Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter LIV
SPANISH COOKERY
CHAPTER LIVGeneral Observations on Spanish Cookery, with Recipes for typical Spanish Dishes.
The food supply of Spain as regards meat and fish is less abundant than that of many other European countries. Little pasturage is to be found in the entire breadth of the country, consequently dairy products are scarce and butter is almost unknown. The flesh of cattle two years old, which is something between veal and beef, but tougher than either, is the most common meat. Poultry is very lean, rather tough and very expensive. Such vegetables as cabbage, marrows, beans, peas, and lettuce are plentiful, but carrots, parsnips and broad beans are only grown in private gardens and are more or less regarded as luxuries.
In southern Spain, where women live in almost Oriental seclusion, men sell the produce, and the markets are filled with their loud voices as in excitable tones each man offers grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and oranges at a lower price than his neighbour.
In the north the markets are more picturesque, for the produce is sold by the straight-featured Basque women who come in from the neighbouring farms. The produce consists principally of fruit and vegetables, which they pile in long rows and decorate with flowers. The little bunches of pink, yellow, purple and red flowers are arranged without the least regard to colour, yet, nevertheless, have a bright and pleasing effect.
Housekeeping in Spain is primitive and cooking a very simple affair. Every family buys just enough potatoes or beans each day for one dinner, cooks and eats them all, and the next day does the same thing over again. The kitchens are almost bare of utensils with which to cook. Even rolling pins and bread boards are unknown, for both bread and pastry are obtained from the bakery. The bread, by the way, is close grained, its almost solid condition being due to the excessive kneading it receives.
Notwithstanding the limited markets and the primitive methods of cooking many of their frugal national dishes are extremely palatable. The most distinctively Spanish dish, "berga," appears as the first course of every dinner, and for the poor comprises the entire meal. It is made of corned beef, sausage, or pork boiled with peas, beans, cabbage and squash, or indeed any other vegetable in season, and stewed all together in one vessel, usually an earthenware pipkin. Amongst the wealthy, carrots, turnips and tomatoes are added to the meat, or game and poultry, whilst the peas and lentils give place to rice. This stew is almost identical with Olla, the daily stew of the Portuguese.
3758.—ESTOFADO. (Stewed Chicken.)
Ingredients.—The remains of cooked chicken cut into dice (about 2 heaped tablespoonfuls), 2 large potatoes cut into dice, 1 slice of toasted bread cut into dice, 1 tablespoonful of raisins, 2 tomatoes, 1 green pepper finely shredded, ¼ of a pint of wine or vinegar, 1 oz. of lard, salt.
Method.—Halve the tomatoes, squeeze out all the juice and cut them into dice. Place the chicken, potatoes, toast, raisins, tomatoes and green pepper in a stew-jar, add a good seasoning of salt, the wine or vinegar, and as much water as is needed to barely cover the whole.
Place the lard on the top in small pieces, cover closely, and stew gently for about 1½ hours. Serve hot.
Time.—To cook about 1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 2 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3759.—TOREGAS PAR EL DES AYUNO. (Spanish Fritters.)
Ingredients.—4 tablespoonfuls of flour, 3 eggs, ½ a pint of milk, syrup (see p. 1059), cinnamon, salt, lard.
Method.—Mix the flour, eggs, milk and a good pinch of salt to a smooth batter, and let it stand for an hour. Make a syrup as directed, and to it add a liberal flavouring of cinnamon. Heat the lard, put in the batter a spoonful at a time and fry gently until crisp and lightly browned. The syrup is usually poured over before serving, but if preferred it may be handed separately.
Time.—Altogether, about 2 hours. Average Cost, 1s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3760.—TORTILLA BUNURLOS. (Spanish Wafers.)
Ingredients.—½ a lb. of flour, water, syrup (see p. 1059). cinnamon, salt.
Method.—Make the syrup as directed, and add a liberal flavouring of cinnamon. To the flour add a good pinch of salt and cold water gradually until a smooth rather soft dough is formed. Take a piece of dough about the size of a small egg and slap it from hand to hand until as thin as a wafer. Bake in a moderately cool oven until crisp, pour the syrup over and serve.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 5d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3761.—TORTAS DE HUENO. (Egg Savoury.)
Ingredients.—5 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of grated cheese, 1 oz. of lard, 10 red peppers, salt.
Method.—Scrape the fibres from the peppers, boil the peppers in a little water for 15 minutes or until soft, then drain and chop them finely. Separate the yolks from the whites of eggs, and whip the latter to a stiff froth. Heat the lard, add the chopped peppers and a tablespoonful of the water in which they were boiled, cheese, yolks of eggs, and salt to taste. Stir over the fire for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the whites a spoonful at a time and stir very gently until cooked. To be eaten with meats.
Time.—about 40 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3762.—COLACHE. (Vegetable Stew.)
Ingredients.—1 green squash, 6 tomatoes, 1 large onion cut into dice, 1 green pepper finely shreded, 1 oz. of lard, salt.
Method.—Cut the squash into pieces about one inch square. Halve the tomatoes, squeeze from them all the juice and cut them into dice. Place the squash, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, lard, and a good seasoning of salt in a stew-jar, and add water to barely cover the whole. Cover closely and cook gently for about one hour.
Time.—To cook, about 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 6d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3763.—TORTAS DE LANGOSTA. (Lobster Fritters.)
Ingredients.—1 lobster (or a tin of lobster of a good brand), 4 eggs, 1 heaped tablespoonful of flour, cayenne, salt, lard for frying.
Method.—Divide the lobster into very fine flakes. Beat the eggs lightly, add them gradually to the flour, season liberally with salt and cayenne and stir in the lobster. Have the lard ready heated, put in the preparation a tablespoonful at a time, and fry slowly until crisp and lightly browned.
Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. Seasonable at any time.
3764.—CERBOLLA CON TOMATE (Stewed Tomatoes.)
Ingredients.—6 large tomatoes sliced, 2 large onions cut into dice, 1 green pepper finely chopped, 1 oz. of lard, salt.
Method.—Heat the lard, fry in it the onion and pepper until the onion is lightly browned and add the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt, cover closely and cook gently for about ½ hour.
Time.—To cook, about 1¼ hours. Average Cost, 9d. Sufficient for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.