Category: Canarian

Canarian Fiesta Beef

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Canarian Recipes: Carne Fiesta Canaria
Meal or Tapa, Fiesta Beef, an alternative to pork, is one of the most popular dishes in Canarian tourist cuisine. Served at celebrations traditionally but often seen on the more ´local´ tapas menus.

Ingredients for 4

  • 700 g of beef
  • 100 ml dry red wine
  • 50 ml of wine vinegar
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • Salt, ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of oregano
  • 1 tablespoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes or chili powder
  • 20 ml of oil

Method

  1. Crush the garlic, season with salt and pepper and mix with the oregano, thyme, sweet paprika and hot pepper flakes.
  2. Add the oil, wine and vinegar to the mixture.
  3. Mix with the meat and mix well. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  4. Remove the meat from the marinade. Heat oil and brown the meat.
  5. Add the marinade to the pan and cook over low heat for 15-30 minutes.
  6. Let it rest and serve with the desired garnish and bread.
  7. The perfect accompaniment to this recipe is the typical wrinkled potatoes or French fries.

Tuna Salad (Quick and Healthy)

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10-minute Mediterranean tuna salad without mayo! The tuna salad itself uses just the five ingredients (tuna, tomato, onion, boiled egg and lettuce) plus a quick light dressing.

Ingredients (serves 1–2)

  • 1 can of natural tuna (drained)
  • 1 large tomato or cherry tomatoes
  • ½ onion (optional)
  • 1 boiled egg (optional)
  • Green leaves (lettuce, spinach, or rocket)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Lemon or vinegar
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Wash and chop the tomato and onion.
  2. Place the green leaves in a bowl.
  3. Add the flaked tuna and diced egg.
  4. Dress with oil, lemon/vinegar, salt, and pepper.
  5. Toss and serve.

Burrata Salad

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Canarian Recipes: Ensalada de Burrata

Burrata is a fresh, stretched – curd cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a round shape and an exterior similar to a pouch-like mozzarella with a characteristic apical closure. Inside, the texture is much softer and more stringy, similar to that of cream cheese.

Ingredients

  • Burrata Cheese or other fresh cheeses
  • Arugula
  • Lamb’s Lettuce
  • Cherry Tomatoes
    Avocado
  • Mango
  • Walnuts,
  • Pistachios
  • Raisins
  • Olive Oil
  • Honey

Mozzarella vs. Burrata: What’s the Difference?
Fresh mozzarella cheese is made from cow or water buffalo milk. It has a firm but elastic texture and can be sliced without losing its shape. Burrata cheese is mozzarella that’s formed into a thin pouch and then filled with a mixture of soft, stringy curd and cream called stracciatella.

What is the goat cheese in the Canary Islands?
Queso Palmero: This characteristic smoky cheese is made with raw milk from local goats, similar to mozzarella.
It’s available fresh, soft, semi-cured and cured.

Burrata cheese from Quesería Mansueto, a family business, dedicated to the production of cheeses and artisanal products, originally from Italy, with ingredients 100% made in the Canary Islands.
https://mansuetoqueseria.com

Roscón de Reyes: Three Kings’ Cake

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Canarian Recipes: Rosconttone

  

The Roscón de Reyes is one of the most eagerly awaited desserts of the year. As its name suggests, it is typical for the Epiphany on January 6th.

Many families gather on this day to share this sweet treat, adhering to tradition; whoever finds the fève (a hidden figurine) is expected to treat others.

