PANTRY

ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT COOKING SPANISH cuisine is how easy it is to find the ingredients you need. Even if you can’t track down an item in your local store, you can easily order it online. Below are some staples.

ESSENTIALS

Blended Oil: In Spain, olive oil comes in a variety of grades for different uses. The closest approximation to the mild Spanish olive oil reserved for cooking is a 50/50 blend of canola and olive oil. The Spectrum brand is available at Whole Foods and other supermarkets, but you can make your own mix with half canola and half olive oil that’s mild in flavor, such as Arbequina.

Olive Oil: I keep a bottle of extra-virgin for cooking and a higher-quality extra-virgin Arbequina for dressing salads and making sauces.

Canola Oil: For high-heat frying and searing, I sometimes use this oil.

Kosher Salt: Proper seasoning is crucial to great flavor, so I measured the exact amounts of salt in nearly all of my recipes. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt—here, the brand does matter. Both Morton and David’s kosher salt have larger crystals, which taste saltier. If that’s all you can find, scale down my amounts by about 25%. Even if you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher, you should taste your dishes again before serving and add more salt if you’d like. Taste the food at the temperature you want to eat it, then season to taste.

Black Pepper: I don’t give measured amounts for black pepper because I prefer grinding right onto whatever I’m seasoning. An even sprinkle is all you need.

Pimentón: Smoked Spanish paprika comes sweet, hot, or bittersweet. I keep only the first two on hand. The most aromatic and well-balanced pimentón is labeled de la Vera for its region of origin.

Dry Wine: For white wine, a solid Albariño is inexpensive and worth keeping on hand. For red, choose a budget-friendly dry wine that you’d be happy sipping, too. I use wine often in my recipes and anything not cooked can be drunk.

Sherry: For cooking, there’s no need to splurge on the stuff you’d drink. Any dry cooking sherry will do, such as the Gibson and Taylor brands.

Sherry Vinegar: Any sherry vinegar is fine for cooking. For dressing salads or drizzling, look for small bottles of aged reserved vinegar. I have a bottle of vinegar that’s been aged for 50 years, and I love it. It’s complex, intense, and will last a while if used sparingly.

Saffron: These threads are pricey—but incomparable in taste. Get tiny boxes. My recipes rarely call for more than a pinch.

Bay Leaves: If you see fresh ones in your store’s produce section, pick up a pack. Any leaves you don’t use will naturally dry in your fridge (or on your counter). Don’t dump them! Just keep them in an airtight container and use them. There’s no need to then buy dried bay leaves; you’ve just made your own. If you can find only dried bay leaves, they work just as well even if they don’t taste quite as fresh.

Spanish Canned Goods

Piquillo Peppers: These conical red peppers are sweeter and have thinner walls than standard red bell peppers. The best ones are from Spain and roasted over wood fire before being peeled and packed. If you buy cans and don’t finish them all at once, transfer the peppers to another airtight container and refrigerate until you need them again.

Tuna Packed in Olive Oil: If you think you don’t like tuna, you need to try the varieties from Spain. Bonito is the preferred fish; it’s smaller, milder, and moister than others. Look for the large fillets packed in cans or glass jars. Ortiz is a good brand and the one we stock at Cúrate.

Anchovies: I use the fillets packed in olive oil, not the salted ones. Ortiz sells some of the best anchovies I’ve ever had, specifically their la gran anchoa.

Boquerónes: These anchovies are not technically canned; they’re sold in the refrigerated section. They’re fresh fillets that have been marinated, almost cured really, in a mixture of vinegar and olive oil and sometimes herbs and spices. Again, Ortiz is the brand that’s both most widely available and consistently delicious.

White Asparagus: The best juicy, sweet spears with nearly floral notes are grown and packaged in Navarra. Look for the denomination of origin (D.O.) label on the jars or cans before buying.