Gastronomy

One of the main riches of our culture is its cuisine, washed down with exquisite wines. Different cultures have been contributing centuries of wisdom in the preparation of their stews. It is a diverse cuisine made with top quality raw materials (fruits, vegetables, meat and fish from the coast) which, together with locally produced products (wines, oils, honey, juices, etc) allow us to offer visitors traditional cuisine and exquisite flavors. The smell of seafood recipes fills every inch of the promenade of the Matalascañas beach just like in Almonte the aroma of stews and legume stews and stews with vegetables at noon spreads through its streets and squares.

The various ways of preparing fish and prawns on the Huelva Coast, its poultry and game meats and, of course, its products from the garden, mean that this municipality has numerous recipes with grace, flavor and aroma. If we add to this the genuine flavors of its products raised in the wild such as spinach, asparagus, tagarnin, etc. and its aromatic herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary and fennel, these will undoubtedly convince the most demanding palates. If the visitor attends the dates of the pilgrimage, they will be able to try the tasty rociero broth, which is used to intone the body of the rocieros on the cool nights of those days of worship, fervor and folklore.

In Matalascañas you can taste the Huelva white prawn in a wide variety of preparations, all simple recipes based on the excellence of the product. They can be enjoyed with garlic, grilled or simply cooked; its smoothness and its flavor will make the traveler who loves intense and natural flavors fall in love.

Among the most consumed and appreciated dishes are corvina in almond sauce or coquinas in garlic with white wine from Condado de Huelva. Without detracting, of course, from its rice dishes with shrimp, seafood paellas and its typical fried fish, where the cuttlefish from Huelva cannot be left out.

The dishes and stews from the inland also have an important presence in the gastronomic culture of Almonte, made with excellent vegetables from the local gardens. Among the most appreciated dishes we have the stew with rabbit and the lamb stew. The protagonist of the lands of Doñana is the mostrenca cow or marismeña cow, some cows that have managed to adapt to the marsh and survive in these flooded and sandy lands that force them to be in continuous movement. The meat of the Marismeña breed has the full right to be included among the natural ones given its exploitation system, which is very similar to the lifestyle of the ungulates with which it lives, resulting in a singular meat, with little fat, a strong flavor and aromas that we can enjoy both grilled, in almond sauce or in stew.

Those demanding good bread will surely like the traditional bazo bread, a rounded piece made with candeal flour and medium hydration. Very practical because it can accompany meals in chopped form; with it the traditional farandolas (slices of toasted bread) are made, you can eat it with the tasty and unique Iberian ham from the Sierra de Huelva, dipped in our virgin olive oil. And you will not forget our special hayuyas, a type of White bread of Arabic origin, exquisite to create a wide variety of montaditos. The Almonte donuts are also famous: conventional, ecological, wholemeal, the Almonte “regañá”…

Olive Oil is essential to the gastronomy of Doñana. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the great secret of fried fish and cuttlefish, tempuras and roasts; also of the succulent stews, stews and stews that are slowly cooked, and at a low temperature, to keep all their healthy properties unchanged.

Wine is also part of the essence of this land, its lifestyle and the cheerful attitude of its people, favoring personal relationships and conversation between countrymen in meeting places, bars, taverns, and taverns, mandatory in the celebrations and perfect pairing with the excellent cuisine of Doñana. Fruity, white, fragrant, sweet (orange and raisin) red and much more, Almonte also produces the “Raigal” sparkling wine called the “first Andalusian cava”; Made with the Zalema grape, it is one of the jewels within the wine products of the municipality of Almonte, in the Doñana region.

And to finish the menu, the visitor will be able to enjoy the most representative fruits of the municipality which are the berries: strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are exquisite, nutritious and healthy. In addition to their consumption as fruits, an endless number of pastry recipes are also made with these products. . And what about its typical sweets with Arabic flavours: gañotes, pestiños, “pulley” with honey from the flowers of Doñana, which are usually tasted at Easter and in the pilgrimage of El Rocío. Or the typical repápalos, made with spleen bread dough.

