Monika's Spanish Food Picks

Clean, citrus flavour. Tangy, complex rind. Dense, creamy interior. World class.  This wonderful cheese was created in the 1980's and has won numerous awards all over the world. Made in the Tietar valley in Avila, where there are is exceptional grazing for livestock. The creation of the late Rafael Báez. Although the cheese is made all year round,  production levels vary with the seasons, as only the highest quality milk is selected.  Monte Enebro has an intense lingering flavour with hints of mushroom and pasture flower and a distinct spiciness from the penicillin rind. It pairs wonderfully with zesty, herbaceous wines that have a refreshing acidity, like our Flor de Vetus.  It also complements the saline, dry, and structured qualities of a Fino or Manzanilla; as well as juicy red wines with berry and floral notes, such as our Petit Pittacum. Try it in our restaurants served fried with Alemany orange blossom honey and beetroot crisps.  Learn more about this incredible cheese: watch the video here. Net weight: approx. 200g

Embutidos Alejandro buy their pork from a small number of pig farmers, with whom they have worked for many years, producing excellent meat. Their coarse cut, mildly spiced, cured chorizo Magno is one of their iconic products: cured for a minimum of 60 days it is a great chorizo, moist, with an excellent balance of lean and fat and a clean, lingering flavour.

Riojan recipe. Rich, balanced, oaky. Long matured. A unique chorizo. Easy slicing. Embutidos Alejandro buy their pork from a small number of pig farmers, with whom they have worked for many years, producing excellent meat. Their coarse cut, mildly spiced, cured Magno velita chorizo is one of their iconic products: cured for a minimum of 60 days it is a great chorizo, moist, with an excellent balance of lean and fat and a clean, lingering flavour. Any surface mould on this product is entirely natural and should just be rubbed off with a damp cloth

This style of chorizo is halfway between a cooking chorizo and a cured one; this means that it can work well in a number of different recipes, or eaten on its own, but sliced more thickly than you would a fully cured chorizo. Made with the same ingredients as the Alejandro Barbacoa cooking chorizo but with mild, smoked paprika and subsequently dried for a couple of weeks.

Juicy, aromatic, smoky Riojan recipe. Distinct heat. Pan fry for cocktail coins. This style of chorizo is halfway between a cooking chorizo and a cured one; this means that it can either be cooked, or eaten on its own, but sliced more thickly than you would a fully cured chorizo.  Made using only meat from the shoulder, belly and jaw combined with either hot or mild smoked paprika and subsequently dried for a couple of weeks.

Robust flavours of the sea. Delicate smokiness. Plump, sashimi texture. A chef's dream! Conservas Nardin only buys anchovies caught in the Cantabrian Sea; the fish destined to be used for their smoked anchovies are brined, rather than salted, and then cold smoked whole over beechwood before being filleted and then tinned in olive oil. They are tender and moist, mildly fishy and lightly smoky, truly delicious.

Intense umami, perfect balance of fish, sea, savoury & salt. Fished in Basque waters. The Cantabrian anchovies from Conservas Nardín are one of the most highly regarded semi-preserves for their flavour and texture. Only using the highest quality anchovies, the Engraulis encrasicolus, purchased in the Getaria fish market, directly from the fishermen who catch them in the Bay of Biscay. These are fished at the optimal time, in the spring months. During the season, they select the highest quality and ideal size , based on years of experience. To maintain the quality and flavour, they only buy those that can be produced the same day. Prepared entirely by hand , carefully cleaning them and respecting their maturing process in salt, after which they obtain the ideal texture and flavour.

Robust flavours of the sea. Delicate smokiness. Plump, sashimi texture. A chef's dream!Conservas Nardin only buys anchovies caught in the Cantabrian Sea; the fish destined to be used for their smoked anchovies are brined, rather than salted, and then cold smoked whole over beechwood before being filleted and then tinned in olive oil.They are tender and moist, mildly fishy and lightly smoky, truly delicious.