World Flavors Cookbook

Spain Recipes

Spanish cuisine spans dramatic extremes: the green, rainy north of Basque Country and Galicia produces world-class pintxos, seafood, and bold red wines, while the sunny south of Andalusia gave the world gazpacho, sherry, and tapas culture. Each region is fiercely proud of its distinct culinary identity.

Recipes from Spain

• Tortilla de Patatas

  The iconic Spanish potato omelet. Thick, juicy, and made with just four ingredients: eggs, potatoes, salt, and optionally onions. A staple of every Spanish home and bar.

• Jamón Ibérico de Bellota

  The absolute pinnacle of Spanish gastronomy. Cured ham from acorn-fed Iberian pigs. This covers the traditional serving style and culture of the world's finest ham.

• Gambas al Ajillo

  Sizzling garlic shrimp — a classic tapa. Plump shrimp cooked in a pool of garlic-infused olive oil with a hint of chili.

• Sopa de Ajo (Castilian Bread Soup)

  A humble but deeply flavorful soup of the Spanish interior. Made with stale bread, garlic, and smoked paprika, often topped with a poached egg.

• Paella de Marisco (Seafood Paella)

  The internationally famous version of paella. Saffron rice cooked with a bounty of Mediterranean seafood: prawns, mussels, squid, and clams.

• Fabada Asturiana

  Spain's heartiest bean stew — giant white fabes beans slow-cooked with chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage), and smoky pork.

• Pulpo a la Gallega

  Galicia's legendary octopus dish seasoned with smoked paprika and sea salt.

• Chistorra a la Brasa

  A fast-cured sausage from Navarre and the Basque Country. Thin, bright red, and packed with garlic and paprika.

• Rabas (Cantabrian Fried Squid)

  The definitive appetizer of the Cantabrian coast. Strips of fresh squid lightly floured and flash-fried.

• Empanada Gallega

  A large, savory pie from Galicia filled with onions, peppers, and typically tuna.

• Gazpacho Andaluz

  The definitive cold tomato soup from Andalusia.

• Salmorejo Cordobés

  Cordoba's thicker, creamier version of cold tomato soup.

• Ajoblanco (White Almond Soup)

  A silky, refreshing cold soup made from crushed almonds, garlic, and olive oil.

• Rabo de Toro (Oxtail Stew)

  A rich, dark stew from Andalusia. Oxtail slow-cooked in red wine.

• Carrillada de Cerdo (Pork Cheeks)

  Tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork cheeks braised in a rich wine sauce.

• Espinacas con Garbanzos

  Seville's signature tapa — chickpeas and spinach seasoned with garlic and cumin.

• Espetos de Sardinas

  Malaga's famous sardine skewers, grilled over an open wood fire on the beach.

• Paella Valenciana

  The original Spanish rice dish with rabbit, chicken, and beans.

• Niños Envueltos

  Spanish "wrapped children" — delicate cabbage rolls stuffed with a spiced meat and rice mixture, often served in a rich saffron-tinted sauce.

• Huevos Rotos

  "Broken eggs" served over crispy fried potatoes and topped with cured ham.

• Bacalao al Pil-Pil

  A masterpiece of Basque cuisine: salt cod cooked in olive oil and garlic until the gelatin creates a thick, creamy sauce.

• Zarzuela de Pescado

  A luxurious Catalan seafood stew featuring a variety of fish and shellfish in a rich nut-thickened sauce.

• Patatas Bravas

  Spain's quintessential tapas — crispy fried potato cubes served with a fiery tomato-paprika bravas sauce and garlic aioli.

• Cocido Madrileño

  Madrid's grand three-course stew — chickpeas, meats, and vegetables simmered together, then served in three acts: broth, then vegetables, then meats.

• Churros con Chocolate

  The definitive Spanish snack: deep-fried dough loops served with a cup of thick, rich, hot chocolate for dipping.

• Crema Catalana

  Catalonia's version of crème brûlée, flavored with cinnamon and citrus zest, with a characteristic burnt sugar crust.

• Pan con Tomate (Pa amb Tomàquet)

  The simplest and most beloved Catalan staple: crusty bread rubbed with raw garlic and ripe tomato, finished with olive oil and salt.

• Croquetas de Jamón

  Creamy bechamel fritters studded with bits of Iberian ham, breaded and fried to a golden crunch.

• Pimientos de Padrón

  Small green peppers from Galicia, pan-fried in olive oil until blistered and seasoned with coarse sea salt.

• Gazpacho Manchego

  A hearty, warm hunter's stew from La Mancha, made with small game, flatbread pieces (tortas de gazpacho), and aromatic herbs.

