Abstinence and Flavor
The prohibition of eating meat during Lent sharpened ingenuity in Spanish kitchens. The result is a recipe book where cod and legumes are kings, and where sugar and honey compensate for the austerity of the main course.
The Perfect Torrija: The Science of Stale Bread
Do not use fresh bread. You need dense crumb bread from 2 or 3 days ago so that it soaks up the milk (infused with cinnamon and lemon) without disintegrating when frying.
- Trick: Pass them through beaten egg just before frying in very hot olive oil (but not smoking). The thermal shock creates the crust that keeps the creaminess inside.
Vigil Stew: The King of the Spoon
Chickpeas, spinach, and cod. The secret is the sofrito (with good paprika) and adding a 'ball' or filling (fried bread and egg dough) at the end. It is a hearty dish that proves that eating without meat is not going hungry.
Cod: From Salted to Delicacy
Salted cod was the only way to bring fish to the interior of the peninsula for centuries. Desalting it is an art: 48 hours in cold water in the fridge, changing the water every 8 hours. If you rush, you ruin the dish.
The Easter Mona and the Eggs
Resurrection Sunday breaks the abstinence. In Catalonia and the Levante, godparents give the 'Mona', a cake (or chocolate sculpture) crowned with eggs. It symbolizes the end of fasting and the explosion of life in spring.