  • 650 g strong flour
  • 250 ml whole milk
  • 25 g fresh yeast
  • 120 g white sugar
  • 120 g butter
  • 2 eggs and the yolk of another
  • 10 g salt
  • 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
  • The zest of 2 lemons
  • The zest of one orange

Ingredients to decorate the Roscón de Reyes:

  • An orange
  • Glazed fruits
  • 1 beaten egg
  • Pearl sugar
  • Flaked almonds

Your favourite ingredient for the filling:

  • cream
  • truffle
  • confectioner’s custard
  • angel hair (pumpkin jam)
  • sweet potato
  • chocolate.. figurine of the King
  • fava bean

Step by step method for making the Roscón de Reyes:

  • Heat the milk until it is lukewarm.
  • Mix 250ml of milk with 3 tablespoons of flour and shredded yeast.
  • ix it thoroughly until the yeast is fully dissolved.
  • Put the mixture to one side and leave it to ferment for 20 minutes (the warmer the ambient temperature, the quicker it will ferment).
  • In another bowl, add the rest of the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt and zest. Finally, add the milk, eggs, already fermented mixture, orange blossom water and melted butter. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
  • Flour a smooth surface and knead for a few minutes (from the outside inwards). Shape the dough into a ball and leave it to one side in a bowl covered with a cloth for a few hours or until it doubles in size (the warmer the ambient temperature, the quicker it will grow).
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, flour the same surface and knead it again. Shape your Three Kings’ cake (bear in mind that the dough will grow and the hole in the middle will become smaller).
  • Leave the dough to rest for an hour covered with clingfilm. Meanwhile, you can preheat the oven to 180 °C.
  • Brush your cake with the beaten egg and decorated it to taste.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until you see it has turned a golden colour.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for a few hours before cutting it in half to add your favourite filling and, of course, the bean.
  • Serve it with your favourite nougats and chocolates and enjoy!

Classic Fillings and Surprising Flavours
In addition to the classic roscón (without filling),there are various flavours of Rosconttones to cater to all tastes.
Their offerings include:

  • Nutella
  • Pistachio
  • Kinder
  • Pastry Cream

Strawberry and Chocolate Tartlet

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Canarian Recipes: Tartaleta de fresa y chocolate 

The combination of chocolate and strawberry is unmatched. That delicious combination is especially perfect when packed into a cute little mini tart. These tarts are best served the day they are made.

(for 3 units)

  • 400 g shortcrust pastry
  • 30 g sugar
  • 200 g strawberry purée
  • 200 ml double cream
  • 150 g dark chocolate
  • 150 g cooking cream
  • 2 sheets of gelatine
  • Icing sugar
  • Fresh berries
  • Flaked coconut
  • Unsalted pistachios

Instructions

  1. Combine the strawberry purée (or crushed strawberries) with the double cream, reserving 5 tablespoons of the mixture. Freeze the remainder for 1 hour.
  2. Line the tartlet cases with the shortcrust pastry. Prick the base with a fork, place baking paper on top, add some dried legumes, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 180ºC.
  3. Allow to cool.
  4. Melt the chocolate in the heated cooking cream, allow to cool, and fill the tartlets. Chill in the fridge.
  5. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water. Heat the reserved purée and dissolve the drained gelatine in it. Combine with the remaining cold mixture and mix well.
  6. Whip the mixture with electric beaters and pour over the chocolate ganache. Smooth the surface with a spatula and refrigerate.
  7. Decorate the tartlets with strawberries and fresh berries, chopped pistachios, flaked coconut, and a dusting of icing sugar.

Sweet Potato Trout

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Canarian Recipes: Trucha de Batata

Sweet potato dumplings are a delightful dessert and a cherished homemade recipe often made for Christmas. No-one seems to now why it has a “fishy” name. It’s  a pastry but with a sweet filling.

Ingredients for the Dough

  • 1 kg of flour
  • 200 g of sugar
  • 200 g of butter or lard
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder (Royal type)
  • Grated lemon zest

For the Filling

  • 1.5 kg of yellow sweet potatoes 
  • 50 g of almonds
  • Grated lemon zest
  • Cinnamon
  • 2 whole eggs
  • Anise seed (a little)
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar, plus extra for decoration

Making the Dough

  1. Knead the flour with the lard and a little butter until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
  2. Allow it to rest for a while.
  3. Then, roll out the dough with a rolling pin and use a bowl or cutting ring to form the circles, which will be ready for filling.

