Take the taste of the Canary Islands home with you..

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This is a guest post from one of our excellent readers! We have been in rural Serbia for the past couple of weeks with almost no internet connection. We are headed to Greece today (hello 18 hr bus ride!) and assuming we get through the border (apparently Greek custom agents just went on strike today) we’ll be up and posting our own stuff in just a couple days. I hope you all enjoy this guest post in the meantime about food in the Canary Islands.

(Photo by ezioman via Flickr.)

A trip to the Canary Islands is unforgettable: the rugged volcanic mountains, the heat of the black sand beaches, the tropical breeze winding in from the blue ocean. But you have to leave those things behind when you fly back home. Still, it’s easy to bring back some of the memories of your holidays on the beach by cooking some of the Islands’ most iconic dishes.

Patatas Arrugadas

(Photo by Mr. T in DC via Flickr.)

Patatas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes) are arguably the most famous dish of the Canary Islands. Tenerife holidays just aren’t the same without them. Patatas arrugadas are essentially just baked new potatoes, but the way they are baked makes them spectacular.

Start by boiling the smallest new potatoes available in salt water: the water must be salty enough for the potatoes to float. After they have been boiled for about 20 minutes, most of the water will have drained off. Steam dry the potatoes on a low heat, either on the stovetop or in the oven. This allows a salt crust to form on the skins, which should have already started to wrinkle. Once the salt crystallises, take the potatoes off the heat and cover with a towel for another five minutes to allow the skins to wrinkle further. They are usually covered in a spicy sauce like mojo rojo or mojo picon when served, but some people prefer them with mojo verde, a coriander-based sauce.

Conejo al Salmorejo

(Photo by Mike__Lawrence via Flickr.)

Remember your holidays to Los Cristianos, the gorgeous port city in the south of Tenerife, with the sophisticated flavours of conejo al salmorejo? Like the city itself, this marinated rabbit dish, which originated in Aragon, largely stays true to its Spanish connections whilst the distinctive tastes of the Canary Islands shape it into something unique.

For a dish so flavourful and impressive, conejo al salmorejo is quite easy to make. Marinate chunks of rabbit meat in garlic, paprika, oil, vinegar, rosemary, thyme, chilli and white wine. Leave to marinate overnight, then shallow fry. Once cooked, remove your game and heat the marinade in the same frying pan and pour the juices over the rabbit to serve.

Escaldón de gofio

(Photo by jtoledo via Flickr.)

Much less refined than conejo al salmorejo, gofio is flour made from roasted grains and beans that is then added to a variety of foods. It has been eaten since the time of the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the islands, and it has seen residents through times of starvation and celebration. Today, it is probably best known for its use in escaldón de gofio.

Escaldón de gofio translates to “scalded gofio”, and it is usually made by mixing the stock or broth of soups and stews with the gofio. It is then served alongside the dish, often in a bowl decorated with bright purple slices of red onion.

If you’d like to make this back home, check the Caribbean section of your supermarket. Canarian immigrants brought gofio with them to the Caribbean, where it became massively popular.

These three simple dishes should bring you straight back to your days lounging on the beach in the Canary Islands. And it is certainly easier to cook these dishes than it is to recreate the hot beaches, salty air and sunshine of the islands on a dreary winter’s day. Enjoy!

(Photo by SanShoot via Flickr.)