• Marmitako (Basque Tuna Stew)

  A rustic fisherman's stew from the Basque Country, made with tuna, potatoes, onions, and choricero peppers.

• Cochinillo Asado (Roast Suckling Pig)

  Segovia's legendary roast suckling pig, famous for its incredibly thin, glass-like crispy skin and tender meat.

• Callos a la Madrileña

  Madrid's famous tripe stew, cooked slowly with chorizo, morcilla, and ham in a spicy, gelatinous sauce.

• Arroz Negro (Squid Ink Rice)

  A striking jet-black rice dish from the Mediterranean coast, flavored with squid ink and loaded with tender cuttlefish or squid.

• Escalivada

  Smoky fire-roasted vegetables (eggplant, bell peppers, and onions), peeled and served in strips with olive oil and garlic.

• Goxua

  A traditional Basque dessert made of layers of whipped cream, sponge cake, and custard, topped with a caramelized sugar crust.

• Tarta de Santiago

  A moist, flourless almond cake from Galicia, traditionally decorated with the Cross of Saint James in powdered sugar.

• Quesada Pasiega

  A dense, cheesecake-like pudding from Cantabria, made with fresh cheese curds, butter, and flavored with cinnamon and lemon.

• Fideuá

  A coastal cousin of paella made with thin, short noodles instead of rice, cooked in a rich seafood broth until the noodles "stand up."

• Polvorones

  Crumbly, powdery Spanish Christmas cookies made with toasted flour, lard, and almonds.

• Tortilla Española con Chorizo

  The classic potato omelette elevated with sliced chorizo — a heartier tapa that fills any bar counter in Spain.

• Crema Catalana

  Catalonia's answer to crème brûlée — a cinnamon and lemon-scented custard with a shatteringly thin burnt sugar crust.

• Salmorejo Cordobés

  Córdoba's thick, velvety cold tomato soup — richer and denser than gazpacho, topped with jamón and hard-boiled egg.

• Patatas con Allioli

  Boiled potatoes dressed in the most pungent, pure garlic emulsion in the world — the Catalan allioli.

• Pisto Manchego

  La Mancha's rustic summer vegetable stew — zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and onion slowly cooked in olive oil.

• Migas Extremeñas

  Extremadura's famous fried bread crumbs with chorizo, bacon, and peppers — a shepherd's breakfast turned national obsession.

• Caldo Gallego

  Galicia's essential winter broth — white beans, turnip greens (grelos), and salted pork simmered into a sustaining soup.

• Lentejas a la Española

  Spanish everyday lentil stew with chorizo, morcilla, and paprika — a warming midweek staple across the meseta.

• Arroz con Leche

  The beloved Spanish rice pudding — slow-cooked in whole milk with cinnamon and lemon, dusted with ground cinnamon.

• Flan Casero

  The classic Spanish caramel custard — silky, unmoulded and bathed in its own amber caramel sauce.

• Pan de Cristal con Tomate

  Catalonia's extraordinary 'glass bread' — impossibly thin, shatteringly crispy, loaded with crushed tomato and olive oil.

• Cocido Andaluz

  Andalusia's slow-cooked chickpea stew with pork, chicken, vegetables, and saffron — the southern version of the Spanish puchero.

• Berberechos al Vapor

  Galician cockles steamed open in white wine — the simplest and most satisfying of Spain's seafood tapas.

• Almejas a la Marinera

  Clams cooked in a Galician-style sauce of white wine, garlic, paprika, and parsley — a tapa eaten with great quantities of bread.

• Porrusalda

  The Basque country's simple leek and potato soup — clean, pure, and deeply comforting. Often made with salt cod.

• Txangurro al Horno

  Baked spider crab (txangurro) in its own shell with cognac, tomato, and herbs — the Basque Country's most festive seafood dish.

• Pintxo Gilda

  San Sebastián's first pintxo — an anchovy, guindilla pepper, and olive skewered on a toothpick. Salty, spicy, briny perfection.

• Sopa Castellana

  Castile's legendary garlic soup — stale bread, paprika, serrano ham, and egg poached in broth. Warming, rustic, magnificent.

• Ensaladilla Rusa

  Spain's take on Russian salad — potatoes, carrots, peas, and tuna bound in homemade mayonnaise. The most beloved tapa bar snack.

• Boquerones en Vinagre

  White anchovies cured in vinegar until opaque, then marinated in olive oil, garlic, and parsley — the freshest tapa in Andalusia.

