RING COOKIES FOR A SAINT'S DAY

 

Rosquillas de San Isidro--ring cookies for the saint's day.

Did you pay homage to San Isidro yesterday (May 15)? Patron saint of Madrid, San Isidro is the cause for a week’s celebration in the city, with deliciously old-fashioned customs such as donning the traditional puffy-sleeved chulapa dress with a pair of red carnations tucked in your kerchiefed head (or for the gentlemen, white shirts and checkered vests) and dancing the chotis; drinking the curative spring water at the saint’s shrine, and, even if you don’t take a picnic to the Pradera de San Isidro (San Isidro's meadow), at least partaking of a few rosquillas listas y tontas.

La Pradera de San Isidro, sketch by Francisco de Goya (Museo del Prado)

Rosquillas are ring cookies, a kissing cousin to doughnuts. They come both “listas” and “tontas”—"smarties" or "dummies". They are basically the same cookies, but the “smarties,” with sugar glaze, are fancier than the plain “dummies.”

Did you know that Madrid is the only European capital with Muslim origin? At the time of San Isidro’s birth (1070), the village of Madrid was part of the taifa (Islamic emirate) of Toledo. His family belonged to the Mozarab population, Christians who lived in a Muslim culture. (The word “mozárabe” comes from Arabic and means “would-be Arab”). Following the Christian reconquest of Toledo, Madrid would become part of the Christian kingdom of Castilla. Known as the patron saint of campesinos, peasants and farm workers, the devout San Isidro is often depicted at prayer while angels plow the fields. 

Rosquillas de San Isidro

Ring Cookies for San Isidro Day

Rosquillas are perfect for a tea party--or a picnic.

These cookies are not overly sweet. Too much sugar makes a sticky dough that is hard to work with. If you like more sweetness, go for the rosquillas listas, with a white icing. The ingredients given for the icing/glaze, with a whole egg white, will make enough for 16 rosquillas. If you’re only glazing half of them, you’ll have leftover icing.

If you like the flavor of anise a lot, add a tablespoon of anise liqueur to the dough in addition to the aniseed. If you don’t like it at all, substitute cinnamon for the aniseed. 

Knead the dough very briefly with only a little additional flour to make a soft dough that, although slightly sticky, can be rolled into small balls. Let the dough rest before rolling into balls to shape the rosquillas. Dip fingers into additional oil to roll the dough. Place the rings well separated, as they will expand in baking. Some may even bake closed in the center. (I wonder if these are the smarties or dumb-ies?)

The ring cookies are perfect for dunking—in coffee, tea, milk, or an herbal tisane. They are also a perfect accompaniment to sweet wine. Pack them on a picnic to the shrine of San Isidro or serve them for breakfast or snack any time of the year.

Looped on cords of rushes for picnic

Makes 16 (3-inch) ring cookies.

2 ½ cups flour + more for shaping dough

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons aniseed

4 eggs (1 separated)

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + more for shaping dough

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Sift together the 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the aniseed.

In a mixing bowl on medium-high speed, beat 3 eggs with the sugar until the eggs are light in color, increased in volume, and very slightly thickened. Beat in the oil. 

Add the flour mixture to the eggs and combine well to make a soft dough. Knead in just enough additional flour so that the dough can be gathered into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and rest the dough 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate for longer. 

Preheat oven to 425ºF with convection fan (or 450ºF without fan). Line a baking sheet with parchment. 

Place a spoonful of oil in a small bowl. Dip fingers into the oil to prevent dough from sticking. Divide dough into 16 walnut-size balls (approx. 1.4 ounces each). Place them 1 ½ inches apart on the baking sheet.

Dip a finger into the oil and press into the center of each ball of dough to open a hole and stretch the dough into a ring.

Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the tops of the cookies. Bake them until nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies on racks.

Place 1 egg white in a bowl and beat until foamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat at high speed 4 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice.

Place half of the cookies on a rack over sheet pan or paper to catch the drips. Either spoon the egg white glaze over them or else carefully dip them, topside down, into the egg white glaze. Place the rack in turned-off oven to dry for 15 minutes. The remaining unglazed cookies are the tontas. 

More recipes for roscos/rosquillas:

Antonia's Cinnamon Rings (wood-fired oven) 

Wine Ring Cookies (Roscos de Vino)

Orange-Scented Ring Cookies (Roscos de Naranja)

This recipe appears in FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain (Hippocrene Books; 2025). (See below for where to order.)

