{"id":594,"date":"2023-10-26T17:32:46","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T17:32:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/?p=594"},"modified":"2024-10-22T08:31:26","modified_gmt":"2024-10-22T08:31:26","slug":"10-spanish-cooking-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/10-spanish-cooking-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Spanish cooking secrets no one has told you"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many people enjoy Spanish<\/a> food but only the luckiest know the best kept Spanish cooking secrets<\/a><\/strong> of our gastronomy<\/a>. From Saz\u00f3n\u2019s expert hosts, you will learn the cooking tricks that we, Spaniards, are not fond of revealing! And you will be able to surprise your guests by cooking like a true expert in our cuisine. In this article, we will tell you ten Spanish cooking secrets<\/strong> to transform yourself from an apprentice chef into an authentic host of Spanish food<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Olive
Always olive oil<\/a> and local ingredients<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. The importance of olive oil quality<\/h2>\n

The quality of the oil can significantly affect the final flavour of your dishes. It is essential to cook with a good extra virgin olive oil from Spain<\/a>. Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to this key ingredient!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Amparo's
Amparo will make you try the best pork cheek stew<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Sofrito, the heart of many Spanish dishes<\/h2>\n

This blend of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and peppers is slow-cooked and saut\u00e9ed in olive oil for a rich, aromatic base. Any homemade stew must begin with a good homemade stir-fry<\/strong>. And our diner host, Amparo<\/a>, knows that very well. She will delight you with a delicious pork cheek in red wine<\/a><\/strong> garnished with roasted potatoes with fine herbs.<\/p>\n

\"Spanish
Taste the traditional paella<\/a> at Jos\u00e9 Luis’ house<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Patience in paella, the right consistency<\/h2>\n

Patience is the key. The rice should be tender but firm (“al dente”<\/em> like pasta). As a good Valencian, Jose Luis<\/a> masters the technique of controlling the liquid-rice ratio and the cooking time to get the perfect texture of rice for paella<\/a><\/strong>. Only an expert achieves one of the most difficult techniques to accomplish, a paella with a crispy crust at the bottom of the pan<\/strong>, known as “socarrat”<\/em>. His knowledge of the different types of rice from his land will leave you speechless.<\/p>\n

4. Alioli, the creamy garlic sauce<\/h2>\n

Garlic is a basic ingredient in Spanish cuisine<\/a><\/strong>. And mainly with it, one of the most typical sauces in Spain is made: the delicious alioli<\/em><\/a>. This garlic and olive oil sauce is a versatile condiment<\/strong> that pairs well with vegetables, seafood, and roasted meats.<\/p>\n

\"Spanish
Aurora gets fresh products from the local market<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Fresh products<\/h2>\n

If you are preparing seafood or fish dishes, always opt for fresh, locally sourced products<\/strong>. Spanish cuisine is known for its fresh fish and seafood, and our beloved Aurora<\/a> knows a lot about that. From her house in C\u00e1diz<\/a>, she will make you enjoy the taste and quality of the products recently purchased at the local fish market<\/strong>. You will notice the difference!<\/p>\n

\"Spanish
Wine in your stews adds extra flavour<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Wine in the kitchen<\/h2>\n

One of the Spanish cooking secrets is wine<\/strong>. A good wine accompanies the food on the table, but in Spain we don’t just use it for drinking<\/strong>. Both red wine and white wine are used in cooking to add depth to sauces<\/strong> and infuse rich flavours into dishes<\/strong>. Put a good wine to your cooking and give a unique flavour to your dishes that no one will know.<\/p>\n

\"Tortilla
Spanish omelette<\/a> is simply irresistible<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. The perfect Spanish omelette<\/h2>\n

Anyone who tries the Spanish tortilla<\/em> is interested in the recipe. But the ingredients are not everything. The crucial Spanish cooking secret is the art of flipping<\/strong>. Use a plate or lid to invert the omelette in the pan before cooking it on the other side. This ensures a rounded, perfectly cooked tortilla.<\/p>\n

8. Saffron, the red gold<\/h2>\n

Saffron is one of the most valuable spices in the world<\/strong>, and La Mancha region is the largest producer of saffron in Spain. Known as red gold<\/em><\/strong>, this ingredient is essential in Spanish cuisine and provides flavour, colour and aroma<\/strong> to a wide variety of dishes such as meats, soups or vegetable dishes.<\/p>\n

\"Isa's
Isa has her own garden<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. The art of simplicity<\/h2>\n

Spanish cuisine often relies on simple ingredients and techniques<\/strong>. As shown by the delicious dishes that our Malaga native Isa<\/a> offers us, with products from her own garden<\/strong>. Dishes like Andalusian gazpacho<\/a><\/em> show the beauty of using high-quality ingredients without unnecessary complexities.<\/p>\n

\"Spanish
Don’t miss Cheli’s delicious dessert!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Traditional baking techniques<\/h2>\n

If you have a sweet tooth, you will immediately recognise ingredients such as almonds, honey and citrus fruits<\/strong> that are frequently used to create delicious Spanish desserts<\/strong>. Cheli<\/a>, our sweet pastry chef, invites us to give a sweet end to our journey of Spanish cooking secrets<\/strong>, trying her delicate and exquisite dessert. \u201cHeaven\u2019s Bacon\u201d<\/em>, that is egg custard with creamy yoghurt.<\/p>\n

\u00ba\u00ba\u00ba<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spanish cuisine<\/strong> is recognised for its rich flavours, vibrant ingredients and diverse regional traditions<\/strong>. And with these Spanish cooking secrets we are sure that you will enjoy preparing delicious dishes. But if you prefer not to cook and savour these delicacies with locals, visit our website to book your culinary experience<\/a> today!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Welcome to Saz\u00f3n The Folk Cook!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many people enjoy Spanish food but only the luckiest know the best kept Spanish cooking secrets of our gastronomy. From Saz\u00f3n\u2019s expert hosts, you will learn the cooking tricks that we, Spaniards, are not fond of revealing! And you will be able to surprise your guests by cooking like a true expert in our cuisine. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-experience"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1521,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions\/1521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sazonthefolkcook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}