The Spanish Christmas meal is typically comprised of several courses and will often last for two or three hours filled with conversation, eating special foods that have been prepared ahead of time, and sharing with family and friends in the joy of Noche Buena (The Good Night).
Tetilla Cheese Puffs with Sesame Seeds and Honey
You won’t find cheese puffs very often in Spain, but at Christmas, no holds are barred. This is a time when people break out new recipes and creative creations to add some flare to the traditional dishes.
Shrimps
During the holidays, shrimp are served in many different ways. They are mixed into salads, chopped into savory tartlets, tucked into mini-sandwiches, and stacked whole onto plates under a sprinkle of salt.
Spanish Seafood Soup
Many of the most traditional first courses at a Spanish holiday meal consist of some type of seafood soup. Common ingredients include shrimp, clams, and mussels along with fish like hake or monk.
Tuna Belly, Blood Orange and Avocado Salad
Salads here tend to let the vegetables and toppings shine by using very light dressings. Often times a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of vinegar is all the dressing it needs!
Slow-Roasted Andalusian-Style Lamb and Potatoes
More often than not, that meat is lamb. While suckling pig and even some beef recipes may make it to the table, the dish which is most often hear about at Spanish Christmas dinners is roasted lamb.
Popular desserts and sweets include ‘mazapán’ (made of almonds, sugar and eggs), ‘turrón’ (made of honey and toasted almonds) and ‘polvorones’ (made of flour, butter and sugar). Bon Appetite!