TRADITIONAL GASTRONOMY IN LA SERRANIA – VALENCIA (SPAIN)
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Introduction
The gastronomy of Los Serranos is typical of inland areas, characteristic of a harsh
climate and terrain. The hotpot, or “olla” is one of the most common dishes in the
district, and the ingredients vary according to the season and the area. There are variants
such as "olla churra" (with vegetables), "olla de pueblo" (with many types of pork) or
"olla
de
pencas" (made with cardoons). The “gachas” (a kind of warm liver paté) “migas”
(fried breadcrumbs) and “gazpacho serrano”(made with pork and bread) and a range
of pork-derived dishes together with sausage of different kinds comprise the typical
gastronomy of the inland areas. The local white wine of the Alto Turia and the reds of
Villar del Arzobispo and Pedralba give a special flavour to each of these delicious dishes.
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Traditional dishes recipes:
1.
TUÉJAR GAZPACHO
Ingredients (for 6 people):
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1 kg of “torta de gazpacho” (a kind of unleavened bread made with water, flour and
salt).
150 g of chicken
250 g of hen
125 g of lean pork
50 g of pork liver
2 pork chine bones
300 g of partridge, rabbit or hare
150 g wild mushrooms (Lactarius delicosus)
2 cloves of garlic and 4 toasted almonds
Salt, saffron, peppercorns.
Directions:
Two days before, break the torta up into tiny pieces and spread them out to dry.
Cook all the meat together, seasoning to taste, and add the garlic, peppercorns and
saffron. When the meat is cooked chop it up and keep it on one side. Strain the broth
to be used later. Chop the garlic, almonds and the cooked liver.
In a large pan fry the chopped meat with the oil previously saved from frying the main
course which comes after the gazpacho. Then add the chopped fried tomato and the wild
mushrooms.
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Turn off the heat and add the broth (warm but not boiling) to the chopped garlic,
almond and liver, and then the torta. Once all the ingredients are moist, turn the heat up
and stir the mixture well, and fry it quickly).
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2.
FRIED MEAT (Traditional main course after the gazpacho)
Ingredients:
 250 g lean pork.
 250 g pork belly.
 A little pork liver.
 150 g pork chops.
 1 head of garlic and salt.
Directions:
Fry all the meat cut into chunks with plenty of oil and add the garlic halfway through.
Mix the meat together and heat it before serving.
3.
VILLAGE HOTPOT
Ingredients: (for 6 people)
 250g of white beans
 4 cardoon leaves, cleaned and cut into 3cm pieces.
 1k potatoes
 3 pork chine bones
 ½ pig’s trotter
 ½ pig´s ear
 50g pork cheek
 2 “güeñas” (sausage made with offal)
 1 ham bone
 2 black puddings
 Salt and saffron
Directions:
Cook all the ingredients together for two hours in plenty of water, except the potatoes.
These should be added, cut into small pieces, half an hour before the end of cooking.
Add salt and saffron to your taste.
* Potatoes can be substituted for rice.
4.
MORTERUELO
Ingredients:
 Pork liver
 Bread crumbs
 Pepper, paprika and cloves
 Oil and salt
Directions:
Cook the liver and grate it. Fry the spices without burning in a pan and then add the
broth from the liver, the grated liver and the breadcrumbs in equal proportions. Stir until
the mixture has a paté consistency. Diced chicken or rabbit can also be added.
5.
FASÍO
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Ingredients:
 200 g. of pork fat
 1 spoonful of lard
 3 eggs
 Breadcrumbs
 Parsley & Salt
Directions:
Cut the pork belly into small pieces and add the lard, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley and
salt. Knead until the mixture is uniform. Make small dumplings. You may add these to
the traditional broth.
6.
SUGAR CAKES
Ingredients:
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1 glass of oil
2 glasses of milk
½ k of sugar
1 k of flour
25 g of yeast
4 eggs
Raisins and walnuts (optional)
1 grated lemon
Wafers
Directions:
Put the eggs, oil, yeast, sugar and a little bit of flour in a bowl and knead it slowly,
adding the rest of the flour, walnuts, raisins and the milk, slightly warmed. Use the fists
to fold and separate the dough.
Cover the dough with a cloth and place it somewhere warm to prove. When it has risen,
make the “tortas” and place these on top of the wafers. Before putting them in the oven
brush them with beaten egg, and powder them with sugar. Nuts and raisins can also be
used for decoration.
These cakes are made at carnival time and when a pig is slaughtered.
7.
MUÉGADOS
Ingredients:
 12 eggs
 500 g of flour
 500 g of honey
 1 l. of olive oil
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Directions:
Mix the eggs and the flour to get a fine, consistent dough. Use this to make very thin
biscuits, and allow them to dry for a few minutes before cutting them into very small
diamond shapes. Fry them with plenty of oil.
Heat the honey until it gets a caramel consistency and then pour it, still hot, over the
previously fried biscuit shapes, mixing well with a wooden spoon.
Then spread the warm mixture over a damp marble surface, and with wet hands shape
tight bars out of the mixture. Let it cool and then it Hill be ready to cut.
Muégados are a traditional sweet dish prepared on holidays or when a pig is slaughtered.
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