It’s not every day that one of the world’s most vibrant and famous food markets goes on tour! In fact it is the first time that market stall holders from The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria – better known just as La Boqueria – have come to London from Barcelona.
For 3 days this weekend part of the Southbank was turned into a mini La Boqueria!
The largest area, sponsored by Campo Viejo wines, included a restaurant, bar and wine tasting area. We were lucky enough to get into one of the wine blending classes and the wine makers there shared lots of information about the range of climates, altitudes and soils in the Rioja region. We tried unblended wine – all tempranillo – from the different areas to experience the different aromas and flavours. We also tried the same wine aged in French oak or American oak – the difference was enormous – one quite sweet and fragrant the other much bolder, a great comparison.
And then of course there was the food! One of the favourite quick snacks in La Boqueria is meat on a stick – typically 6 different meats for 1 euro. And they had that here in London – albeit 4 different meats for £1! There were lots of delicious meats, salamis, olives, cheeses, oils and chocolates. Some beautifully presented.
One of the places we ate when we were last at La Boqueria was El Quim and so I was pleased to see they had a stand and were serving tapas. One of their featured recipes, which is on their site , is this Eggs With Small Squids – a different and delicious way to have your morning eggs!
Eggs with small squids.
Recipe for one person.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs.
- 100 grs of small squids.
- 1 garlic.
- 1 chilly pepper.
- Olive oil.
- Maldon salt.
- Black pepper.
Preparation:
1. Fry the eggs in a pan with plenty olive oil.
2. Slice the garlic and deep fry it with the chilly pepper until golden brown. Then, add the small squids and saute them.
3. Serve on top of the fried eggs with Maldon salt and black pepper on top.
Is it like being there? NO!!!! But was it a fun addition for a Bank Holiday weekend? Absolutely.
Were you there too? Or have you been to La Boqueria? Do let me know, I’d love to hear your comments.
Latest posts by Karen Kennaby (see all)
- Bringing Home the Bacon! - June 17, 2013
- The Streets of Spain…In London! - May 15, 2013
- Spanish Style Chorizo Stew - April 15, 2013
I would love to have been there! Shame I had to miss it, I’m a big fan of tapas and Spanish wines. Let’s hope it’s back next year and becomes a regular feature in good old London town 🙂
I think it will be a regular feature it was very popular, so… a nice addition to the London food scene!
Hi,
Sounds like a delightful event. I just attended a wine tasting with homemade appetizers to go with each type of wine. But of course we did not get to try the wines that were aged in French or American oak to taste the difference.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
That sounds fun too Erica!
Yes the side by side tasting with French and American oak was fascinating, a revelation
all the best
Karen
Hello Karen……..This sounds like a wonderful experience…….It was a surprise to see that Michael wasn’t the one to write this week…..lol……I am going to book mark this page to come back for that recipe!…..sounds Delicious….although I’m not sure where to get small squids in rural Kentucky….I will have ti investigate that….lol…..Thanks Karen….Smokey
hi Smokey
I’m glad you liked the post and the sound of the recipe! Yes, I’m writing once a month on here so do come back soon! I hope you can find baby squid but if not I reckon it would also taste good with regular ones chopped up (necessity being the mother of invention and all that!)
till next time Karen
Hi Karen,
your description of this street of culinary delights made my mouth water.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
It reminded me of this most amazing omelet which I had in the early 70s in a tiny out of the way village on Crete in Greece. It took about half an our before they served it but it was well worth the wait and very cheap.
To happy taste buds!
Cheers,
Yorinda
Yorinda recently posted..Eye Writer How a paralyzed Artist gets to draw again
hi Yorinda
I’m glad you enjoyed the post and it brought back fond memories! That’s one of the great things about food isn’t it, it captures a moment in time in such a special way
more soon!
Karen
HI Karen! Nice to see you here on Michael’s blog. I love your story about the wine tasting event. Here is Wisconsin we have wine and cheese events. I enjoy sampling all the different wines and then choosing which ones to take along home with me.. About your recipe Thanks for sharing. Chery 🙂