We've never had so much time to cook (or to do so many other things); so grab your apron and dare to prepare some of the most Valencian recipes at home -
we'll start with the paella!
The 12 steps to follow to get the authentic Valencian paella
We have made a list of the 12 key ingredients so that your paella tastes like the ones you could try in Valencia. If you can't find any of the ingredients, Original CV is specialized in Valencian gastronomic products and offers rice with the Valencia Denomination of Origin, Valencian oils or saffron. We also show you the 12 steps you should follow if you want to be a real master paella maker and leave your family speechless (the recipe is designed for four people). Turn on the stove and follow our recipe!
Horchata: The white golden drink
The Valencians are very proud of our most typical drink: the horchata. And what we can say is: the best thing would be to try it in one of the horchaterías of Valencia. Because it is where they know how to make it better and because it only lasts fresh for 48 hours; so tasting it outside the city is difficult. But let us surprise you, because making horchata at home is easier than you may think. Here is how to do:
You need:
- a 250-gram bag of chufas (tigernuts), which you can buy at any of the city's municipal markets if you're around, or at online stores, like Original CV or Monorxata, if you have to buy from home.
- 1 litre of water
- A mixer
- Sugar or sweetener to taste
And here is how: Soak the tigernuts for 24 hours. After that time, remove the water from the soaking and put the tigernuts in the glass of the mixer together with a litre of clean water. Beat everything well and strain the dregs. Now you can add sugar (80 grams), another sweetener to your taste or prepare it without adding anything else (this last version, much healthier, is becoming very fashionable).
The horchata has to be taken very cold, so let it rest at least two hours in the fridge. In Valencia we take it as a snack, accompanied by a sweet called fartón and that we dip in the horchata, but you can use bread or any other sweet.
Esgarraet: the king of Valencian tapas
Although cod does not inhabit the Mediterranean waters, it is an ingredient widely used in Valencian recipes, especially during Lent, when Christians avoid eating meat on waking days. And so we find cod balls or the popular esgarraet in Valencian bars all year round. Its name comes from the Valencian word esgarrar, which means to tear, and alludes to the way the two main ingredients of this dish are cut with the fingers: cod and red peppers. To prepare it you need:
- 250 grams of roasted red peppers
- 80 grams of dried cod crumbs
- 2 cloves of garlic (more for the brave)
- 100 ml of olive oil
Roast the peppers in the oven (20 minutes at 180º), let them cool, peel them and make them into longitudinal strips with your hands.
Crumble the cod.
Cut the garlic into very thin slices.
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add the oil.
Let it rest. The more it macerates in the oil, the better, so try to prepare it the day before you eat it. Keep it covered in the fridge, but serve it warm.
If you dare to prepare any of these recipes, we'd love to know the result. Share photos of your paella, horchata or esgarraet on your social profiles with the hashtag #recipesvisitvalencia, because we're sure we'll like them a lot!