 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

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THE TUNA ROUNDUP

 

Photo La Voz de Cádiz

The almadraba season is underway! The first glistening tunas, Atlantic bluefins, have been pulled from the waters on the Atlantic coast leading into the Straits of Gibraltar. 

The almadraba is a very ancient way of fishing tuna. The Phoenicians, who colonized southern Spain more than 3000 years ago, devised a system of capturing the tuna as they migrated from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean to spawn. The Romans came to conquer and stayed to fish. A few centuries later, the Arabs of medieval Spain gave us the word almadraba for the method of catching these big fish. Almadraba means “the place to strike.”

The almadraba nets, forming long chambers, like a series of corrals, are anchored to the bottom. Tuna swimming through are trapped in the nets. Fishermen in boats pull the nets into a tightening circle, until the huge fish are trapped in the middle. The men haul them on board—the levantá—where they are dispatched with a knife cut in the gills. In port, the tuna are butchered, ronqueo is the word indicating the sound—like a loud snore—of the knife cutting through the rough skin. The fish is cut into many parts, the choice lomo, or loin; the ventresca or fatty belly meat; the morillo, cut from the top of the head, etc.

More than half of the almadraba catch is bought up by Japanese entrepreneurs and shipped, frozen, to Tokyo. What’s left goes to local markets, restaurants, tapa bars and processors.  

The almadraba is sustainable fishing. The catch is monitored and subject to strict quotas imposed by ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas). The nets allow smaller fish to escape. The tuna run ends in June; no tuna are captured on their return from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. It is estimated that less than one percent of the tuna that pass through the Straits are captured. Last year’s catch on the Cádiz coast was about 1,600 tuna. 

Worldwide, however, blue-fin tuna is endangered. According to Fernando Huidobro, journalist, cookbook author, and founder of the Academia Andaluza de Gastronomía, the challenge to the survival of thunnus thynnus is the uncontrolled use of abusive fishing methods such as pelagic longline and, above all, the purse-seine net. 

Atlantic bluefin tuna—Thunnus thynnus—is atún rojo, red tuna, in Spanish.  Bonito del norte, Thunnus alalunga, is white tuna or albacore—not to be confused with Thunnus albacares or yellowfin tuna, also sometimes called albacore (rabil in Spanish).

This month (until June 8) is the XXIX Ruta Gastronómica del Atún in Conil (Cádiz), one of the main tuna-fishing ports. Twenty-nine different bars and restaurants have special tuna tasting menus. Zahara de los Atunes celebrates the XXI Ruta del Atún May 12-17. (The tuna route in Barbate has just finished.)

To whet your appetite, here are links to tuna recipes

This is salt-cured tuna, called mojama, aka "the ham of the sea." The word mojama comes from the Arabic, mushmarra, meaning “waxy,” because the slab of dried fish looks like bees wax. Mojama is made from thick slices of tuna that are packed in sea salt for a day or two, then washed and hung to air-dry. As it dries, the flesh becomes firm and the flavor intensifies. Mojama tastes moderately salty with a subtle iodine taste, but is not “fishy.” It’s a rich, umami flavor. It makes a superb appetizer.

How to serve Mojama

Tuna Tartare. Did you know you should freeze any fish that's going to be served raw? As most fresh tuna comes to the market frozen, that step may already be done for you. This recipe has capers, of course, and pickled melon. 

Tomatoes and Peppers with Tuna (Titaina Valenciana)  

In Valencia this easy dish is can be made with dry or fresh tuna. It's a simple tomato-pepper sauce, embellished with spices (cinnamon) and pine nuts. Serve it hot or cold.

Poke Bowl with Tuna 

A great party dish--let guests compose their own bowls. The raw fish can be bluefin or albacore tuna. (On the link is also a recipe for crowd-pleasing tuna cakes--perfect for when you have leftovers from a big fish.)

Grilled Tuna with Onions Confit 

Cook the tuna on a ridged grill pan or on the barbecue to desired doneness--rare is best. Serve it with this sauce of sweet onions caramelized in PX sweet wine. It's an updated version of traditional atún encebollado, or "onioned tuna." 

Pot-Roasted Tuna (Atún Mechado) 

A piece of fresh tuna is larded with strips of bacon which help to keep it juicy; slow-cooked in an onion-rich sauce with lots of olive oil, and carefully monitored so it doesn’t overcook and become dry. Unlike a beef pot roast, this one needs only about 30 minutes to cook. 

