Five tasty dishes from Marbella, Spain

Imagine yourself in Marbella, one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol in Spain. Offering Mediterranean sunshine, sandy beaches and many excellent restaurants, Marbella is a great place to try out some traditional Spanish cooking. If you’re planning a holiday in the sun, here are some of the most popular dishes you’ll find on the menus of the restaurants and hotels in Marbella.

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Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold soup that’s popular in Marbella and all over Spain, in fact all over the world! Not surprising because on a hot summer’s day it makes a wonderfully refreshing lunchtime dish.

Gazpacho is great for vegetarians& and includes tomatoes, garlic, cucumber, onion and green pepper, blended together in a dressing of olive oil, vinegar and salt. If you like it a little more spicy, just add ground black pepper and cumin.

Ajoblanco

Ajoblanco is another cold soup that is very popular in Malaga and the Andalusia area of Spain. Ajoblanco is made from green apples, garlic, green seedless grapes, milk, salt, black pepper, wine vinegar, blanched almonds and cubes of white bread. It can be served topped with toasted almonds.

Pescaito Frito

Many Spanish resorts, including Marbella, are on the coast so fish dishes are very popular and can include locally caught fish and seafood. Pescaito Frito is to be found on many menus and meaning simply “Fried Fish” – it’s actually a corruption of “Pescadito Frito” but the name has stuck.

There are many sorts of fish that are served this way and the meal could be enjoyed with salad. “A La Plancha,” meaning grilled, is another popular way of serving fish in Spain.

Espetos de Sardinas

Sardines are a very popular small fish served in restaurants in Spain and the Mediterranean region. Espetos de Sardinas means grilled sardines and this is one of the main ways the fish are prepared in Marbella and on the Costa del Sol.

An “espeto” is usually made up of six sardines on a wooden spit. The fish are grilled over open wood fires in the traditional way using olive wood for the fire. Sprigs of aromatic culinary herbs, such as rosemary, bay and thyme are placed on the embers to add flavour to the cooked fish. Enjoy your grilled sardines at one of the many Chiringuito or beach restaurants along the coast where you can sit with the sand under your toes with a view of the sea.

Ensalada Malagueña

“Ensalada malagueña” means Malaga Salad and is a speciality of the region around Marbella. This salad combines the contrasting flavour of oranges with cod and potatoes, olives and onions, and a dressing of olive oil. The combination of sweet and savoury is just right!

I hope your mouth will be watering at this taste of Marbella and the south of Spain. Do you have any favourite dishes from your holidays in Spain?

Read more about the south of Spain

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A visit to Ojén – the Pueblos Blancos of Andalucia

Photo Credits in order of appearance: A Bowl of Gazpacho by Javier Lastras, Ajoblanco Soup by Miss Alix, Pescaito Frito for lunch by Dorte, Grilled Sardines by Daniel Sancho, and Malaga Salad by Jose Antonio Galiano.

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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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