Preparing the Filling

  1. Cook the sweet potatoes in salted water until soft. Peel them and mash well with a fork.
  2. Next, add the peeled and ground almonds, cinnamon, a little anise liqueur, and mix thoroughly.
  3. Taste the mixture to see if it needs any additional ingredients.
  4. Once the filling is ready, start filling the circles; place the filling from the centre towards the front and fold them in half, creating a crescent shape.
  5. Seal the edges with a fork, decorating the edge to resemble a shell.
  6. Fry them in hot oil, and as they darken, remove them from the pan.
  7. Drain excess oil by placing them on absorbent paper.
  8. Once drained, arrange them on trays and sprinkle with sugar on top.

Almogrote Croquettes

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Almogrote is a spread traditionally made with cured cheese, garlic, and oil. This flavourful blend has now been creatively incorporated into croquettes. While the texture in the croquette form is more liquid than the traditional spread, it retains the distinctive taste of the original almogrote.

Ingredients

  • 100g of butter or one tablespoon
  • 100g of white onion or half an onion
  • 50g of spring onion or leek if you prefer
  • 700ml of milk
  • 150g of flour
  • 200g of almogrote (they usually come in this size)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Flour, eggs and breadcrumbs for coating
  • Olive or sunflower oil for frying

Method

  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and then add the diced portion of butter, helping it to melt quickly.
  2. While you’re finely dicing the onion so it blends well, thinly slice the spring onion or leek leaves and mix them with the onion.
  3. Once the butter has melted, add the vegetables to the saucepan and let them cook for at least 10 minutes over low heat.
  4. While the onion is cooking, heat the milk in another container at medium temperature.
  5. Once the vegetables are cooked, gradually add the wheat flour to the saucepan and stir until well combined with the sautéed vegetables. Let it cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. You’ll see a solid dough form and the flour toast.
  6. Gradually add the hot milk, stirring constantly until the béchamel sauce is ready. All the ingredients in the saucepan should be well combined. 
  7. Remove the béchamel sauce from the heat and add the prepared almogrote, mixing it evenly. It will have a yellowish cream consistency. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper if needed.
  8. Pour the mixture into a glass container or bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it set in the refrigerator for a day. If you’re in a real hurry, we recommend leaving it for at least 3 hours.
  9. Let’s create the final croquette! The dough has rested, and now it’s time for the final step.
  10. Prepare three containers: one with flour, one with egg, and one with fine breadcrumbs. Take portions of the dough with a spoon and shape them into your preferred croquette form. Then, coat each croquette in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs.
  11. All the croquettes are now formed. You can store them in the refrigerator or freezer, or cook them right away.
  12. Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan and add the croquettes when it’s very hot.
  13. Remove them and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. 

Chorizo Teror Croquetas

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Moya, Gran Canaria, is known for its wide array of croquette flavours. Among the most popular are those featuring the renowned chorizo from the village of Teror. These croquettes embody the unique taste of one of the Canary Islands’ most celebrated sausages.

Ingredients
4-5 servings

  • 1/2 onion
  • 1/2 leek
  • 2 teeth garlic
  • 1-2 Teror sausages
  • 150-200 g flour
  • 1/2 l milk
  • 1 spoon butter
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Chopped parsley

For breading:

  • Flour
  • eggs
  • breadcrumbs

Step by step

  1. Peel the onion and garlic.
  2. Clean the leek.
  3. Chop the leek and onion. P
  4. Cut the leek, onion, and garlic in a food processor.
  5. Blend the vegetables.
  6. Sauté the onion, garlic, leek, and chopped parsley in a pot.
  7. Add the chorizo, stir. Add the flour, stir.
  8. Add the milk and stir.
  9. Season the dough.
  10. Shape and bread.

For Breading

The standard order is Flour, then Eggs, then Breadcrumbs (F-E-B), a three-step process where flour helps the egg stick, the egg acts as glue, and the crumbs provide the crust, with all stages often seasoned for flavor.