• Pollo al Ajillo

  Chicken pieces sautéed with dozens of garlic cloves, white wine, and herbs until golden and deeply flavored.

• Merluza en Salsa Verde

  The Basque Country's most celebrated fish dish — hake simmered in a bright green sauce of parsley, garlic, and white wine with clams.

• Cordero al Chilindrón

  Aragon's great lamb stew — slowly braised with red peppers, tomatoes, and ham in a rich, brick-red sauce.

• Arroz a Banda

  Valencia's fisherman's rice — cooked in the richest fish broth with saffron and alioli, served separately from the fish.

• Buñuelos de Viento

  Spain's All Saints' Day doughnuts — light choux pastry puffs filled with pastry cream, dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

• Torrijas

  Spain's Holy Week French toast — bread soaked in sweet wine-milk, battered, fried, and drenched in honey or cinnamon sugar.

• Gazpacho Clásico Andaluz

  The great cold soup of Andalusia — blended ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, and olive oil. The taste of a Spanish summer.

• Huevos a la Flamenca

  Seville's festive baked egg dish — eggs nestled in tomato sofrito with chorizo, jamón, and vegetables, baked in individual cazuelas.

• Cochinillo Asado Segoviano

  Segovia's legendary roast suckling pig — so tender after hours in the oven that the waiter serves it with the edge of a plate.

• Bacalao a la Vizcaína

  The Basque Country's most iconic cod dish — salt cod in a deep, sweet-peppery Vizcayan sauce of choricero peppers and onions.

• Ropa Vieja

  The original ropa vieja — Canarian shredded beef stew with chickpeas, tomatoes, and saffron. The ancestor of the Cuban version.

• Potaje de Vigilia

  The Catholic fasting stew of Holy Week — chickpeas, spinach, and salt cod simmered with saffron, paprika, and hard-boiled egg.

• Empanada Gallega de Atún

  Galicia's great stuffed flatbread — a golden pastry filled with tuna, onion, peppers, and sofrito. Perfect at room temperature.

• Chistorra al Sidra

  Basque and Navarrese fresh sausage cooked in Asturian cider — smoky, garlicky, and deeply satisfying.

• Costillas Adobadas

  Spanish pork ribs marinated in a vivid red adobo of paprika, garlic, oregano, and vinegar, then slowly roasted or grilled.

• Garbanzos con Espinacas

  Seville's beloved chickpea and spinach tapa — spiced with cumin, paprika, and bread paste, a taste of Moorish Andalusia.

• Sopas Mallorquinas

  Mallorca's ancient layered vegetable soup — paper-thin slices of country bread soaked in vegetable broth with cabbage, peppers, and tomatoes.

• Turrón de Alicante

  Spain's great Christmas nougat — roasted whole almonds set in pure white honey and egg white, the hardest and most celebrated turrón.

• Roscón de Reyes

  Spain's Three Kings Day ring cake — a fragrant orange blossom and lemon bread ring decorated with candied fruit, hiding a figurine inside.

• Natillas

  A soft, pourable Spanish egg custard — lighter than flan, flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, topped with a Maria biscuit.

• Suspiros de Monja

  Light meringue cookies dusted with cinnamon — 'Nun's Sighs', one of Spain's oldest convent sweets.

• Magras con Tomate

  Aragon's simple fried ham with tomato sauce — cured ham pan-fried until golden and served with a fresh tomato and pepper sofrito.

• Olla Podrida

  Spain's oldest recorded stew — a magnificent pot of red beans, salted meats, vegetables, and spices that fed the Golden Age courts.

• Tostadas con Aceite

  The Spanish breakfast — thick toast rubbed with tomato and drenched in the best olive oil. The Andalusian morning ritual.

• Mojo Picón Canario

  The Canary Islands' fiery red pepper and garlic sauce — a thick, pungent condiment served with papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes).

• Leche Frita

  Fried milk — thick, creamy custard squares coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. Spain's most paradoxical dessert.

• Soldaditos de Pavía

  Seville's golden beer-battered salt cod strips — named after the colourful uniforms of the Battle of Pavia, served in every Seville tapas bar.

• Atún Encebollado

  Andalusian fresh tuna slowly braised with sweet onions, white wine, and bay leaf — the classic tuna tapa of the southern coasts.

• Mantecados

  Spain's crumbly lard shortbread cookies — melt-in-the-mouth, cinnamon-scented, wrapped in tissue paper. The other essential Christmas sweet.

• Cazuela de Mariscos

  A Galician and Cantabrian seafood casserole — prawns, mussels, clams, and fish in a saffron and white wine sauce.