Grilled Tuna with Red Wine Sauce 

Too rare for you? Grill the tuna a little longer for medium. Moroccan preserved lemons add a briny accent to the sauce of chopped vegetables cooked in red wine.

Tuna with Tomato (Atún con Tomate) 

This recipe for tuna with tomatoes is traditional in Andalusia, especially in the provinces of Huelva and Cádiz where bluefin tuna is taken. In its original version, the lesser cuts of the big fish would be cut into chunks and braised slowly with not much more than olive oil and cut-up tomatoes. Nowdays, the dish is usually prepared with choice pieces from the loin, briefly browned in oil then finished in tomato sauce to cook only for three or four minutes. Cooked in this manner, the fish stays juicy and moist. 

 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon (USA)

Order on amazon.es  (Spain)

Order on amazon.co.uk (UK)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)

***

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I PEELED THE FAVA BEANS!

 

We’re picking the last of the fava beans (habas, broad beans in U.K.) to make way for tomato plants. The tiny “baby” favas are pretty much finished, leaving plump mature beans. So, against my principals and local tradition, I am peeling them. That means first shelling the beans then, one by one, removing their outer skins. 

Pinch off fava skins.

The second-stage peeling is easy enough. Place the shelled favas in boiling salted water and cook 1 minute. Drain. While they are still warm, split the outer skins (with a knife or thumbnail) and pinch out the inner bean. Once cooked, peeled favas have a delightful springtime green color, whereas they darken if skins are left on. Depending on how long they’ve been stored since picking, they will need more or less cooking time. If they need longer cooking, add water, stock (ham-bone stock is good), or Sherry to the sauté pan.

I’m cooking my fava beans in a classic sauté with serrano ham. My only other embellishment is some chopped wild fennel, not the ferny leaves, but the tender new shoots and stems. Fennel is traditional with fava beans in Andalusia, perhaps because the wild fennel often grows alongside the favas. If you have not got wild fennel, use chopped cultivated fennel bulb. Or mint in place of fennel. 

Fava beans sautéed with serrano ham.

I’m using serrano ham, the ordinary salt-cured Spanish ham. The exquisite ibérico ham would take the favas to another level altogether. Whichever you choose, do not cook the ham with the fava beans, as heat hardens tender ham. Add it when the favas are ready to remove from the heat. If Spanish ham is not available, use any smoked ham, pancetta, or bacon, adding them to cook along with the favas.

Topped with a poached or fried egg, the favas are quite splendid. Serve them as a tapa or starter, accompanied by toast. 

Top the fava beans with a poached egg.

Serve the sautéed favas with toast.

Fava Bean Sauté with Ham

Salteada de Habas con Jamón

Peeled fava beans.

Serves 4.

2 ½ cups shelled fava beans (3-4 pounds in their pods)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

¼ cup chopped spring onions

1 tablespoon chopped fennel (stems or bulb)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Water, stock, or Sherry if needed

1-2 ounces Spanish ham, diced or cut in thin strips

Poached eggs

Sprigs of fennel or mint

Toast to accompany

Wild fennel shoot.

Add the shelled beans to a pan of boiling salted water and cook 1 minute. Drain. When the beans are cool enough to handle, remove their outer skins.

Heat the oil in a skillet or earthenware cazuela. Add the garlic and fry 1 minute. Add the onions and fennel, lower heat to medium, and sauté until softened, 4 minutes. Add the skinned favas, season with salt and pepper, and sauté a few minutes until cooked to desired tenderness. If necessary add a spoonful of water or stock. When beans are cooked, add the ham and remove the pan from the heat.

Divide the fava beans between 4 small cazuelas or shallow bowls. Top each with a poached egg and a sprig of fennel or mint.

More recipes with fava beans:

Fava Bean Salad with Mint 

Favas in Their Britches 

Fava Bean Puree 

Fava Bean Cream 

Chopped Salad with Fava Beans 

Noodle Casserole with Cod and Fava Beans 

Tortilla with Fava Beans and Peas 

Medley of Garden Vegetables with Favas(Menestra)

Vegetable Stew with Fava Beans and Dumplings 

Rice with Chicken and Fava Beans (arroz con pollo)

Cuttlefish with Fava Beans

 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon (USA)

Order on amazon.es  (Spain)

Order on amazon.co.uk (UK)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)

***

Order from Kitchen Arts & Letters

Order on ark.no (Norway)