Use a “dry hand” for flour/crumbs and a “wet hand” for eggs to keep it clean, and chilling the breaded item before cooking helps the coating adhere.

To Cook Croquettes

Typically deep-fry them in oil heated to 180°C (350-356°F) for 3-6 minutes until golden brown and crispy, draining them on paper towels.

To bake, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan and air fryer/gas 4 and bake for 20-25 mins until deeply golden and crisp.

 

Croquetas de Jamón Serrano

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Small rolls made from a mixture of olive oil, butter, flour, and milk flavored with Serrano ham and deep-fried to crispy perfection. (Although, if you’re like the locals in Spain, you might want to try more adventurous flavors, like mushroom or even chocolate!)

Ingredients for 4 people (40 units):

For the béchamel sauce:

  • 100g Serrano Ham
  • 100g of all-purpose flour
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 liter of whole milk
  • 200-300 ml of beef broth
  • 40 ml of olive oil
  • Salt
  • Nutmeg

For the batter:

  • 200g of breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs
  • Mild olive oil for frying

How to make

  1. Finely chop the onion and cut the Serrano ham into small cubes and set them aside.
  2. Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat and keep it warm for later use. In a separate saucepan, heat the milk and set it aside to add to the béchamel sauce.
  3. In a large frying pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
  4. Once the onion is ready, add the diced Serrano ham and sauté lightly. Don’t let it brown too much, as we want to maintain its soft texture and avoid overly strong croquettes. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spatula.
  5. Let it cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly, so the flour toasts slightly and loses its raw taste. Be careful not to burn it, as this will make the croquettes bitter.
  6. Gradually pour in the hot stock, stirring constantly until the mixture is well combined and forms a thick paste.
  7. Then, gradually add the hot milk, ensuring it’s fully incorporated before adding more. Cook the béchamel sauce over medium heat until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
  8. Adjust the thickness by adding a little more milk if needed, and season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg to taste.
  9. Once the béchamel sauce is ready and has reached the desired consistency, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a tray. Let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating it for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
  10. When making the croquettes, prepare the breading ingredients by placing the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Separately, beat the eggs in another bowl.
  11. Once all the ingredients are prepared, coat the croquettes. To do this, take a portion of the dough with a spoon and, using another spoon or your hands, shape it into a croquette. Then, dip it in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
  12. Press lightly to shape them and ensure the coating adheres well. As you form them, place them on a board so the coating dries slightly, preventing them from opening up while frying. Repeat the process with all the dough until all the croquettes are ready.
  13. Once the croquettes are shaped, it’s time to fry them: heat plenty of mild olive oil in a frying pan and, when the oil is hot, add the croquettes in small batches. This will prevent them from falling apart or absorbing too much oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy on the outside. Remove the croquettes from the oil and place them on paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
  14. Once they are all fried, serve immediately, piping hot, to enjoy their best texture, creamy and tasty.

Courgette Soup

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Used interchangeably: Courgette, Zucchini, Calabacin, Bougango (more commonly Bubango) in Tenerife refers to a traditional, local variety of squash or marrow (calabacín), a key part of Canarian cuisine.

Canarian Recipes: Sopa de Calabacín

(Serves 2–3)

  • 2 medium courgettes
  • 1 leek or ½ onion
  • 1 small potato (optional, for texture)
  • 1 clove of garlic (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • Water or vegetable stock
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper or nutmeg (optional)

Method

  1. Wash and slice the courgettes (you can leave the skin on).
  2. Sauté the leek/onion and garlic in the oil for 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add the courgettes and potato, covering with water or stock.
  4. Cook for 15–20 minutes until tender.
  5. Blend until smooth.
  6. Adjust seasoning and spices to taste.

Options for a Lighter Version

  • Omit the potato (more cleansing)
  • Add ginger or turmeric
  • Use unsalted vegetable stock
  • Finish with a drizzle of lemon juice