Culinary Road Trip in Northern Spain and Brining Olives at Home

Asturias - North of Spain

"The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are."                                             - Samuel Johnson

Once a year, I dedicate a trip to what I call a "Culinary Destination". I travel in search of good food, food inspirations and unique food experiences. These trips revolve only around food. I look for honest local cuisines, as they are prepared at home. I also look for fresh local produce and specialties, not limited to fruits and vegetables but extending to cheeses, cured meats, beverages...etc.
I find that to have a full understanding of food, you have got to start from the ground up. The ground is a different perspective in every country and at times in different cities within a country. The soil is different, the climate and therefore the produce differs even in its most common properties. You will find that - however mildly - goat's cheese made in France tastes and is differently textured than that made in Greece. They tell you "the milk itself is different... the grass is different... the terrain is different...." and therefore the produce and its properties vary.
Moving on to the preparations of produce. Different cuisines have different approaches for dealing with produce. Even within a cuisine each village will use different aromatics, additions and even different techniques in finishing a dish. You will find that in Asia it is very customary to fry aromatics at the beginning of cooking, while in Europe for instance, it is more common to add the aromatics in a bouquet garnis, towards the middle and end of the cooking process. The aromatics can be the same, but how and when they are added makes a huge difference to the flavours. In some cuisines, the use of many ingredients in one dish, all of which immensely pungent, is very common and in fact amicable. While in other countries this is disliked and considered to take away from the dish rather than enrich it, as the ingredients overwhelm each other rather than compliment and bring out each other's goodness. To understand cuisine, you have to understand the differences, to understand the produce and the methods, and most importantly to understand the food culture. What better way to do that, than by cooking with people, eating and talking food with them? And that is why I go to my Culinary Destinations; in search of  inspiration.

Tapas - Barcelona (photo by Barcelona Guide)

We live in a world so rich and varied. Anywhere you go, you will have a culinary destination, even when you least expect it. I have found an unexpected culinary destination in both Seychelles and Mauritius. I completely devoured the scene in New York and while I loved it all madly, grew completely fond of "Little Italy". I have accidentally tripped over a condensed Mexican experience in Orlando of all places!! I fell in love the first time with South Africa, so much so that I keep going back for more down the Wine Route and also the Garden Route. The produce there is Divine and so is each and every bite. Beirut is always rich with food, and so are Syria, Jordan, Palestine... Morocco is a whole different ball game! Everyone knows of my love of French cuisine and especially my love affair with Provence. I dream to live there someday, gastronomically! The list is endless and what I would love for you to take from this is the fact that it doesn't have to be globally claimed a culinary spot to be a culinary destination. You will find food and cuisine everywhere you go. The trick is to open your mind to it and see it!

Oil Painting: Olive Trees in Spain by Sarah Bryant

This year is a special destination because I am heading to a country rich all over with food. I am heading to North of Spain. Spain is known for being rich in produce. From fruits and vegetables and especially the olive and olive oil, to meats, fish and seafood, to cheeses and wines... the country has it all! The Spanish Cuisine is rich and diverse and I cannot close this sentence without a reference to its very well known Tapas or as known in the Basque country as Pintxos (which are small appetisers, kind of like the Arabic Mezze). The tapas over there even has a culture known as Tapas Crawl, where the people hop from bar to another all evening, where they have one tapa at each bar! Not to forget, of course, that San Sebastian in the Northern Region of Spain is known to be the Mecca for Foodies. The city has the largest number of Michelin Starred Restaurant in Europe!
I have been looking forward to going to Spain on a Culinary quest for a while now, but somehow always ended up going to another city. But the time is right now and am ready for Spain, for La Cocina Vasca and specifically looking forward to the Nueva Cocina Vasca. I would have loved nothing more than spending a few months there, but had to cut down to a couple of weeks. Therefore, I have chosen north of Spain this time, and will definitely be dedicating one for the southern region.

I will be blogging all about this trip when I get back, and telling you all about the adventures -especially looking forward to seeing the cheese country!! Yes they have a cheese country there!! Specifically the cheese caves, where bats and cheese live harmoniously! On the lookout for cured meat producers although it is not the specialty of the North Region, but heard there are a few farms to check out. Eagerly anticipating the mythical Rioja Region with all the wine farms and secret gastropubs and restaurants tucked within the farms! And most definitely not going to miss out on the restaurants with all the stars to devour a sea urchin cappuccino amongst other things.

For the recipe section of this post, I thought to stay within the theme of Spain. At first, I thought of a tapa but then decided to keep that for when I come back as I will have lots of tips for you from the natives :) Therefore and since Spain is famous for Olives and Olive Oil, I thought why not share with you the method of brining Olives at home? Nothing beats the flavour of home-brined olives, and you will love this super simple recipe. Here is how its done:

You can brine black olives separately from the green, or you can mix both together. I have added the chilies and lemon for flavour, but you can carry out without them if you prefer plain olives like the ones in the picture above.

