Game meat
In the days before Amazon, Costco or well-stocked Gibraltar supermarkets, there were items that were literally off the menu – and still are – for many northern Europeans in Spain
Many northern European expats have problems adjusting to the Spanish diet, usually because of the 'overdoing' of olive oil and the free use of garlic. ... They miss butter and lard for frying, and many have a problem with Spanish mealtimes. But the biggest problem historically was always the unavailability of familiar items. In the days before Amazon, Costco or well-stocked Gibraltar supermarkets, there were items that were literally off the menu – and still are.
The list is a long one, but a conversation with a restaurateur who caters mainly for expats revealed that many miss the occasional roast pheasant or stewed hare. In the good old days, the Marbella Club had an autumnal game menu with wild boar, venison, and wild duck, but the last time I checked the only locations where game dishes were available were villages around Ronda and north of Malaga.
The Germans are great game lovers, so it was natural that Horchers in Madrid, and by association La Fonda in Marbella, offered it in season. Although the scenario is bleak, help is at hand if we don't mind donning an apron and getting our hands messy. Just Google (or equivalent) 'carne de caza' online, and if our pretensions go no further than tinned game, the selection is impressive, starting with the ever-present 'perdiz en escabeche', or pickled partridge (it's almost impossible to find it unpickled).
The website www.carnescaza.com has some interesting items such as wild duck, rabbit, hare, venison, and wild boar in foil sachets, ready to heat up, as well as cuts of game supplied by cold chain.
Wine of the week
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Monte Real Rosé 2023
The first rosado wine to come out of one of Spain's oldest wineries, Bodegas Riojanas, from a 500-metre-high vineyard of old Garnacha vines. Made to the highest standards and excellent value. Around 16 euros.
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