Eating in Atlantic Lands is one of those pleasures that travellers must treat themselves to when visiting any of the area’s towns and villages. The variety of products is surprising. At a time when globalisation is omnipresent, even in the movement of food products, and any market now has fruit, fish, seafood and meat from all over the world at any time of year, visitors who venture into the markets along the coast, or visit the Berbés fishing port in the early hours, or the fortnightly fairs held in most towns, will find fish, fruit, pulses and vegetables that can only be seen here.
In recent years the Mediterranean diet has been defended over and over again from a health and nutrition point of view. It is a diet based on cereals, fish and olive oil instead of a predominance of proteins from mea
t. Experts and nutritionists have now discovered a variation of this diet that has developed over the centuries along the Atlantic coast of Galicia and Portugal and that is equally healthy. From the Mediterranean diet it inherits an intake of wheat, oil, wine, blue fish, vegetables and fruit, but in addition the Atlantic diet adds many varieties of marine species, such as mussels, cockles, cod and octopus; products that came from America such as corn; some that are indigenous, such as chestnuts; and includes some veal and pork, though not in excess.
So, the gastronomy on offer in these lands has two essential qualities. The first is the variety, which offers, without doubt a great richness and something for all tastes. The second is its healthiness.
The cuisine from the sea
The cuisine from the Atlantic Lands can be defined as one from the coast. This means that the sea shows its supremacy by providing a wide repertoire of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae. In coastal towns such as Baiona, Panxón and Redondela, with their own fishing fleets operating in nearby waters, there is an abundance of small fish, such as the xouba or small sardine, the chincho which is the smaller horse mackerel; the bocarte or bocareu, the Galician terms for anchovies; the bogón which is similar to the anchovy; xarda or mackerel… all of which are blue fish that can be prepared in stews or simply floured and fried in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil if they are small, or charcoal grilled or oven cooked in the case of horse mackerel, sardines or mackerel if they are larger. In summer, it is difficult to find a cellar, inn or tavern that does not have a corner out in the open where sardines or horse mackerel are grilled on a barbecue often fuelled by vine cuttings. Likewise, sardines are also to be found at many local festivals and romerías or local processions, headed by the traditional San Juan (St. John’s Eve) which according to experts is, the start of the blue fish season.
Among white fish are thick back sole, plaice and their other flatfish kin, brill, also known here as megrim and sole. Larger in size, but also from the same family are turbot and flounder.
Hake that is landed on the day of capture is called “del pincho” as it is caught with a long-line, which consists of a line with a succession of hooks running down it that the hake bite on before being lifted, still alive, onto the deck of the fishing vessel. These waters also supply a type of monkfish called peixe sapo, which is rather ugly looking, a fact that has allowed it to live in peace until well into the second half of the 20th century. This is when monkfish became popular when people discovered that its flesh was tasty and with firm texture, characteristics most appreciated in fish. Sapo from the coast have black bellies and are smaller than a similar variety from other fishing grounds called juliana, which can grow to a much greater size and has light coloured belly skin. Both these monkfish are generically called rape locally but the sapo variety is always much better.
The list of varieties in never-ending: bream or sargo, perch or choupa, Atlantic pomfret or castañeta also known as palometa, scorpionfish or escarapota – which is called cabracho in the Basque Country, gild head seabream or dorada, sea bream or besugo – which is known as ollomol here – rockling or bertorella… and dogfish such as tope shark or cazón, and seabream or zapata, which are salted and dried like cod before being cooked. And, of course, we must not forget cod, which provides the gastronomic wealth of the Atlantic with so many recipes. But there is a species that has become legendary among the most experienced fisher folk along the coast: the conger eel. A solitary inhabitant of caves and rock crevices or between the rocks of a breakwater or quay, the conger is caught from the coast by using a line that can withstand the sharp teeth of this fish, which can reach considerable size and offers a challenge in the catch that is not free from risk. In the cove of San Simón congers have been, and still are, caught that weigh over thirty kilos, the minimum figure before photos start to appear in the local press showing proud fishers next to their catch. After taking the snap for posterity, a conger of this size is enough for numerous pies and a good stew with noodles, these being the dishes that are generally prepared using this fish.
Shellfish
The shellfish coming from Vigo Bay have become a byword for quality. And quite rightly so. Its plankton rich waters, temperature, and the biodiversity it holds all favour a good diet for crustaceans and molluscs. Although there is a belief that the shellfish season coincides with months containing the letter “r” (September, October, November… to April), the fact is that there are species for all times of year: shrimp, small crab, crayfish, rock lobster, sand lobster, spider crab, Atlantic rock crab, goose barnacles, scallops, baby scallops, clams, cockles, oysters, mussels, razor clam…
Most crustaceans are eaten after being boiled in water for less than a minute with plenty of salt and some bay leaves, in the case of shrimps, or half an hour for a good sized spider crab. They need no other preparation to provide an extraordinary symphony of flavours and textures. However, they offer enormous possibilities in the kitchen. Rice is enriched when prepared with rock lobster, sand lobster, scallops, baby scallops, clams, cockles and even razor clams. Spider crab is a great accompaniment for beans in a stew that is ideal for winter. Clams go well with fungi, in a dish that combines the flavours of the forst with those of the sea. Scallops, skewered, oven cooked, in the Vigo style, are delicious. Mussels have endless possibilities: steamed, in brine sauce, fried, filled, with white sauce… Salads and seafood cocktails exalt the texture of species like sand lobster, Atlantic rock crab and rock lobster. The oyster is the star at one of the gastronomic festivals in these lands, at Arcade, where it is exalted during the first weekend in April.