Below are some typical recipes from the area as a sample of our varied gastronomy. These have been taken from the tasty recipes written by Juan de Dios Cortijo González from his book “La Cocina Tradicional Andaluza de Almonte; Yesterday and Today”, collected in the Cuadernos de Almonte Collection.

MARISMEÑA VEAL WITH RICE
Ingredients:
Beef – 300 grams
Rice – 5 handfuls
Garlic – 4 cloves
Onion – half an onion
Bay leaf
Thyme
Black pepper
Clove
Saffron
Tomato – 1
Carrots – 1
Fine wine – a splash
Water
Salt

Preparation:
Heat a pot with the oil, when hot, fry the chopped garlic and onion. Add the meat cut into small pieces and seasoned with salt; remove and let cool Add the crushed tomato without skin or seeds, and the finely chopped carrot, stirring constantly. Next, add the wine and seasonings, reduce and cover with plenty of water. Cook over low heat until the meat is almost tender. Season to taste and add the rice.
Stir, cook over low heat and once tender serve..

Suggestion:
The rice can be made in broth or dry, to preference. You can also use other types of meat such as lamb, poultry, venison, wild boar, etc.

ROCIO STEW
Ingredients:
Lamb meat – 1 kilo
Onion – half a piece
Green pepper – 1 piece
Ripe tomatoes – 2 units
Half glass of olive oil
White wine – half a glass
Black pepper
Paprika
Cloves
Salt
Bay leaves
Bazo bread – one piece

Preparation:
Put a saucepan or pot on the fire with the olive oil and when it is hot, add the clean, chopped and seasoned meat and all the trimmings. The vegetables are diced into squares. When it starts to boil, skim and cook over low heat until the meat is tender. It is ready to taste and serve.

Suggestion:
You can put a mash of roasted offal, fried garlic and breadcrumbs. The most used meats are lamb, veal, venison, etc.

CHICKPEAS WITH SPINACH
Ingredients:
Garden or wild spinach – 2 kilos
Chickpeas – 4 handfuls
Garlic – 2 heads
Olive oil – 1 glass
Salt
Paprika
Cumin
Fried bread

Preparation:
The spinach is chopped, washed very well and a pot is put on the stove with water and salt. When it is boiling, add the spinach, stir from time to time and once cooked, set aside and drain. Put a pot on the stove with the olive oil and when it is hot, fry the bread and the garlic, and set aside. Remove the pot from the heat, add the paprika and spinach while stirring constantly. Put it back on the heat, stirring from time to time. After ten minutes, add part of the fried garlic and the cooked chickpeas. Stir and cook over low heat. A mash is prepared with the garlic, fried bread, cumin and salt and added to the spinach. When they begin to release the oil, season to taste and serve in a medium or small clay pot.

Suggestion:
They can be accompanied with fried or poached eggs. It is decorated with garlic and croutons.

COQUINAS (clams) WITH GARLIC
Ingredients:
Coquinas – half a kilo
Garlic – 6 cloves
Bay leaves
Fine white wine – 1 glass
Olive oil – half a glass
Salt
Flour – 1 tablespoon
Parsley

Preparation:
Put a pot on the stove with the olive oil, when it is hot add the finely chopped garlic and the bay leaf. Once the garlic is browned add the coquinas; cover the bowl and stir occasionally. When they are all open add the flour, wine, salt and chopped parsley. Season to taste and serve in a casserole or dish.

CUTTLEFISH SALAD
Ingredients:
Tomatoes
Green peppers
Onion
Salt
Olive oil
Grilled or pan fried cuttlefish, diced

Preparation:
Once well washed, cut all the vegetables into cubes and put them in a bowl with the cuttlefish, salt, vinegar and olive oil. Mix everything well. It is ready to taste and serve.