine culture, because Alicante produces many grapes and wines celebrated world wide. Some of the gapes produced in Alicante are: Garnacha, Monastrell, Tempranillo, Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah, all red variants. White ones are Muscat de Alexandria, Planta Fina, Merseguera, Chardonnay, Verdil, Sauvignon Blanc, Airén and Macabeo.

Turrón from Jijona

Some of the traditional sweets of Alicante show a strong Arabic influence, therefore the use of almonds and honey is widespread. Among the favourite desserts in Alicante are "almojabanes", "rosetones", "Arrop i tallaetes i Arnadí" (Mellon, sweet potato and sweet almonds). The most beloved of all desserts, especially for Christmas, is the Turron from almonds and sugar. Bon appetit!

Some Typical Recipes
(all ingredients for 4 persons)

Arroz a banda
This recipe was originally prepared with the fish that was left over from the sale in the auction hall - like hake or rape - and combined with cooked potatoes and onions. The rice was then boiled separately in fish broth and served as a side dish for the fish, therefore the name: Arroz "a banda", literally rice "served separately". It is normally served with Alioli. Time: ca. 60 Minutes.

Ingredients
2 kg mixed fish
salt
freshly milled pepper
1 lemon
1 ltr water
1 onion
1 laurel leaf
2 cloves
3 spoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
400 g round grain rice
1∕2 bag of saffron
1∕2 tea spoon sweet paprika powder

Preparation
Wash the fish, dry and cut it.
Squeeze the lemon juice.
Put the fish in a bowl and add the lemon juice.
Heat 1 litre of water in a pot.
Peel the onion and garnish with laurel.
Add the onion to the water.
Let it boil.
Add the fish to the water and simmer for 20 minutes until done.
Take the fish out of the water, but don't throw the broth away.
Heat the olive oil in a pan.
Peel the garlic and chop in fine cubes.
Sauté rice and garlic in oil.
Add the fish broth.
Season with saffron, paprika, salt and pepper.
Steam the rice for 20 min., until the liquid is completely absorbed.
Rice and fish are traditionally not served combined, but first the rice and then the fish. It's not obligatory though.

Recommended addition: Alioli


Fideuá
Fideuà originally is from the town of Gandia in the province of Valencia and is derived from Paella. Essentially the rice is replaced with pasta (ideos), which give the dish its name. Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients
3 paprikas (red, yellow and green)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
750 g aromatic tomatoes
200 g raw prawn (16 pcs.)
500 g rape (filleted)
4 spoons olive oil
salt
freshly milled pepper
saffron
2 tea spoons paprika powder
400 ml fish broth
300 ml water
300 g pasta (Fideos)
some parsley

Preparation
Peel the onion and garlic and chop in fine cubes.
Wash the paprikas, dry, cut out the core and cut into strips.
Wash, dry and cut the tomatoes.
Peel the prawn, keep the tails, remove the intestines, wash and dry.
Clean the filleted rape, drain and cut.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the prawn and rape.
Then add salt and pepper, and remove from the pan.
Add more oil to the pan if necessary.
Sauté the onions until golden brown.
Add garlic, paprika and tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, sweet paprika and saffron.
Pour the fish broth and the water and let it boil.
Add the pasta and let it simmer 10 minutes max., keep stirring
Spread the prawn and rape over the pasta.
Heat the oven to 175 °C.
Bake the dish about 15 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Recommended addition: white bread, baguette or ciabatta


Parrillada de marisco
Grilled fish and sea food. Time: about 1 hour

Ingredients
olive oil
crawfish
lobsters
clams
1 lemon
salt
fish (to taste)

Preparation
Wash the fish and salt it, then put on a plate with a good dose of olive oil.
Heat the grill to medium temperature. After adding the fish, turn the heat for 6 to 7 minutes.
Lower the heat and fry on both sides for about 6 minutes.
Take from the grill and put on a serving plates. Clean the grill.
Cut the lobster in the middle, but leave in one piece.
Salt it and put it on the grill with a bit of olive oil, the side which was cut open facing down.
Turn after 4 minutes, dribble the lobsters with oil and lemon juice, leave on the grill for a few more minutes and put on serving plates.
Clean the grill again, the add the crawfish covered with the juice of 1/2 lemon.
Turn after 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove and put on serving plates as well.
Wash the clams and open over steam. When they are open, add to plates and drizzle with their own juice.

