EATING ON THE CAMINO

In honor of Santiago Day (July 25), I have a guest blogger this week, Daniel Searl, who’s just come to visit me after completing 115 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago, from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (northwestern Spain). 

Daniel on the Camino.

Daniel (full disclosure—he’s my son!) coordinates the Camino de Santiago Global Program for Westminster, a K-12 school in Atlanta, Georgia. Daniel just finished his 16th year at Westminster, teaching Spanish, coaching basketball and soccer, and coordinating an annual student trip to Guatemala and to Spain for the Camino de Santiago. Each year, a group of 12 students and three teachers complete the final stages of the Way of Saint James with the goal of connecting with people from all over the world, disconnecting from the speed of life, and eating great food. Here’s Daniel's depiction of the CaminoCats path, shown through images of the food they ate. (All photos are by Daniel Searl except where otherwise noted.)

Vieras, sea scallops. (Photo by Kamille Harless.)

Yellow arrows mark the path, but the main symbol of the Camino de Santiago is the scallop shell, or viera. You will see the iconic scallop shell all over Spain, as everyone’s Camino de Santiago starts at a different place and follows a different route. Our group headed north from Madrid with a quick stop in Segovia. Coincidently, group leader, Kamille Harless, ordered these beautiful (and tasty) scallops for lunch, not realizing the viera is the symbol of the Camino. These scallops were baked and served in their shell.

First day on the Camino for this group of Westminster students and teacher.

Snacks en route.

As we continued on the road to Sarria, a couple of the students discovered some great Spain snacks. At a roadside stop, Matthew Adams enjoyed these tapas of  jamón serrano and a pincho de carne plopped on top of bread. Típico! The bread all over Spain is so good, and it goes with anything (well… everything).

Sarria - Km 115

Our 115 kilometer trek started in Sarria, and what better way to fuel up for the long walk than chow down on a big burger! The locally sourced meat was tasty and filling, even if our group of Americans did have to ask for the ketchup and mustard to go with it.

Mercadoiro, Km 97.2

The first day on the Camino was exhilarating and exhausting for the group. We learned quickly to pace ourselves, stay hydrated, talk to a lot of people and make a lot of stops. Oh - and grab a bite to eat every chance you get. This chicken and avocado sandwich was a perfect pick-me-up to fuel the final 5km into Portomarin.

Merluza (fresh hake) and fries.

Portomarín Km 92 Our team meal in Portomarín took place on the patio of our little hotel, and it brought one of the best meals we had on the Camino: merluza (fresh hake)! The fish was seasoned to perfection (doesn’t take much) and ‘en su punto’ - breaking into bite size pieces without falling apart. So good!

Melide, Km 52. 2 The longest day of our pilgrimage took us from the east side of Palas del Rei across 30 km of views, woods, creeks, trails, people, hills and 48.268 steps, according to the health tracker on Kamille’s watch. Thankfully, about ⅔ of the way through, we walked into Melide and got ushered into a restaurant for pulpo y pimientos. The boiled octopus accompanied by grilled and salted pimientos de Padrón hit the spot and lifted our spirits to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Tasty and motivating. Gracias Melide. Gracias pulpo y pimientos.

Carrilleras with patatas fritas.

O Pedrouzo, Km 18

What’s for dinner tonight? A chunk of meat with fries. Cool, say the kids. The chunk of meat was carrillera de ternera, a piece of beef from the cow’s cheek. Tender, juicy, tasty. Served with its own gravy, the carrillera melted in your mouth and mixed well with the patatas fritas, the ever present fries that aren’t French but Spanish. And 

Santiago is only a few kilometers down the road. 

 

Galicia's famous mussels. (Photo by K.Harless.)

These mussels were another treat from the sea that kept us entertained and well fed. The best deal at any restaurant in Spain is the mussels. They are relatively cheap, you get a large serving, the taste is fantastic, and you can spend the rest of the afternoon dipping bread in the leftover sauce. Highly recommend!

Squiggle of squid.

Seafood and mariscos are ever-present along the Camino de Santiago and our group found another round of squid at our final destination. The little calamares on the last day were easy to eat, tasted great and filled us up.

Symbolic scallops.

Santiago de Compostela, Km. 0.

The end is just the beginning. We wrapped up our Camino food experience just where we started – with scallops on the half shell. These zamburiñas, a variety of small scallops, were raw with lemon and a little salt, served in their iconic shell. A perfect way to wrap up the walk.

We made it! Westminster students unfurl their Camino passports in front of the Cathedral of Santiago. 

Some historical background about the Camino de Santiago is here.

Recipes for food from Galicia: 

Scallop Gratin, Galician Style.

Veal Cutlets San Jacobo.

Potatoes with Mussels.

Baked Sardines with Seaweed.

