Curated Spanish cooking

Spanish recipes from regional rice and tapas to classic desserts

Cook through Valencian paella and fideuà, tortilla española, Andalusian chilled soups, Madrid tapas and cocido, Asturian fabada, Galician octopus, Basque cod and tuna stews, Catalan pan con tomate and crema catalana, plus churros and almond cake. Each recipe gives precise quantities, heat, timing, texture and doneness cues so regional Spanish techniques are practical in a home kitchen.

20 recipes published

Valencian paella with golden rice, chicken, rabbit, green beans and white beans

Valencia, Spain

1 hr 35 min

Paella Valenciana

The Valencian original is a wide-pan rice dish built from well-browned chicken and rabbit, tomato, green beans, garrofó, saffron and paprika. The rice cooks uncovered in the seasoned broth and rests before serving so the grains stay distinct.

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Thick golden Spanish tortilla with visible potato layers in a cut wedge

50 min

Tortilla Española

A thick Spanish omelette of slowly softened potatoes, onion and eggs, browned gently on both sides. The potatoes are cooked tender in olive oil, drained, mixed with egg, then set slowly so the centre stays moist rather than dry.

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Silky red Andalusian gazpacho served cold in a simple bowl

Andalusia, Spain

2 hr 20 min

Gazpacho Andaluz

A bright Andalusian cold soup of ripe tomato, cucumber, green pepper, bread, olive oil and Sherry vinegar. It is blended smooth, strained if needed, chilled thoroughly and adjusted only after cold so the balance stays fresh rather than heavy.

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Thick Cordoban salmorejo topped with chopped egg and Serrano ham

Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain

1 hr 25 min

Salmorejo Cordobés

Córdoba’s thick chilled tomato-and-bread soup is richer than gazpacho: ripe tomatoes and bread are blended with garlic, then emulsified with a substantial amount of olive oil until dense and silky. Chopped egg and Serrano ham finish the cold bowl.

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Crisp golden patatas bravas with red paprika tomato sauce

1 hr 20 min

Patatas Bravas

Spanish bar potatoes with a crisp shell, creamy centre and a warm, smoky tomato-paprika brava sauce. A gentle first fry cooks the potato through; cooling and a hotter second fry create the crunch without drying the centre.

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Golden Spanish ham croquettes with a creamy Serrano ham béchamel centre

5 hr 30 min

Croquetas de Jamón

Spanish ham croquettes are crisp breadcrumb shells around a chilled, intensely creamy béchamel enriched with Serrano ham. The filling must be cooked thick, chilled until firm, shaped and breaded cold, then fried hot so the crust browns before the centre leaks.

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Pink prawns sizzling in golden garlic-chilli olive oil with parsley

18 min

Gambas al Ajillo

A fast Spanish tapa of prawns sizzling in olive oil scented with sliced garlic and dried chilli. The garlic is coloured gently before the prawns go in, then the seafood cooks only until opaque and just firm so the hot oil stays fragrant rather than bitter.

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Catalan tomato bread with juicy grated tomato, olive oil and sea salt

Catalonia, Spain

16 min

Pan con Tomate (Pa amb Tomàquet)

Catalonia’s tomato bread is deliberately simple: sturdy bread toasted until crisp, lightly rubbed with raw garlic, then covered with very ripe grated tomato, extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt. It must be assembled just before eating so the toast remains crisp under the juice.

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Valencian fideuà with short noodles, prawns, monkfish and cuttlefish

Valencia, Spain

1 hr 10 min

Fideuà

Valencia’s fideuà uses short noodles in the same wide-pan logic as paella. Seafood is browned first, tomato and paprika form the sofrito, then the noodles absorb saffron fish stock until tender and nearly dry before a short rest.

