FIRST on my “Favorite Things About Córdoba” list, hopefully something I will be able to recreate with some success back home, is the cuisine.
Lots of pork, olive oil, potatoes and vegetables make for a simple, delicious diet.
One of my favorite dishes, which locals proudly laud as found only in Córdoba province (okay, maybe a little bit of Málaga) is called flamenquín.
Flamenquín (say: flah-men-KEEN) is pork shoulder, called lomo, wrapped in ham, breaded and deep-fried in pure Andalucian olive oil. Served with fried potatoes and a little mayo, this is a perfect dinner dish to go with a cold caña of beer any night of the week.
My other favorite is a combo usually served as a summer first course for lunch.
Tortilla de patata, the Spanish omelette, is just potatoes, onions and eggs.
Andalucía’s version of gazpacho is called salmorejo (say: sahl-mo-RAY-hoe), a refreshing cold tomato soup made from tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, oil and vinegar. This is the easiest thing I have ever made. Chop the ingredients, put them in a blender, ignore while chatting with a friend for four or five minutes while drinking tinto de verano, chill and serve.
The local secret? Dip your tortilla de patata in the salmorejo. Scrumptious.
If you’re not a cook, going out to eat in Córdoba is very inexpensive so it’s worth the walk and a few euros to have an experienced chef make these for you. ¡Buen provecho!