Grilled Sardines and Cornbread.

Galician Crêpes (Filloas).

Roast Pork with Greens (Lacón con Grelos).

Galician Soup with Beans and Greens.

Grilled Octopus.

Galician Style Octopus and Potatoes.

Santiago Almond Torte.

Galician Pork Pie (Empanada de Lomo)..

Galician Angel's Hair Tart (Mondoñedo).

A NEW HOUSE AND A FEAST TO CELEBRATE

I'm going to be away for a few days, so I've invited a guest blogger this week--my son, Daniel Searl, who is a Spanish teacher and Director of Hispanic Student Development Equity and Inclusion at Westminster School in Atlanta, GA. Twice a year Daniel is one of three faculty members to lead a group of Westminster students on the Guatemala Global Education program.

During a nine-day stay in Antigua, Guatemala, using materials purchased through fundraising, students work with Guatemalan families to build affordable and safe homes. The homes are part of a wider campaign, in partner with From Houses to Homes, to connect families with educational, health care, and housing opportunities.

Key delivery for a new home with a real roof to this family in Guatemala. Students from Westminster school collaborated in the building. Faculty advisor, Daniel Searl, is in the center, wearing the black tee-shirt.

Not all is bricks and mortar, though. The kids also enjoy a trek to nearby volcanoes, cycling, sports events with Guatemalan students and even cooking classes.

 The completion of each simple, cement block house is celebrated with  key delivery to the recipient family and a communal meal as sumptuous as a Thanksgiving feast. Daniel sends photos from this summer's Guatemala trip and a recipe for pepián, considered the national dish of Guatemala.

Students and family share tortillas and a feast of pepián, a typical Guatemalan dish with chicken and chilies.

El Señor Max is the man of the 'new' house.  A proud man who worked his tail off everyday, all day, building his new home.

Corn tortillas cook on an outdoor brazier.

The feast is ready--bowls of pepián with chicken, pumpkin seeds, chile-inflected sauce, and rice. The centerpiece is a basket of warm tortillas wrapped in a colorful woven huipil.

The newly constructed house has a skylight that beams light onto the table.

Chicken with Pumpkin Seeds and Chilies
Pepián de Guatemala

Pepián is a simple stew with complex flavors. Layers of flavor are enhanced by roasting each ingredient to bring out the full fragrance of each.*Note: dried chilies and spices can purchased online if not available in your area*

1 whole chicken

2 guaque chilies (dried, de-seeded and de-veined) 

guaque - guajillo

mulato/poblano

2 pasa chilies (dried, de-seeded and de-veined) 

4 oz raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

4 oz sesame seeds (ajonjoli)

2 medium white onions 

6 large black peppercorns

6 cloves (clavo de olor)

3 large cloves of garlic

1 small bunch cilantro

9 roma/plum tomatoes (approx 1 lb) 

1 Tbsp dried oregano

½ stick cinnamon (canela)

1.5 lbs potatoes

1 qüisquil (chayote or substitute hard-skinned squash)

1 cup corn kernels

Cooked rice to accompany

Tortillas as a side

Cut whole chicken into 8 or more pieces. The chicken can be cooked skin on or off, as preferred. The bones are included and add flavor to the dish. Boil chicken in a stock pot in roughly 3 liters/quarts of water. Water should cover the chicken by about 2 inches. Add 1 heaping Tbsp salt and ¼ onion to the water while the chicken boils.

While the chicken is boiling, roast in a heavy skillet or plancha the dried chilies (de-seeded and de-veined) over a medium low flame until very dry and fragrant. Once roasted, crumble chilies into a mixing bowl. All roasted ingredients will be combined in this bowl.

Roast raw pumpkin seeds until toasted. Add to mixing bowl.

Roast sesame seeds until lightly toasted. Add to mixing bowl.

Roast one whole onion cut into sections with black peppercorns, cloves and garlic. 

Add to mixing bowl.

Toast fresh cilantro on stovetop in a skillet the same as the other ingredients. This will become very fragrant. Add to mixing bowl.

Roast tomatoes. These take the longest to roast. They are likely to become black but should be roasted until soft. Add to mixing bowl.

Roast 1 Tbsp dried oregano. Add to mixing bowl.

Roast ½ stick cinnamon until dry and fragrant. Add to mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Cut qüisquil into thick slices and peel. Cut remaining onion into chunks. Add these to the chicken pot once chicken is almost cooked.

Combine all roasted ingredients and add 3 ½ cups water. Blend liquid and roasted ingredients in a blender to combine fully. Add the mixture to the chicken pot. Continue cooking at a rolling boil, adding the vegetables part way through cooking, until the sauce reduces and all ingredients are cooked through. The sauce is typically like a thick soup.

Serve with cooked rice and corn tortillas. 

Westminster School