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COOKING AND FOODS OF FUERTEVENTURA
The typical dishes of the
island consist mainly of the simplest ingredients, and in their original
form they are now only served in simple restaurants, mostly far away from
the tourist zones. One of them is "gofio", for example, the staple
diet of the island people. Gofio is a flour of roasted and ground grains,
used among other things to thicken soups and stews. In the morning people
stir it into their milky coffee, and it is added to the porridge eaten
by small children.
Another speciality of Canarian cuisine
is "papas arrugadas con mojo", little "wrinkly potatoes"
with "mojo verde" (green garlic,persil and coriander
sauce) or "mojo rojo", also called "mojo picón" (red ,garlic,hot
pepper and paprika sauce, very spicy). The wrinkly potatoes, which are
eaten with their jackets, are made by boiling small potatoes in very salty
water (originally, this was always sea-water), then pouring off the water
and drying out the potatoes on a low flame, shaking the pot all the time
until the rest of the water has evaporated and the crystallised salt clings
to the skins of the potatoes. Papas arrugadas con mojo are eaten with both
fish and meat dishes. Just as popular are the "batatas"
(depending on the season) con mojo, sweet potatoes with garlic
sauce. The taste of the very sweet potatoes and the very hot garlic make
an interesting and harmonious combination. We should also mention the Majorero
cheese, and tomatoes.
For
desayuno (breakfast), the Canarios mostly
content themselves with a "café con leche" (coffee with
milk) and a "dulce" (pastry). "Churros" are very popular,
puff pastries that are delicious eaten fresh from the deep-fry and dipped
in "chocolate callente" (hot chocolate) or café con leche.
Unlike the holiday-makers, after their rather meagre breakfast the
island's inhabitants place great store by a substantial "almuerzo"
(midday meal). This begins between one and two in the afternoon, and
at the weekend, for example, it can last into the late afternoon. Just
about everything is put on the table that the kitchen can possibly produce.
On Sundays and holidays, restaurants frequented by the locals like to
make "puchero", an elaborate stew consisting of several
kinds of meat (the original has 7 different meats) and various kinds of
vegetable. The vegetables, mostly carrots, potatoes, maize, white cabbage
and chick-peas ("garbanzos") are cooked separately in salted water and then
put on the plate with the meat. The extremely delicious stock produced
from this is often mixed with gofio, which is eaten along with the very
substantial dish, depending on individual taste.
Another well-loved
sew is "rancho canario", consisting of garbanzos (chick-peas),
noodles and potatoes, together with bacon fat, beef and chicken.
The "potaje canario",
a vegetable stew, often based on lentils or chick-peas, is an extremely
filling starter. Another speciality is "potaje de berros" (watercress).
"Sancocho canario",
a stew made of dried fish, potatoes, sweet potatoes and vegetables, is
also traditional. Before cooking, the dried fish is soaked in water
for several hours.
Fish
And obviously, there
is fish, in all possible variations. Fried, grilled or boiled. And
it tastes best when fresh, of course. If you choose "pescado del dia"
(fish of the day), you will have the best chance of getting a really fresh
fish. Sole, which is to be found on almost all menus. is almost always
"congelado" (frozen).
The
following are fish that can almost always be obtained fresh:
©
1997 watercolours Otto E. Wieghardt
Meat
The best-known of
the Canary Isles' meat dishes include, Kid goat meat prepared in many
ways, but especially roast with garlic, black pepper, oregano, thyme, and
bay leaf, with a little vinegar and oil. Braised goat meat. Roast
marinated pork. "conejo en salmorejo" (wild rabbit in marinade),
"cabrito" (kid goat) and "cordero" (lamb).
Tapas
In almost all bars,
at least outside the tourist zones, you can get "tapas", little
appetizers in all possible variations, served on little plates and ideal
for trying out different dishes. The custom of serving tapas comes from
the Spanish mainland. Translated literally, tapa means "lid". In the
old days, anyone ordering a drink automatically got a glass covered by
a little plate on which there was a tasty morsel, often a little piece of
cheese or ham. Those in the know claim the custom was invented for reasons
of hygiene, to keep the flies off the drink. Sadly, although there are
still plenty of flies, glasses are no longer covered in this way. Instead,
there is a great variet of tapas, there are even "tapa bars" that serve
up to 25 different dishes. In most cases, the glass showcase on the bar
contains "ensaladilla" (a kind of potato salad), "pollo" (chicken), "carne
en salsa" or "estofado" (meat in sauce, or goulache) and "paella", in addition
to ham and cheese..
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