Cephalopods are molluscs that literally have their feet - their tentacles - in their heads. Chocos are sepia cuttlefish and enjoy a great reputation. In Redondela they have maintained and enriched the range of recipes for this fish thanks to one of the most popular gastronomic festivals, which takes place on the second weekend in May. Chocos in their own ink, rice with chocos, and pie made from them continue to be the most traditional recipes. Squid or calamar, also known as lura, is eaten with onions, in batter rings, in stews and, of course, in empanada or pie. This type of pie is also a way of highlighting that king of cephalopods, the octopus, although Galicia has its own way of cooking this creature that has gone beyond its borders: the feira style. Not one fiesta goes by, in summer or winter, without it being prepared in enormous copper cooking pots and served on wooden plates.
River
The rivers of these Atlantic Lands are sources of great gastronomic inspiration: trout, sea trout, eel, lamprey, shad… and in salty waters, where the sea tide reaches, there are species that have adapted to be indifferent towards fresh water and salt water environments. This is where we find bass, known as robaliza or lubina, which on reaching a size of over two kilos are given the name of róbalos, but are now fish that seek open sea waters. Also able to shift between aquatic worlds are plaice, mullet, eels, and salmon trout that spend part of their lives in the sea and another in the river. Eels are eaten fried, braised, or in pies. Lamprey is cooked in the French style, using the Bordeaux recipe that uses its own blood, it can be battered or stuffed or, like almost everything in Galicia, made into empanada pie. Plaice are fried after being greased with one of the many types of pork lard. Trout are eaten with ham. And bass goes into the oven to be roasted and served with a vegetable garnish or simply salted. Although there are restaurants serving any of these dishes practically everywhere in our territory, the most appropriate way of enjoying them is in their own setting, which is Soutomaior, Fornelos, Pazos de Borbén, Mos and Porriño.
Meat
If the coast is the kingdom of fish, then inland is where meat takes pride of place on the plate. They can be light, prepared on grills or hotplates such as are used for pork or lamb chops; roast, where that kid and pork are slowly cooked on a spit; the oven is also a good method for roast kid, served with new potatoes, lamb, chicken and other foul, and suckling pig.
Galician veal is a product with Denomination of Origin due to the use of indigenous species that have a pink-coloured flesh and
a texture with just the right amount of fat. They pasture happily in meadows and have their diet complemented by natural cereals.
Pork is of great importance in the food and nutrition of these lands. The mountainous areas are colder in winter and allow cold meats and hams to be cured. On the coast, pork is eaten fresh at churrascadas (spare ribs) or summer barbecues, or salted in winter to strengthen cocido stews, tripe or shoulder of pork prepared with rapini turnip tops and called lacón con grelos.
If your journey is made during the hunting season, the Serra do Suído, Serra da Groba and other mountainous areas offer the possibility of enjoying dishes such as boar, roe deer, partridge and mountain rabbit. Fungi and chestnuts are the best accompaniment for these dishes, which can be savoured in small inns in rural and mountainous areas as well as more urban restaurants that have a special menu for the hunting season.
Fruit and vegetables
The cuisine of the Atlantic Lands shares the qualities of Galician cuisine to a great extent. The temperate climate in this territory provides excellent vegetables and fruit. Apples are celebrated at a festival in Redondela, cherries in one at Beade, and wild peaches, called pexego in these parts, in one at Candeán.
Wines and spirits
Albariño is the king of Atlantic Land white wines. It is made in the sub-areas of the Rías Baixas Denomination of Origin, which include the one at Soutomaior that takes in the whole of that municipality and some of the parishes of Redondela. It is a fruity wine with an intense bouquet. It is pleasant on the palate and has a pale gold colour and great clarity. Acidity harmonizes with alcohol level. Albariños have an alcohol content that fluctuates between 12 and 12.5 degrees. They are young wines that should be drunk in their year, or within the following two years at the most. Besides locally produced wine it is easy to find other varieties from the same denomination of origin such as Condado del Tea, a coupage of Albariño, Treixadura and white Caiño, and Rosal, a multi-variety wine blending Albariño, white Caíño and Loureira, which are both harvested and prepared on the banks of the Miño.
Where there is wine there is aguardiente, the local spirit drink. It is a product with denomination of origin all over Galicia and a regulatory council to protect aguardientes that are made from the pulp residue of autochthonous grapes and available both pure and flavoured with herbs. The sub-products of these aguardientes are licor de hierbas, or herb liquor, and coffee liquor.
