Hunting is as old as the human race. The famous Paleolithic-age paintings inside the cave of Altamira in Cantabria, dating back to sometime after the first Homo sapiens arrived in northern Spain around 35,000 years ago, depict in charcoal and ochre animals that they no doubt hunted—deer, boar, and, across the ceiling, a herd of stampeding bison (long since extinct). Hunting, of course, is still practiced today, though often more for sport than necessity—in the impoverished midcentury years following the Spanish Civil War, my wife’s grandfather frequently hunted small game, but never for the thrill of the shot. That doesn’t mean that nowadays the spoils of the hunt are not keenly sought nor deeply appreciated.
Although certain food markets sell hunted game in their feathered dress, most game cooked these days is farm-raised. (In general, birds sold in markets with feathers are wild, while those without are not.) The flavor of farm-raised animals is usually less “gamey” than their wild brethren, and the meat more tender and milder.
Of the larger game, jabalí (wild boar) has the most widespread tradition on the peninsula. This beast has been scavenging Spanish forests since the beginning, and continues to do so. They have a stocky, compact body, squat legs, and short tail that ends in a stiff tuft of hair. The head is large and elongated, with a long snout and two fierce, protruding horns. This ancestor of the domesticated pig is a powerful, smart animal with an acute sense of hearing and smell. Walking in wooded areas, you often see signs of their foraging—but you will very rarely see the secretive, elusive animals themselves. From a cook’s point of view, the finest are younger ones, under a year old. Boar meat is usually marinated, often in red wine and herbs, and then stewed.
Spain has excellent venison, too. The word venado (venison) comes from the Latin word venatus, meaning “to hunt.” The word originally meant any kind of edible game, but now it usually refers to the meat of deer—in Spain that means specifically roe deer or red deer. Like boar, venison is frequently marinated before being cooked. The loin is the choicest for grilling, while the shoulder and leg are preferably stewed.
Of the game birds, partridge, quail, and pheasant are the most typical, with partridge considered by many to be the finest.
And there are snails. Although not game, these can be gathered in the wild. Snails caught like this need to be purged of impurities for three days—usually on a diet of bran and then hung in net baskets—though most snails sold in markets these days have already gone through this process. See page 340 for how to clean and prepare them before adding to the dish.
Shopping recently in Valencia’s Mercado Central, I counted no less than five varieties of snails. The main Spanish ones include the classic Burgundy or vineyard snail (Helix pomatia); a smaller, common snail usually called in English by their French name, petit-gris (Helix aspersa); and the smaller-yet forest snail (Helix lucorum). In general, smaller snails or petit-gris are best for rice dishes, and petitgris or vineyard snails in stews.
