Was it the Andalucian light, the rich history of the place or the extensive vegetable garden that I fell in love with when I first visited El Zauzal? This property is at the heart of the Aracena nature park, 50 miles north-west of Sevilla and just 40 from the border with Portugal.
The house was small and the track narrow, but the view lit by the light awakens all senses any time of the day. It was in the middle of the summer, just in time to collect the flavoursome tomate rosa, the aubergines, the green and the red peppers, the piel de sapo melon as well as the yellow courgettes.
There were also figs, plums and peach trees loaded with fruit, and others such as pomegranate, quince and persimmon waiting for the colder season. Eighteen years ago, we bought El Zauzal to cook delicious Andalucian food and to write books about it, in this region that I have been travelling in for several decades while also working and living in London.
When I think of Andalucía, I do not think only of El Zauzal and the Sierras, I am equally attracted by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coastal world, the small towns and beautiful cities dotted all along the region. I also think of wheat fields, sunflower plantations, vineyards and olive groves, exuberant patios bursting with plants and balconies laden with colourful geraniums, all made especially beautiful with that special light that is an inspiration to me.
Add to this scene succulent shrimp from Huelva, fried fish wrapped in paper cones in Sevilla, fresh tuna from Cádiz, cold almond soup from Córdoba and Málaga, sweet things from Antequera, aubergines with molasses from Granada, vegetable salads from Almería, plus the amazing breads from Jaén, and the varied and unique map of Andalucian food will begin to emerge.
To appreciate the complexity of the ‘cocina de Andalucía’ we need to go back in time, to understand the importance of the legacy left by the different cultures who came and went, whose food has layered and is still present in the Andalucian cooking pot; Roman, Jewish and especially Moorish. From the end of the 15th century, the arrival of ingredients from the Americas enriched Andalucian food culture too.
The climate has always played a key role in the cooking. Moderate autumn and winter temperatures, a beautiful springtime and a very hot summer have dictated the mood of the Andalucian kitchen, dependent on the season and the locality, and joyfully resourceful, as are the people of the towns and villages. A cold glass of gazpacho Andaluz; a plate of pan-fried wild red tuna with an orange sauce; a salad of just-ripe tomatoes dressed with a local olive oil, a few drops of sherry vinegar and sprinkled with oregano, are all dishes to taste while touring Andalucía.
In a land where the vine has been grown since the beginning of time, it is not difficult to find excellent wines to accompany food and to celebrate the many festive days in the Andalucian calendar. I cannot imagine a Spanish table full of tapas without a copita of fino or manzanilla sherry (fortified wines produced in the province of Cádiz, in an area known as the ‘sherry triangle’). And there are quality white and red options now on the market – either would serve equally well with these recipes.
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