MY KITCHEN IN SPAIN: MÁLAGA RAISINS—THE SWEETEST OF THEM ALL

In former days, when I still baked cookies and cakes for family, I would happily spend 15 minutes de-seeding Málaga muscatel raisins, the sweetest, juiciest raisins in the world. In those days, there weren’t any seedless raisins to be had. Now, if I need raisins for a recipe, I reach for seedless sultanas. Not because they’re delicious. They are a place-holder.

Inspecting the seasonal display of gastronomic treats for the holidays at my favorite hipermercado, I spied packages of pasas moscatel, sin semillas, seedless muscatel raisins, I grabbed them, without checking the label.

They were seedless and they were maybe better than the usual sultanas. But they were not the real Málaga raisins. On the label, I discovered that these came from Chile! The raisins are coated in oil, a common procedure in packaging raisins, to keep them from sticking together into a gigantic clump.

Official DO label.

I pulled out a package of the real deal for comparison. Authentic Málaga muscatel raisins—Pasas de Málaga—have the official seal of denominación de origen protegida (DOP) or “protected designation of origin.” This authenticates their origin and quality.

Their origin is in the hillside villages of the Axarquía, east of Málaga city, plus a sub-category, Manilva, on the western edge of Málaga province. The grape varietal is the Muscat of Alexandria, which may have been first planted here by the Phoenicians, who settled in southern Spain after 800 BCE. Centuries later, the Greeks refined pruning methods. The Moors, colonizing Spain from the 8th century CE, expanded on the artisanal art of drying the fruit.

The grapes are picked fully ripe and the bunches spread on drying racks positioned on slopes inclined towards the midday sun. They dry in 10 to 15 days. The raisins are snipped from the stems by hand and packed in wooden boxes for distribution. The DO raisins are not treated with sulfites nor coated in oil.

Málaga raisins on the left.

I spread the DO raisins next to the seedless ones. The Málaga raisins are noticeably larger and plumper. They are softer and, on tasting, juicier. The flavor is winey, floral, grapey-sweet, whereas the others are just sweet. Yes, the Málaga raisins have seeds. I chewed them up with the fruit, a pleasant crunch. (In the photo, the DO Málaga raisins are center-left; the imported muscatel raisins are on the right.)

Here are tasting notes from the Foods and Wines from Spain website: Raisins from Málaga DOP Tasting notes

The raisins still retain the muscat flavor of the grapes from which they are obtained, reinforced by an intense afterflavor. Its characteristic sweetness is counteracted by its noticeable acidity, giving it a distinctive acid-sweet balance. Depending on their size, moisture content and characteristic Brix, the raisins have an elastic and supple feel and their flesh is meaty and juicy in the mouth, resulting in tactile sensations that are not normally produced by the dry, unsupple nature of most dried fruit. Their color is an even violet black. As the raisins come from a berry that has not been subjected to treatments that break down the skin, this is of medium texture. The raisins may have stalks if they have been picked by hand. They still have their pips inside, and these are considered to be an extra source of fiber.

The famed Málaga moscatel wine also is made here, dry, sweet, raisinified, and in various degrees of sweetness and color.

Here is a recipe for using muscatel raisins.

Tender pork tenderloin cooks in a muscatel raisin sauce.

With the pork, sides of sweet potatoes and chard. The sweet potatoes, another Málaga specialty, are mashed with olive oil and a little orange juice. The chard is sautéed with garlic, pine nuts and Málaga raisins.

Pork Tenderloin with Muscatel Raisin Sauce

Solomillo de Cerdo con Salsa de Pasas de Málaga

If using authentic Pasas de Málaga DOP, you will not need to plump them by soaking. Any other raisin should be soaked in warm water before using. You do not need to remove seeds—unless you really want to. Balance the sweetness of the muscatel wine sauce with vinegar to taste.

Serves 2-3.

½ cup Málaga muscatel raisins (2 ounces)

¼ cup warm water (optional)

1 pork tenderloin (18-20 ounces)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped carrot

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup sweet Málaga muscatel or PX wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Sprig of thyme

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

Trim tenderloin.

Place the raisins in a small bowl and add the warm water. Let them soak 15 minutes.

Trim the tenderloin of sinewy skin. For convenience, divide the tenderloin in half. Season the pork with salt and pepper and allow it to come to room temperature.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy skillet. Brown the pork on all sides on medium heat. Remove the meat when browned.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, carrot and garlic. Sauté them slowly until onion is softened and beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add the Málaga wine. Cook off the alcohol. Add the stock, bay leaf and thyme. Cook the sauce, covered, until carrots are soft, 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and thyme. Puree the sauce in a blender with the vinegar.

Finish pork in sauce.

Return the sauce to the skillet. Add the raisins and the liquid in which they soaked. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Place the pieces of tenderloin in the sauce. Cook them until the meat is just done (internal temperature of 150ºF), about 5 minutes.

Remove the meat to a cutting board. Keep the sauce warm. Slice the tenderloins. If prepared in advance, the sliced pork can be reheated in the sauce. Serve the pork with the raisin sauce.