Eat Like a Local in Spain with Ashburton Cookery School

Spanish food is world famous. It draws in hundreds upon thousands of holidaymakers every year, each one in search of local dishes made to delight. For part of our Eat Like a Local series, we’ve decided to look at the simple charms of Spain’s cuisine in more depth.

Some of the UK’s finest cookery schools have been drafted in to help give us an insight into flavours and aromas synonymous with Spain. Each school tells us about one recipe they associate with the country, along with key ingredients essential to the dish itself. First off, though, we’ve got Ashburton Cookery School.

Offering over 40 cookery courses, Ashburn Cookery School is an established favourite amongst beginner, intermediate and advanced cooks. Based in Dartmoor, the school teaches many different culinary styles. When it comes to Spanish food, though, it’s a huge fan of a simple (yet tantalisingly tasty) dish which combines two national favourites – chorizo and squid.

The dish centralises around chorizo, squid, clams and spicy pork meatballs. Topped with a little parsley, this makes for a sure-fire way to capture Spain’s flavours.

Albondigas with chorizo, squid and clams – ingredients

Meatballs

2 small diced onion shallots
½ teaspoon paprika
2 crushed cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
25g breadcrumbs
150g pork mince
1 egg yolk

Sauce

2 medium sized chorizo sausages
150g squid (cut or slice it into rings)
50ml white wine
150g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
150g clams
1 finely sliced garlic clove
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley (chopped)

Method

1. Sweat the shallots in olive oil until soft, throw in the paprika and continue to sweat for a few seconds. Add the crushed garlic along with the sherry vinegar and cook over a low heat for one minute.
2. Add in the shallots with the breadcrumbs. Allow to cool for one minute.
3. Mix in the pork mince and egg yolk to the breadcrumb mixture. Season with a little salt and pepper.
4. Mold the pork mixture into nine individual meatballs.
5. Pan fry the pork balls in olive oil on a low heat until they turn golden brown. Remove from the pan and put to one side.
6. In the same pan, sweat the chorizo with sliced garlic for around one minute. Add the squid and cook on a high heat for 30 seconds, then proceed to add the white wine and de-glaze using a wooden spoon. Leave on the heat and reduce the wine by around half.
7. Put the tomatoes in with the mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the fresh clams and cover until they’re fully open (get rid of any unopened clams).
8. Season, then place on a serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.

You can stay up to date with Ashburton via the school’s website.

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