MY KITCHEN IN SPAIN: RECIPES FROM AL-ANDALUS

La Baltasara, Antonio Gala museum.

A tasting of foods from al-Andalus in a lush garden that might have delighted a Moorish prince. Such was the evening I enjoyed recently—Cocina Andalusí en la Baltasara—presented by cookbook author Ana Abellán—in Alhaurín el Grande (Málaga).

La Baltasara was the country home and literary retreat of Antonio Gala, Spanish poet, playwright and novelist. Now converted to a museum containing Gala’s personal effects and library, La Baltasara serves as a cultural center for the town of Alhaurín. It was an evocative setting for a tasting of dishes that might have been served in medieval al-Andalus.

Al-Andalus was Moorish Spain, Islamic Spain. It encompassed much of the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492. The cuisine of the era—before the discovery of the Americas and the introduction of tomatoes—is still reflected in modern-day cooking.

Cookbook author Ana Abellán (center) serves tastings of anchovy escabeche assisted by Chef Lutz Petry and María Eloy, poet and member of the editorial board of ColandCol publishers.

Ana Abellán, whose book, Berza y Pringá, las Recetas de Málaga Pueblo a Pueblo (ColandCol Ediciones; 2023), features recipes from every pueblo in the province of Málaga, planned the tasting to showcase local produce such as the oranges of the Guadalhorce Valley and the Aloreña olives and olive oil of the area.

Eggplant tortillita.

The dishes that Ana demo-ed: Porra de naranja con bacalao ahumado, a thick, cold soup related to gazpacho, with oranges instead of tomatoes.

Tortillitas de berenjenas, eggplant omelets, adapted from a recipe found in an Andalusí-Arabic cookbook from the 13th century written by Ibn Razin al-Tujībī.

Escabeche de boquerones, fresh anchovies in an escabeche marinade, and

Rosquillas de cítricos, citrus-flavored fried doughnuts.

The porra de naranja—which I translate as “Orange Gazpacho Cream”—is a dish with peasant origins. Field hands made it for their midday meal, mashing bread, garlic and olive oil in a wooden bowl then gathering around to dip chunks of bread into the tasty mash.

Porra—which is a close cousin of Córdoba’s salmorejo—is easily made in a blender or food processor. The classic version is served with chopped cooked egg and chunks of canned tuna. In a reference to another Málaga dish, a salad of oranges, olives and salt cod, Ana Abellán served her version with chopped smoked cod. Brilliant.

Orange Gazpacho Cream

Porra de Naranja

Porra, like salmorejo, is a thick cream usually served cold. The classic version is made with tomatoes, but this one has orange juice in the mix. Serve it as a thick soup or as a dip.

Three large oranges make 1 cup of juice. Use blood oranges if you want a cream with deeper color. Use a dense-crumbed country-style bread. The bread is easier to pulp in a food processor than in a blender. Removing crusts helps to soften the bread. Add water as needed to run the processor, but keep the porra as thick as possible.

Serve the porra with spoons or with crackers or breadsticks for dipping. It makes a good merienda, afternoon snack, or can be served as a starter for dinner.

Serves 4-6.

The porra is topped with pieces of salt cod and olives---

5 ounces day-old bread

1 cup fresh orange juice

½ teaspoon grated orange peel

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Water, as needed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + additional to finish

Toppings (choose 1 or 2):

Flaked salt cod or strips of smoked cod

Canned tuna, well drained

Hard-boiled egg, chopped

Chopped serrano ham

Cooked shrimp

Strips of smoked salmon

Green or black pitted olives

Chopped orange segments

Chopped scallions or chives

Crackers or bread to serve

Break up the bread into pieces and place them in a bowl. Pour over the orange juice. Stir in the orange peel, garlic and salt. Allow to set until the bread begins to soften, 15 minutes.

---or chopped egg---

Place the mixture in a food processor container and process until the bread is reduced to a smooth paste. Add 1 to 4 tablespoons of water as needed. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil to the mixture until it is absorbed and emulsified. The result should be a thick, smooth cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the porra in small shallow bowls. Add toppings of your choice. Drizzle with additional oil. Serve accompanied with crackers or bread for dipping.