A good dish stands or falls with the sauce. In Spain, that may be truer than anywhere else. Meat, fish or vegetables are often prepared simply, but it\u2019s the sauce that brings the magic. From a spoonful of creamy alioli with grilled fish to a fiery mojo pic\u00f3n over Canarian potatoes \u2014 Spanish sauces tell stories of region, tradition and temperament. <\/p>\n
Spain\u2019s most famous sauce is without doubt alioli. Originally a pure emulsion of garlic and olive oil, without egg yolk or other additions. Many restaurants now serve a milder version with mayonnaise, but traditional alioli is bold, pungent and not for the faint-hearted. Served with grilled fish or a piece of bread, it\u2019s an explosion of flavour that takes you straight to the Mediterranean. <\/p>\n
With patatas bravas, it\u2019s all about the sauce. Tomato, garlic, paprika and chilli come together in a spicy, red-hued mix that offers both heat and comfort. Every region \u2014 and really every bar \u2014 has its own recipe. Sometimes smoky, sometimes fiery, sometimes more tomatoey and mild. But always inseparable from a plate of fried potatoes and a cold cerveza. <\/p>\n
Leave the mainland and step onto the Canary Islands, and you can\u2019t miss mojo. Mojo rojo is spicy and smoky, full of paprika and chilli. Mojo verde is fresher, based on coriander or parsley. Paired with the famous papas arrugadas \u2014 wrinkled potatoes boiled in salt water \u2014 they make up perhaps the islands\u2019 most iconic dish. A simple combination bursting with identity. <\/p>\n
Romesco hails from Catalonia: a sauce made from roasted peppers, tomato, garlic, almonds and hazelnuts. Often served with grilled fish, but just as delicious with vegetables or even bread. It\u2019s a sauce that speaks of richness, yet was born from simplicity: use what you have, roast it over the fire and grind it into a thick, savoury sauce. Today, romesco has found its way into kitchens around the world \u2014 but nowhere does it taste better than along the Catalan coast. <\/p>\n
Spanish sauces are more than just a sidekick. They\u2019re a reflection of landscape and culture. The alioli of the Mediterranean, the salsa brava of Madrid, the mojo of the islands, the romesco of Catalonia \u2014 each tells you something about where you are and who\u2019s cooking. And perhaps that\u2019s the power of this cuisine: simplicity on the plate, but complexity in the flavour. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A good dish stands or falls with the sauce. In Spain, that may be truer than anywhere else. Meat, fish or vegetables are often prepared simply, but it\u2019s the sauce that brings the magic. From a spoonful of creamy alioli with grilled fish to a fiery mojo pic\u00f3n over Canarian ...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13647,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[176],"tags":[2319,1527,2321,2322,2320,2318,1474],"class_list":["post-13699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gusto-en","tag-alioli-en","tag-gusto-en","tag-mojo-en","tag-romesco-en","tag-salsa-brava-en","tag-sauces","tag-spanish-cuisine"],"yoast_head":"\n