The Basque country is justly proud of its cuisine, thought by some to be amongst the best in the world. The Basque Country has a long tradition of predominantly male, gourmet clubs or Gastronomic Societies where members cook for each other and preside over long tables overflowing with food and wine. As the evening wears on traditional Basque songs are sung and stories told.
Revuelto
Revuelto is a dish served all along Spain's north coast. It is a cross between omelet and scrambled eggs and has some regional variations, it can include anything from prawns to turnips. It doesn't look very appetizing and I've wondered if the word revolting has anything to do with it but I'm assured its very tasty. If you'd like to have a go at making revuelto, its very simple you just need to whisk some eggs and pour into a hot frying pan containing some melted butter, then add the ingredients you'd like to use and rough the mixture up with a fork before the egg sets.
Seafood
The Costa Vasca provides a rich harvest of seafood for the restaurants along the Costa Vasca, the Basque coastline. Not surprisingly a number of local seafood dishes have evolved over the years. Salt cod is eaten all over Spain and the Basque country is no exception, there are some excellent salted cod recipes originating in the Basque country which include Bacalao a la Vizcaina in a pepper sauce and Bacalao al Pil-Pil which is served in a sauce made from garlic.
Other popular seafood dishes include a variety of seafood stews which can include just about any variety of fish and shellfish, the ingredients depend upon local availability. Most of these stews are tomato based with smoked Paprika, fish stock, wine and garlic and usually a pinch of cayenne pepper. The sauces are reduced giving the stew an intense seafood flavour. Many chefs add brandy and sometimes cream for richness.
Paella, the Spanish national dish is another popular choice in the Basque country. Basque Coutry paella's rely mainly on seafood. The variety of seafood used depends on local availability but most contain clams and mussels. A basque seafood speciality is a fish stew calledTxangurroRelleno which is fish fillets cooked in a pureed crab and prawn tomato based sauce. If you can find the ingredients for this dish you must give it a try, there's a video opposite in Spanish but its quite easy to follow.
Txangurro Relleno
Oxtail Stew
Oxtail stew is a Basque speciality, simmered in a rich sauce of red wine and beef stock and flavoured with thyme. The Basque name for this dish is Behi Buztanak Anda Goriren Zaltzan.
Spanish Ham
The Basque Country is not one of Spain's most prolific producers of ham but there are a few nice hams available. One of the Basque Country's best hams is Jamoncito Bayona which is available to buy online from specialist Spanish food importers. Spanish air cured ham is eaten all over Spain and is prominently displayed in supermarkets where you can to buy whole legs.
The best ham comes from the Extremadura region where free range black Iberico pigs feed on acorns giving the ham a distinctive flavour. Ham's are hung to dry and mature, the ageing process intensifying the flavour. Most tapas bars serve a variety of hams which go particularly well with a glass of red Rioja wine and a slice of aged manchego cheese. There are a number of specialist importers selling authentic Spanish hams and cheeses. The best hams are seriously expensive and we suggest trying a few sampler packs to find which one you prefer before taking the plunge and buying a whole leg.
Below, we've listed wide a range of hams from two of the largest U.S suppliers La Tienda and Igourmet which you can purchase for home delivery through Amazon's gourmet food section.
Buy Spanish Ham Online In The U.S
Spain is renowned for the quality of the air cured ham it produces. Up until recently, it was almost impossible to buy authentic Spanish ham in the U.S but thanks to the internet, there are now a number of speciality food importers supplying a large variety of Spanish food to the U.S market. Opposite, we have listed a range of Spanish hams from the Amazon pages of two of the largest suppliers, La Tienda and Igourmet. For a fantastic taste experience, try some slices of Iberico ham with some Manchego cheese and a glass of red Rioja wine.
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Basque Cheese
The Basque region produces some excellent cheeses from the lush pastures which abound in the area. The most famous of these is Idiazábel which has a strong spicy flavour it is made from the milk of the mountain sheep cured and sometimes smoked. Spain is a prolific producer of cheese most of which comes from the green northern regions like Cantabria, the Basque Country and Asturias but the most famous Spanish cheese Manchego, which is made from sheeps milk is produced in the central region of Castilla La Mancha. Spain has one of the largest varieties of cheese anywhere in Europe, most of the locally produced artisan cheeses are only available in Spain but in recent years some of the most popular varieties have become available in the U.S thanks to a growing number of Spanish speciality food importers. We have listed a good selection of what's available below from two of the main suppliers, La Tienda and Igourmet
Buy Spanish Cheese Online In The U.S
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Spain is a prolific cheese producer, Spanish supermarkets offer a huge array of cheeses from across Spain. The majority of Spanish cheese comes from the lush northern regions of Asturias, Galicia Cantabria and the Basque Country but most regions have their own varieties. Spain's most famous cheese Manchego is made from sheep's milk in the region of Castilla La Mancha. Up until recently it was difficult to find a Spanish cheese supplier in the U.S but today there are a number of online food importers who stock an excellent variety of cheese from all over Spain.
