If you hail from the UK, no doubt, for better or worse, you will be very familiar with the Canary Isles. The almost exotically named Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerterventura are the main holiday destination islands, although there are many more smaller islands. They sound fairly enticing, boasting a year round sub-tropical climate thanks to their location just off the African continent and an other worldly volcanic, desert - like landscape. The reality, however, can be as different as you wish it to be. Just like Las Vegas, vast holiday resorts have slowly erupted out of the desert, attracting hoards of young Brits looking for a playground of sea, sun and lots and lots of booze.
Tenerife, particularly the Southern resort of Playa de las Americas is famous, (or infamous), for drunken revelry from young Europeans demanding good ole' egg and chips rather than 'that foreign Spanish grub'. My own experiences with these islands have been mixed. Two cheap package holidays to both Gran Canaria and Tenerife were taken in the quieter season of November and so, we experienced a more relaxed and less rowdy time, giving us a chance to discover what these islands were really about.
On a long, scary bus trip to a hillside town in Gran Canaria, navigating death defying roads with sheer cliff face edges, we stopped at what seemed to be the top of the world with refreshing drizzle and a dense fog surrounding us. The town itself was charming, full of white washed Spanish buildings, church steeples and Town squares, a far cry from the tourist sky scrapers far below us. We were all ushered in to lunch at a local restaurant, darkly full of steam and smoke and old Gran Canarian men eating bowl after bowl of these potatoes, the skin as wrinkled as their own sun burnt faces. Of course, as we had joined a tourist day trip, we didn't get any of the intriguing little spuds, probably just some generic 'Spanish' fare, but I enthusiastically asked what they were. The book Moro East describes them such:
"These wrinkled potatoes are a speciality of the Canary Islands, partly because of the variety of the potato and the volcanic soil they grow in, and partly because of the cooking method. Once ready, they almost look like part of the volcanic soil from which they originate"
I couldn't hope to paint a more eloquent picture of them than this. The salt, which causes them to wrinkle, does not render them unpalatable, just tasty, although I once had a student from Tenerife who stated her dislike for them due to the traditional practise of adding more salt once cooked. The flavourful, crispy exteriors are a nice contrast to the fluffy softness of the flesh inside and when the pungent sauces mojo rojo or mojo verde are offered as a dip, they are sublime as an accompaniment or even just as a tapas, as I first discovered them in that restaurant high on a mountaintop.
Recipe : Papas Arrugadas (Wrinkled salt potatoes)
Adapted from Moro East by Sam & Sam Clark
1/2 kg small whole potatoes
1/2 tbsp salt
Place the potatoes in a pan large enough to accommodate them in a single layer. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by two thirds and add the salt, stirring it into the water. (Moro East suggests the water should be as salty as tears).
Place the pan over medium heat and cover with a lid, leaving a crack open to allow steam to escape and boil for about 25 minutes. Keep your eye on it as the water will eventually evaporate, at which point you should remove from the heat and uncover.
The potatoes should now have a white, salt-crusted appearance and be very soft inside. Let them rest for 5 - 10 minutes to cool slightly and take on their wrinkled appearance. Serve with the sauce on the side for dipping.
Recipe : Mojo Verde
Adapted from Moro East
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
3 medium green chili peppers, seeded, (if a milder taste is required) and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp sweet red vermouth or port or sweet red wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a good pinch of salt
Puree everything together in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth. Check for seasoning, adding a little extra salt or balsamic and serve as a dip with the potatoes. You want the sauce to be a little on the sharper, tangier side, to nicely provide a contrast to the salty potatoes.
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