Christmas in Spain would be incomplete without a selection of festive dishes with family recipes that have been passed down through generations. Spanish Christmas food includes a mix of local and regional flavours and ingredients. What better way to feel at home in the Costa Blanca than to learn how to make some of the most beloved traditional Spanish Christmas foods, delight your neighbours and bring the festive spirit to your kitchen.
Turrón is a nougat made from almonds, honey, sugar, and egg whites, and is found everywhere in Spain at Christmas, but it is local to the Costa Blanca. It was first created in Jijona, a town just a short drive inland from Alicante. Turrón can be hard and brittle or soft and chewy. It is also possible to get chocolate-covered or flavoured turrón, and you will know when Christmas is approaching because supermarkets will be full of varieties of this sweet, in colourful packaging, ready to give to friends or relatives or just have available for visiting guests. Making your own, however, will really impress everyone!!!
To make Turrón de Jijona, you will need 250g of ground almonds, 200g of honey, 100g of sugar, and 1 egg white. To make this delightful sweet, heat the honey until it is more runny and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Beat the egg white until it forms peaks and fold into the mixture, add the almonds to combine and then pour the mix into a lined mould and press down. Leave it to cool for a day and then cut and enjoy!
These shortbread-like biscuits crumble into “polvo” powder when bitten, hence the name. They were originally made in the south of Spain and have now become a traditional Christmas treat throughout the country. Anyone living in the Costa Blanca will be familiar with these delicious biscuits, which are often served with coffee in restaurants and bars during Christmas.
To make your own toast, mix 250g of flour with 100g of ground almonds in a pan until they are golden. When this mix has cooled down, mix it with 125g icing sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Then add the 125g of lard, margarine or butter and knead until a smooth dough is formed. Roll out the mix to a thickness of about 1cm and cut into festive shapes. Cook your Polverones in a pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF), then allow them to cool and finish with a sprinkle of icing sugar to decorate.
Christmas dinner is not complete in many Spanish families in the Costa Blanca without a beautifully roasted turkey. Pavo Trufado de Navidad is a turkey with truffle stuffing and is the perfect centrepiece for the festive table. This is a great way to make a change from the traditional British Christmas turkey and enjoy the Spanish version of this delicious savoury course. The recipe uses a whole turkey, and the stuffing is made by mixing truffle pâté, ground pork, breadcrumbs, 2 cloves of minced garlic and a finely chopped onion and carrot. Stuff the turkey with the mixture and seal the opening, then rub the outside with olive oil and season before placing it in a roasting tin and pouring over a cup each of white wine and chicken stock. Cook for 3-4 hours in a preheated oven (180°C/350°F), occasionally basting it. After resting the joint for about 20 minutes, you can carve and serve Spain’s version of a Christmas roast turkey.
The Three Kings (Wise Men) brought gifts to baby Jesus, and the celebration of this event is an important finale to the Festive Season throughout Spain. In coastal areas of the Costa Blanca, they arrive by boat early in the evening of 5th January. Their arrival is followed by parades, distribution of gifts to the children and fireworks. The cake for this event resembles a crown and is more like a sweet bread decorated with candied fruit and filled with confectioner's cream or custard. Families gather again for another feast day on the next day, which is a national holiday sometimes known by ex-pats as Spanish Christmas Day.
Dissolve 25g of yeast in 100ml of warm milk for 10 minutes to activate it; it should start to foam if the yeast is alive. Mix 500g flour, 100g sugar with the zest from a lemon and an orange, now add 2 eggs,100g of butter, a tablespoon of orange blossom water and the yeast mix to the centre of the dry ingredients. Knead them all together until the mix forms a smooth dough. Cover and leave it to rise for a couple of hours; the size should double. Shape it into a ring and put it on a baking tray, cover and allow to rise again for another hour. Brush with a beaten egg and decorate with candied fruits and bake in a pre-heated oven to 180°C (350°F) for 25-30 minutes. When the cake has cooled down, you can slice it in half and add your favourite filling.
There are so many other lovely dishes to enjoy during Christmas in Spain; these ones are a great start to enjoying traditional Spanish flavours of the Festive season. The beauty is that, because these dishes are local, the ingredients will be easy to find, and none of them are too expensive, and with them you will create some delicious food in your home in the Costa Blanca, with the aromas filling your house with the promise of tasty meals and treats to be enjoyed by everyone.
Enjoy your Costa Blanca Christmas Celebrations!!! Written by your Hamiltons Real Estate team (formally Hamiltons of London) Chrismtas 2024 - feliz Navidad!!!