Fresh Olives

You Need
1Kg fresh Olives (green, black or both)
1/2 Kg unwaxed Lemon
Green Chilies (quantity is optional)
2 cups lemon Juice
1 packet or 500g Coarse Salt

For Brine 
for each 1 cup water you need 1 1/4 tbsp Salt

Start by thoroughly washing the fresh olives, removing the dust or any soil residue on them. Dry them well. You can either score each olive on 3 sides or you can crush them using a mortar. Once all the olives had been scored or crushed, place them in a large bowl and soak with water for 3 days, changing the water once daily. This process reduces the natural bitterness of the olives.

After the 3 days, remove all water and add the 500g of coarse salt and toss to coat all olives. Let the olives sit at room temperature (18-20 C), for 2 days, draining the water daily. The olives will soak up the salt and further reduce in bitterness.

On the second day, roughly chop the lemons and chilies and mix then set aside. Discard all the liquids in the olives bowl and mix in the chopped lemons and chilies.

Sterilise some jars by boiling them and their lids for 5 minutes, then dry them in a warm oven. Do not use towels to dry them. Another way to sterilise the jars is by washing and drying them in the dishwasher.
Fill each jar with the olives mixture, leaving about 1 inch empty.

Make Brine, by mixing enough water and salt together to fill the jars (feel free to make a little at a time and go as needed). Top the olive mixture in the jars with the brine to the top. Close the lid tightly. The olives will be ready to eat in a month time.


Thank you for coming back and reading this post. I hope you have enjoyed it and that I was able to inspire you to go on food adventures and find your Culinary Destinations, wherever they may be. Don't think of only the major cuisines. Food is everywhere, and all people eat. Open your heart to it and you will see that through food you can learn a lot about life, yourself and people everywhere. After all: 

"One's Destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."

Drop by again soon for more food stories and recipes :) but while you are still here, leave me a comment and tell me which cuisine, city, or ingredient inspires you?


Thank You Inaki Ubiria, and Edward Sweigart for all your recommends, can't wait to try them all! you guys are stars :))

Makmooret Zahra bil Fakhara (Stew of Cauliflower in Yogurt Sauce Cooked in A Clay Pot) - how a stew takes a whole new dimension!

In Palestinian cuisine, specifically from the city of Nablus, comes this superb stew of cauliflower cooked in yogurt sauce known as Makmooret Zahra. Traditionally the cauliflower is fried till light golden brown, then added to lamb broth and left to simmer for a few minutes. The simmering process here is to flavour the broth  with cauliflower. After simmering, thickened yogurt is added to the mix and simmered again to infuse all flavours (lamb, cauliflower, and yogurt). The only tricky part in this recipe is to keep the yogurt from splitting and curdling while cooking. For that reason, the yogurt is usually thickened with a binding agent. In the traditional kitchen, eggs are used to keep the yogurt together, by being tempered then added to the yogurt; kind of like the concept of custard. However, many find this method to be a little complicated and labour intensive as you will have to continuously stir in order not to end up with scrambled eggs in the sauce.  The method I use to make any yogurt-based sauce is to add starch to the yogurt and blend in a food blender until it is well incorporated. It works like a charm, and requires much less work.

You can carry out this recipe in a regular stew pot, but for the authentic and unmatched flavour, go for the earthenware or clay pot (Fakhara in Arabic) it makes all the difference. Earthenware, is porous and when it soaks up the moisture from the food while being subjected to the heat in the oven; the steam evaporates from its pours into the food and therefore combining the stewing cooking method and the steaming method all at once. Steaming is known to enhance the flavours of vegetables, and therefore the flavour of stews cooked in fakara are seriously good and unmatched. Covering the tops of the pot with a simple dough encloses all the steam created in the clay pot, keeping all the moistness, goodness and flavour circulating around the food and in turn resulting in stronger flavours and more tender meats! Goodness...!

When it comes to cooking in clay pots, the natural properties of clay produce rich and deeply flavoured foods. These pots have been used for cooking throughout the civilisation of mankind. Nowadays we have specific erthenware pots for almost every use. There is the soup clay pot, the angled bean clay pot, the chicken brick, the stew clay pot, the Tagine clay pot with a coned lid, the Chinese sand pot which looks like a skillet with ceramic glaze and ceramic handles, the Tandoor pot, the Tian dish...etc. They are all designed for specific uses. Yet earthenware is very versatile and is really multi-purpose. Any clay pot can be used as a stew pot, as a roaster, as a steamer, a pie dish...etc. One of the fabulous features of clay is its ability to retain heat, whick makes it perfect for slow-cooking (like stews and roasts). More importantly, this heat-retaining  property is perfect for baking breads and pies as it provides the needed crustiness.

