SPAIN Featured on a Plate at marlow

Speaking of local we are exploring foods of Spain with the recently released Iberico Ham and a number of Spanish cheeses to accompany it on a small plate at Marlow. Here is a bit of info about all the parts of the plate:

HAM

Iberico Ham: From multiple areas in southern and southwestern Spain. The meat comes from a specific pig called Black Iberian Pig, cerdo negro, or simply black pig. These pigs are unusual in that they have a natural inclination to eat acorns. Piglets are fattened on barley and maize for several weeks after they are weaned from their mothers. Then they are let loose to roam and root in oak groves. The highest quality Iberico called Jamon Iberico Bellota are gorged on acorns towards the end of their lives (bellota means acorn)m and is not yet available in the US. All of the Iberico is aged for at least 1.5 if not two full years.

CHEESES

Garroxta: From the Catalan region of Spain. This is a small wheel of goat's milk that is aged less than two months and thus is most often pasteurized. The milk is cultured with a bacteria and the rooms in which they are aged lead to the development of a velvety, gray rind. If the cheese has been kept properly it is usually still somewhat pliable and has a kind of woodsy flavor (it is often aged on Spruce planks). It is very similar to aged goat's milk cheeses from Twig Farm in VT.

Idiazabal: From the Basque region of Spain. Most often this aged sheep's milk cheese is made with raw milk. This region of Spain (and also the French side of the Pyrenees) is well known for sheep's milk cheeses. This particular cheese is aged at least 6-7 months and is pressed which means it has a harder texture. The cheese is smoked soon after coming out of its mold and the smoked exterior acts as somewhat of a rind- it can look at bit waxy even. Idiazabal is less sweet and nutty than the French Pyrenees sheep milk cheeses and it can have some bright citrusy notes alongside its salty flavors. It is similar to Frere Fumant from 3 Corner Field Farm right here in NY.

Mahon: This cheese is from Menorca, Spain in the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few cow's milk cheeses from Spain. Mahon can be consumed at a variety of ages- those that make it to the U.S. are all aged beyond 2 months (because of our raw milk rules) and often seem to be even older. It has an apricot colored exterior (I think it can smell like dried apricots too). This cheese is a bit flinty when cut- it can be a bit crumbly- and has great salt and acidity- lemony notes shine through.

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