Recommended addition: white bread


Arròs amb fesols i naps
Rice with white beans and turnip. time: 100 minutes + soaking

Ingredients
200 g dried white beans
2 onions
1 pig foot
250 g veal
200 g smoked ham
salt
2 black Valencian blood sausages
2 white Valencian blood sausages
4 small turnips
250 g round grain rice
1∕2 bag of saffron
freshly milled pepper

Preparation
Put the white beans into a bowl and let them soak overnight.
Drain the beans the next day.
Peel the onions and cut.
Put 1 1∕2 ltr water into a large pot and boil.
Add beans, onions, the pig foot veal and ham and heat until boiling.
Let it simmer for 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile peel the turnips and chop to fine cubes.
Add the turnip and blood sausages to the soup.
Let it simmer again for 1/2 hour.
Take the pig foot, veal, ham and the sausages from the soup.
Cut the meat from the pig foot.
Keep all the meat warm.
Add the rice to the soup and season with saffron.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stew the rice for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile cut the meat into mouth-sized pieces.
When the rice is almost ready, add the meat again to the stew and heat up.

Recommended addition: bread


Pericana de Alicante
The Pericana is a typical Tapa from the alicantinian interior, specifically from Alcoy. Most important ingredients are the Ñora, a local fruit from the paprika family, and red pepper, both in dried form. Time: ca. 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 cod fish
2 garlic cloves
1/2 Ñora
4 dried red peppers
60 ml olive oil

Preparation
Fry the fish on both sides in preheated oil and put aside.
Do the same with the pepper and the Ñora, take care they don't burn.
Let it all cool.
Meanwhile peel and chop the garlic.
Cut the dried peppers open, remove the seeds, and chop.
Cut and clean the cod.
Put everything together in a bowl and cover with olive oil.

Recommended addition: bread, alioli


Gachamiga
The Gachamiga is a lunch recipe, liked by hunters, farmers and workers, and only has a few ingredients. The result is a golden brown patty. Time: 35 minutes.

Ingredients
500 g flour
8 garlic cloves
1 glass olive oil
2 ltr water
salt

Preparation
Fry the garlic in olive oil until golden brown.
Take the garlic from the pan and add the flour, mix with the oil without burning.
Add water, stir and mix into a doughy mass which is not too thick.
Add the garlic and salt, and fry until the mass has golden brown colour and almost all water has evaporated.
Turn and fry the other side until golden brown.

Recommended addition: Chorizo, sausages, alternatively honig or sugar


Helado de turrón
Turrón Icecream. Enough said. Time: 15 minutes (+6 hours in the freezer)

Ingredients
550 g cream
130 g sugar (brown cane sugar)
100 g Turrón de Jijona blando (soft)
4 egg yolks
a pinch of salt

Preparation
Whip 500 g of the cream until stiff.
Put sugar and 50 g cream into a pot and heat up.
Add a pinch of salt.
Chop the Turrón into pieces and add.
Add the egg yolk, stir until a homogeneous mass results.
Add it all to the whipped cream and stir with a blender until it again becomes a homogeneous mass.
Add small pieces of Turrón (optional).
Fill into a tupper box.
Freeze for at least 6 hours, take it out occasionally to avoid crystallization and remove 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Recommended addition: waffles, pancakes, honey or chocolate sauce
© Copyright 2016 by Cornelia Jansen - www.spainholidayflat.com