Page 83 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

INTRODUCING NOR THERN SP AIN  81

to flavour embutidos, or
cured meats). In the Navarrese
mountains, lamb is the most
popular meat and you will
find cordero al chilindrón
(lamb stew) featuring on
almost every menu. In
season, you’ll also find richly
flavoured game, including
partridge, hare and pheasant.
Tiny La Rioja is Spain’s
most famous wine region,
producing rich, oaky reds
and whites (see pp82–3). The
cuisine of La Rioja borrows
Array of pintxos laid out in a bar in the Basque Country from the neighbouring
Basque Country and Navarra,
Basque Country Navarra and La Rioja with lamb featuring heavily,
The Basque Country is a The fertile farmland of along with seafood and
paradise for gourmets, landlocked Navarra produces top-quality local vegetables.
renowned throughout Spain a spectacular array of fruit and
for the excellence of its natural vegetables such as aspara gus, On the Menu
produce and the creative artichokes, cherries, chestnuts
brilliance of its chefs. Basque and peppers (often hung in Angulas a la Bilbaína Baby
cuisine leans towards seafood, pretty strings to dry and used eels cooked in olive oil with
of which there is a dazzling garlic – a Basque delicacy.
variety: humble salted cod Cocido Montañés Cantabrian
and hake (made extraordinary stew of pork, spicy sausage,
with delicious sauces) are vegetables – and a pig’s ear.
most common, but sought- Fabada Asturiana Asturian
after delicacies include elvers beans stewed with cured
(baby eels) and spider crab. meats and pork.
Basque wines, drunk young Pimientos del Padrón
and tart, are the perfect A Gallego dish of green peppers
counterpoint. Bar counters fried in olive oil with rock salt.
groan with platters of pintxos Pulpo a la Gallega Octopus,
(crusty bread with gourmet cooked until tender in a mildly
toppings), each one of them a spicy paprika sauce.
miniature work of art, and the Trucha a la Navarra Trout,
Baby octopus Basques also make wonderful stuffed with ham and quickly
cheeses, including delicate, Red peppers strung up to dry in the sun grilled or fried.
smoky Idiazábal. outside a house

Empanada Gallega The perfect Chilindrón de Cordero A rich, Leche Frita “Fried milk” is a
picnic snack, these golden hearty stew from the mountains scrumptious, custardy dessert
pastries are stuffed with all of Navarra, this is made with from Cantabria. Simple but
kinds of fillings. succulent lamb. utterly delicious.

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