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Madrid cocido served in separate courses with broth, chickpeas, vegetables and mixed meats

12 hr 30 min

Cocido Madrileño

Madrid’s long-simmered cocido builds one pot into three traditional servings: noodle soup first, chickpeas and vegetables second, then the tender meats and sausages. Chickpeas soak overnight, the broth is skimmed carefully, and strongly coloured sausages cook separately to keep the main broth clear.

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Asturian fabada with creamy white beans, chorizo, morcilla and cured pork

Asturias, Spain

11 hr 5 min

Fabada Asturiana

Asturias’s famous bean stew slowly cooks large white fabes with cured pork, chorizo, morcilla and saffron until the beans are buttery and the broth naturally creamy. The pot is moved gently rather than stirred, then rests before serving so the starch and pork juices settle together.

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Galician octopus over potato rounds with paprika, coarse salt and olive oil

1 hr 30 min

Pulpo a la Gallega (Pulpo á Feira)

Galician fair-style octopus is simmered until tender, cut into thick coins and dressed hot with coarse salt, sweet and hot paprika, and generous extra-virgin olive oil. Potatoes cooked in the octopus water form a common base that absorbs the paprika-red oil.

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Basque salt cod in glossy pale-golden pil-pil sauce with garlic and chilli

Basque Country, Spain

36 hr 50 min

Bacalao al Pil-Pil

A Basque salt-cod dish whose sauce comes from emulsifying the fish gelatin with warm olive oil—no flour or cream. Proper desalting, gentle poaching and patient circular movement turn the cod juices into the glossy pale pil-pil.

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Thick Manchegan vegetable pisto with peppers, courgette and soft cooked eggs

Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

1 hr 10 min

Pisto Manchego

A Castilla-La Mancha vegetable stew in which onion, peppers and courgette are cooked in stages before ripe tomato reduces around them. The finished pisto is soft and spoonable but not watery, traditionally served warm with eggs and bread.

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Basque tuna and potato marmitako in lightly thickened red-golden broth

Basque Country, Spain

1 hr 10 min

Marmitako

A Basque fishermen’s stew of meaty bonito or tuna, potatoes, peppers and tomato. The vegetables and potatoes cook first in fish stock; tuna is added only for the final few minutes so it stays juicy while potato starch gives the broth body.

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Crisp golden Spanish battered squid rings with lemon wedges

45 min

Calamares a la Romana

Spanish battered squid rings with a thin, crisp golden shell and tender centre. Dry squid, a cold aerated batter and 180°C oil are the key controls: the coating sets fast and the squid leaves the fryer before it turns rubbery.

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Golden Spanish churros with thick dark hot chocolate for dipping

50 min

Churros con Chocolate

Spanish churros are crisp ridged sticks made from a simple hot-water dough, fried until golden and served immediately with thick drinking chocolate. The dough is smooth and firm rather than enriched, while cornstarch gives the chocolate enough body for dipping.

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Crema Catalana in terracotta with a thin amber caramel crust

Catalonia, Spain

4 hr 50 min

Crema Catalana

Catalonia’s stovetop custard is infused with lemon, orange and cinnamon, thickened with egg yolks and cornstarch, chilled until fully set, then capped with a thin sheet of burnt sugar. The custard is cooked in a saucepan rather than baked in a water bath.

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Round Tarta de Santiago with icing sugar and the Cross of Saint James

1 hr 55 min

Tarta de Santiago

Galicia’s almond cake is built from nearly equal weights of ground almonds and sugar bound with eggs, scented lightly with lemon and cinnamon, and finished with icing sugar around the Cross of Saint James. This flourless version stays moist and granular rather than airy like sponge cake.

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Creamy Spanish arroz con leche with an even cinnamon dusting

Asturias / Spain

3 hr 10 min

Arroz con Leche

Asturian-style arroz con leche cooks short-grain rice slowly with milk, cinnamon and lemon until the grains become fully tender and the liquid turns into a thick cream. Butter enriches the final simmer, and this traditional serving is finished with a veil of ground cinnamon.

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