Earthenware, otherwise known as clay pots, terracotta pots, Fakhara, Cazuela...etc can be natural (unglazed), glazed, ceramic enamled...etc. Usually you want to follow manufacturer's instructions on how to use your clay pot, however these are general guidelines that you should follow:

• The temperature must gradually rise and fall, therefore never place earthenware in a preheated oven, instead place in a cold oven, and as the temperature rises in the oven the clay pot gets warmer. This is why clay pots are perfect vessels for slow cooking methods. In the same effect, never place a hot clay pot on a cold surface, rather place over a cooling mat or so.
• Unless otherwise instructed by the manufacturers, most clay pots should not be placed directly over heat. A buffer must be placed in between.
• Soak unglazed clay pots in water for 10 minutes before use to moisten.
• Since clay is porous it can absorb strong flavours which are then hard to wash off. Dedicate a clay pot for strongly flavoured dishes such as tandoori chicken, curries...etc. Or the flavours will rub off to other dishes.
• Never place unglazed clay pots in dishwashers. And never wash unglazed pots with detergents, as it will settle in the pours and be released into your foods.
• Not all clay pots are food grade, or food safe. Some clay pots contain high levels of lead which are hazardous. Therefore buy your clay pots from a trusted source and better go for ones that have a food grade stamp on them.
• for more on earthenware and other cookware, check out my post 'Understanding Cookware'

Back to the stew :)
The combination of cauliflower and yogurt sauce is really one you do not want to miss. This is one of those recipes that you and your family will devour. I roast the cauliflower instead of deep frying it, as I find it healthier and lighter, which doesn't leave you feeling heavy and lazy afterwards. But for deeper flavours, and an authentic experience, you might want to stick to the traditional recipe. Also traditionally this stew is served with a side of rice pilaf, but I prefer a side of crusty bread, which you can dip into the yoghurt sauce and be transformed into a world of creamy goodness unknown except to your palate! The creaminess, warmth and softness of this dish, thrones it at the top of comfort foods. However way you look at this, you will find a well-rounded experience of flavours and goodness.

Serves 6
Makmooret Zahra Bil Fakhara
You Need

For the lamb broth
2Kg lamb meat on the bone (or 1kg boneless meat chunks)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
4 pcs whole all spice corns
1 large cinnamon stick
3 pcs whole cardamom seeds
2 dried bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 heaped tbsp cumin powder
Salt & Black pepper to taste
enough water to cover the meat

For Roasted Cauliflower
2 large heads of cauliflower, cut into flowerettes, washed and dried
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cumin powder
Salt & Black pepper

For Yoghurt Sauce
1 ltr lamb broth
1 1/2 KG plain yogurt
3 heaped tbsp starch
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt & Black pepper

For Simple Dough cover
2 1/2 cups flour
Salt
1 - 1 1/2 cups of water

Start by making the lamb broth. Sweat the onion and crushed garlic in the olive oil until translucent but not browned. Add the meat pieces and brown slightly on all sides. Season with cumin, Salt & black pepper and stir to mix. Add the water and stir scraping the bottoms of the pot. Place your spices in a spice sieve container as in picture above, and place this spice bouquet into the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer skimming the gray scum until the meat is cooked.
When cooked, drain to separate the meat and liquid reserving the liquid. You will use 1 ltr of the liquid in this recipe, and the remaining liquid you can place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and use in other recipes. Discard the spices.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the cauliflower for roasting (or fry if desired).
Preheat oven to 450F. We are roasting, so you will need the top fire setting. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. In a small bowl, mix all seasoning (spices and salt). Place the cauliflower on top, and sprinkle with oil, then the seasoning mixture. Place in preheated oven and roast till golden brown. About 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning twice throughout.

In a large pot, bring 1 ltr of lamb broth to a boil and place roasted cauliflower in the boiling broth together with the lamb pieces. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt. In a blender, place the yogurt, crushed garlic, starch and seasoning. Blend till smooth and all incorporated. There should be no lumps of starch in the yogurt mixture. Add this yogurt mixture to the simmering lamb broth and cauliflower, stirring to incorporate all. Continue stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Pour the stew into the priorly soaked clay pots. Top with rolled simple dough to seal. Prick the centre of the dough with a sharp knife for extra steam to escape. Place the ready pots on a lined baking sheet and place in cool oven.
set the oven to 300F and bake the pots for 40-45 minutes. When done and the dough cover has browned, remove from oven and serve alongside rice or bread.

To make the simple dough cover, mix the flour and salt together, then gradually add enough water to bring the mixture together into a dough. This dough will not be eaten, it is just to seal in the flavours. Once you have achieved dough consistency, roll out and use to cover the clay pots.


Please Note  In concoctions like this one, when the preparation is done in steps, you need to keep an eye on seasoning. We are seasoning every layer as we go, therefore watch out from over seasoning and keep tasting to ensure you haven't gone too far with the salt.
For learning the makings of Arabic Cuisine and mastering Arabic Cooking join my course 'Arabic Cooking Basics'. get in touch with me for details.


Thank you for dropping by and reading this post. Hope you have enjoyed it.
Let me hear from you before you leave and drop by again soon for more scrumptious food and chats :))