Spain
38 recipes to explore
Seafood Paella
Spain's great sharing dish — saffron-gold rice cooked in a wide pan with a rich seafood stock, crowned with prawns, mussels and squid. The prize is the socarrat: the caramelised, crackling layer of rice at the bottom of the pan.
Tortilla Española (Spanish Potato Omelette)
Spain's beloved potato omelette: thin slices of potato and onion slowly poached in olive oil until meltingly soft, folded into beaten eggs and cooked into a thick, golden cake that's just set and juicy in the middle.
Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Prawns)
A sizzling Madrid tapa: prawns cooked in a shallow pool of olive oil with lots of sliced garlic and a little dried chilli, finished with parsley and lemon. Have crusty bread ready for the garlicky oil.
Gazpacho Andaluz (Chilled Tomato Soup)
Andalusia's summer staple: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and garlic blended with sherry vinegar, olive oil and a little bread into a silky, refreshing cold soup. No cooking — just good tomatoes and a cold fridge.
Croquetas de Jamón (Ham Croquettes)
The pride of every Spanish bar: a very creamy béchamel studded with jamón, chilled until firm, shaped, breaded and fried until golden and crisp outside and molten inside.
Mini Spanish Tortilla Bites
All the flavour of a Spanish potato omelette, made easy for kids: soft potato and a little onion in egg, baked in a muffin tin. No flipping, and just as good cold the next day.
Crema Catalana
Catalonia's famous custard, scented with lemon peel, orange peel and cinnamon, cooked on the stove instead of baked, then topped with a crackly layer of burnt sugar.
Tarta de Santiago (Galician Almond Cake)
A moist, fragrant almond cake from Santiago de Compostela, made with just almonds, eggs, sugar and lemon, no flour. Finished with the cross of Saint James in icing sugar.
Patatas Bravas (Spicy Fried Potatoes)
Crispy, golden potato chunks fried twice for the perfect crunch, bathed in a smoky, slow-simmered tomato and paprika sauce, with a drizzle of garlicky aioli on top. The classic bar snack of Madrid, best eaten hot with a cold drink.
Cold Tomato and Bread Soup (Salmorejo)
A silky, coral-pink Andalusian soup made by blending very ripe tomatoes with bread, garlic and good olive oil, chilled until icy and finished with jamón and chopped egg. Simple, rich and endlessly refreshing on a hot day.
Galician-Style Octopus (Pulpo a la Gallega)
Whole octopus simmered until fork-tender, then sliced into thick rounds over golden boiled potatoes and showered with olive oil, smoked paprika and flaky sea salt. The classic of Galicia's village fairs, simple and unforgettable.
Madrid Chickpea Stew (Cocido Madrileño)
A long-simmered pot of chickpeas, beef, chicken and cured meats with cabbage and potatoes, traditionally served in three courses: the broth as soup, then the chickpeas and vegetables, then the sliced meats.
La Mancha Vegetable Stew (Pisto Manchego)
A slow-cooked medley of onions, peppers, zucchini and ripe tomatoes, simmered in good olive oil until soft, sweet and glossy. The classic vegetable side of central Spain, best made a day ahead.
Basque Tuna and Potato Stew (Marmitako)
A rustic one-pot stew from the Basque fishing boats, with chunks of fresh tuna and potatoes simmered in a deep red broth of peppers, tomato and sweet paprika. Simple, warming and full of sea flavor.
Galician Broth (Caldo Gallego)
A deeply comforting Galician soup of white beans, potatoes and leafy greens simmered slowly with salted pork and chorizo until the broth turns rich and golden. The kind of pot that feeds a whole family on a cold day.
Spanish Meatballs in Sauce (Albóndigas en Salsa Española)
Tender beef and pork meatballs, browned until golden and simmered slowly in a deep tomato sauce finished with a toasted almond and bread picada. A classic tapas bar favourite, best mopped up with crusty bread.
Chorizo in Cider (Chorizo a la Sidra)
Spicy Spanish chorizo seared until the fat renders, then simmered in dry Asturian hard cider until the sauce turns rich and tangy. A classic sidrería tapa, best mopped up with crusty bread.
Basque Garlic Cod (Bacalao al Pil Pil)
Salt cod cooked low and slow in garlic-scented olive oil, then turned into a silky, trembling golden sauce using nothing but the fish's own gelatin and a patient hand. One of the Basque Country's great kitchen tricks, done right.
Valencian Noodle Paella (Fideuà)
Thin toasted noodles simmered in a saffron-and-paprika fish stock with prawns, monkfish, squid and mussels, cooked paella-style in a wide shallow pan until the bottom turns deliciously crisp. Serve with a spoon of alioli and a wedge of lemon.
