Top Five Spanish Ingredients
Think of Spanish ingredients and you will no doubt conjure up a list of vibrant, pungent flavours packed full of colour and summery goodness.
Think of Spanish ingredients and you will no doubt conjure up a list of vibrant, pungent flavours packed full of colour and summery goodness.
Think of Spanish ingredients and you will no doubt conjure up a list of vibrant, pungent flavours packed full of colour and summery goodness.
From the glorious soft grassy notes of a good Spanish olive oil, to the fiery punch of chorizo and the nutty top notes of creamy chickpeas, it is the quality and diversity of the simplest of foods that give Spain its wonderful, culinary culture.
Provender Brown has been supplied by Brindisa since we opened in 2005. As the UK's most prominent supplier of quality, Spanish ingredients this specialist artisan business is a tribute to the people who create the remarkable cheeses, hams, meats, fish, and a huge selection of other ingredients that are now enjoyed by our deli customers in Perth and online customers from across the UK.
It is hard to imagine now but, back in 1988 when Brindisa was founded by Monika Linton, knowledge of Spanish gastronomy was almost non-existent in the UK. Starting with a conviction that the foods she loved in Spain deserved to find a wider audience, Monika launched her company on a shoestring and we are very glad indeed that the Brits welcomed her idea with open mouths!
Fun Fact: Brindisa comes from the word ‘brindis’, to raise one’s glass in a toast! Don't mind if we do - salud!
Not the easiest task I've ever set myself!
And you'll see I've cheated a little by adding Olive Oil as an extra - it really is more of a store cupboard staple than an ingredient - and the most delicious Martin Codax, Alba Martin Albarino wine on top. There are just so many fantastic ingredients I couldn't possibly get it to wine plus 4.
The five I've chosen are ingredients I use all the time at home. They have been versatile, almost neccessary, store cupboard favourtes in the Brown household for many years and with just these five, I can whip up a huge variety of dishes.
To that end, I've added in my favourite, go-to recipe. Quick and easy to make but super tasty and ideal for a mid-week supper or a casual dinner party. Fish lovers can substitute the chorizo with tuna. Ole!
I was told many years ago to buy the best olive oil I could afford, and I continue to do so to this day.
Brindisa Arbequina Olive Oil is produced in Navarra, the most northerly commercial growing area in Spain. This extra virgin olive oil is made with 100% Arbequina olives, a variety best known in Catalonia. The finished oil is sweet and grassy with hints of green tomato and a lightly peppery aftertaste.
Buy Spanish Olive Oil Online >
I've chosen this wonderful Martin Codax Alba Martin Albarino wine which is white, crisp, dry and Refreshing!
Intense and elegant aromas with hints of white stone fruits and white flowers. The proximity to the sea gives the wine its freshness and saltiness and the granitic soils enhance its natural minerality. On the palate, the wine is rounded, full-bodied, fresh with an impressive persistence on the finish.
Buy Martin Codax Alba Martin Albarino Online >
If you want to enjoy authentic Spanish cooking then a smoked paprika is a must! Our paprika is produced in La Vera DOP, Extremadura from peppers that have been grown in one of the 52 villages within the DOP. The peppers are smoked by the growers before being sent to the factory, where they are ground in stone mills, to preserve the quality.
Buy Smoked Spanish Paprika Online >
Add to chicken, fish or fresh tinned tomatoes and watch the magic come to life! These large, Castellano chickpeas are processed in Navarra before being put into jars. Cooked beautifully so that they retain some bite, whilst being tender and moist, they are remarkably versatile and ideal for casseroles, in salads or to make hummus. An excellent product if you want to make real fast food - but don't for a minute think that a can from the supermarket will be just as good - there really is NO comparison!
Buy Spanish Chickpeas Online >
I love cooking chorizos and they have been one of our most popular products for many years: exceptionally versatile, they can be grilled, fried, poached in wine or cider, or casseroled with equally good results. The flavour is pleasingly meaty, the texture is firm and they have a light smokiness from the pimenton used in their manufacture.
Buy Spanish Cooking Chorizo Online >
The Spanish do love their fish and this Ortiz Yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares) is an easy way to add fresh flavour from the cupboard! The flesh is a pinkish red colour and makes excellent eating, being full flavoured but not too strong. It can be used in salads or sandwiches or is the ideal tuna to use in a classic Galician tuna empanada.
Buy Quality Tinned Tuna Online >
My mid week cheat, this classic Mediterranean tomato sauce is given extra depth of flavour and body from the addition of roasted piquillo peppers. The intense flavour of the sauce works particularly well with chorizo, game and red meats or in rich vegetable stews. Serving suggestions: use as the base for a chickpea and chorizo stew, in huevos rancheros, as the filling for empanadas, in pollo al chilindrón or bean stews.
Ingredients
200g diced Pablo Smoked Panceta
1 x pack of Brindisa cooking chorizo or 1 x Alejandro semi-cured chorizo
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 x 315g jar Brindisa fritada
1 x jar of water (we just use a fritada jar to measure)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp oregano
Black pepper to taste
1 jar cooked El Navarrico chickpeas – undrained as you will use the brine
Method
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