Padrón Peppers (Pimientos de Padrón)
Small green peppers from Galicia, flash-fried in hot olive oil until blistered and sweet, then showered with coarse sea salt. A classic Spanish tapa — and a little game of chance, since one in a while bites back with real heat.
Torrijas (Spanish Cinnamon Toast)
Thick slices of day-old bread soaked in cinnamon-and-lemon milk, dipped in egg and fried until golden, then dusted with cinnamon sugar while still warm. The classic sweet of Spanish Easter and Holy Week.
Spanish Wine Punch (Sangría)
A big jug of red wine mingled with brandy, orange, lemon and apple, left to steep until the fruit perfumes every sip, then topped with a splash of soda for sparkle. The classic drink of long Spanish lunches and summer terraces.
Garlic Aioli (Alioli)
A thick, golden emulsion of crushed garlic and olive oil, worked by hand to a creamy, punchy sauce. Spread it on bread, dollop it on grilled vegetables and fish, or stir a spoonful into rice dishes.
Cured Ham with Bread (Jamón Ibérico con Pan)
Paper-thin slices of acorn-fed Iberian ham draped over warm, crusty bread, with just a trickle of good olive oil. One of Spain's simplest tapas, and one of its best, because every bit of flavour comes from the ham itself.
Roast Suckling Pig (Cochinillo Asado)
A whole milk-fed piglet roasted low and slow until the meat is fork-tender, then blasted with high heat and basted with cold water for skin that shatters like glass. This is the dish Segovia built its fame on.
Oxtail Stew (Rabo de Toro)
Oxtail browned deeply, then braised for hours in red wine with onion, carrot and garlic until the meat falls off the bone and the sauce turns rich and glossy. The classic braise of Córdoba, worth every slow minute.
Cold Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajoblanco)
A silky chilled soup from Málaga made of blended almonds, garlic, bread and olive oil, poured ice-cold and finished with sweet grapes. It's the taste of Andalusian summer in a bowl.
Broken Eggs with Potatoes (Huevos Rotos)
Thin potato slices fried slowly in olive oil until golden and crisp, topped with fried eggs with lacy edges and runny yolks, and crisp jamón serrano. Break the yolks right at the table so they run into every bite.
Catalan Seafood Stew (Zarzuela de Pescado)
A festive one-pot Catalan stew where firm white fish, mussels, squid and shrimp simmer in a saffron-scented broth thickened with a nutty almond picada. Rich, golden and made for soaking up with crusty bread.
Arroz Negro (Black Squid Ink Rice)
Short-grain rice cooked in a wide pan with squid, shrimp and a deep sofrito, turned jet black and briny-sweet with squid ink. Finished with a crisp bottom crust, it's a showstopper best served straight from the pan with lemon and alioli.
Salt Cod Fritters (Buñuelos de Bacalao)
Shredded salt cod folded into a fluffy, yeasted batter and fried until deep golden, with a crackling crust and a light, airy inside. A classic Spanish tapas-bar snack, best eaten hot from the pan.
Fried Ham and Pork Rolls (Flamenquín)
Thin pork loin fillets rolled tightly around good serrano ham, double-breaded and deep-fried until deeply golden and crackling outside, juicy inside. A Córdoba bar classic, best eaten hot with a dab of mayonnaise.
Squid in Its Own Ink (Chipirones en su Tinta)
Tender baby squid simmered slowly in a deep, dark sauce built from caramelized onion and their own ink. A classic of northern Spain, rich and briny, traditionally spooned over plain white rice.
Lamb Stew (Caldereta de Cordero)
A robust Extremaduran lamb stew, slow-cooked with sweet peppers, garlic and paprika until the meat falls off the bone, with a splash of lamb liver stirred in at the end for a rich, dark, naturally thickened sauce.
Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Tarta de Queso Vasca)
A crustless cheesecake baked hot and fast until the top turns deeply, deliberately burnt, while the inside stays wobbly, creamy and almost custard-like. Born in a San Sebastián bar, it's now one of the world's most loved cheesecakes.
Crumbly Almond Shortbread (Polvorones)
Pale, sandy-textured Andalusian shortbread made with toasted flour and ground almonds, so delicate they crumble at the first bite. A snowy dusting of powdered sugar and a whisper of cinnamon make them the heart of any Spanish Christmas table.
Sherry and Lemon-Lime Cocktail (Rebujito)
Bone-dry chilled sherry stretched with fizzy lemon-lime soda over plenty of ice, finished with mint and lemon. The easy-drinking cocktail that fuels Andalusian ferias all spring and summer long.
Summer Red Wine Cooler (Tinto de Verano)
Chilled young red wine mixed half and half with fizzy lemon soda, poured over plenty of ice. Light, bubbly and endlessly refreshing on a hot Spanish afternoon.