🍳 Spanish & Latin Recipes

Chile en nogada is one of Mexico's most celebrated dishes and deeply tied to the calendar: it is made in August and September when walnuts and pomegranate seeds are in season. A roasted poblano chile is stuffed with a spiced meat and dried fruit filling, then covered with a cold walnut cream sauce and garnished with pomegranate and parsley — the colours of the Mexican flag.

Provençal ratatouille is the great vegetable stew of southern France. Aubergine, courgette, peppers and tomato are slowly cooked with garlic, thyme and herbes de Provence until soft and fragrant. It works as a warm side dish, but many argue it is even better cold the next day, when the flavours have had time to settle.

Argentine oven roast is the domestic version of the gaucho parrilla for days without a garden. Beef short ribs, criollo sausages, and blood sausages roast slowly until the fat sputters and the meat turns tender. Chimichurri — parsley, garlic, oregano, and vinegar — is the indispensable accompaniment. In Argentina this is not a special occasion dish; it is Sunday lunch.

Lomo saltado is the emblematic dish of Peruvian chifa cooking — the unique fusion of Chinese culinary tradition with Lima's creole cuisine. Strips of beef tenderloin are stir-fried over high heat with tomato wedges, red onion, ají amarillo, soy sauce, and a splash of vinegar, then served over white rice and french fries. A screaming-hot wok is essential for that characteristic sear.

Oven BBQ ribs work in two stages: first a slow three-hour bake covered in a spice dry rub until the meat pulls away from the bone; then a quick blast under the grill with BBQ sauce to lacquer and caramelise the outside. The result is tender, juicy ribs with that sweet-smoky flavour of American Southern barbecue.

Valencian seafood paella is cooked in a wide paella pan over high heat: bomba rice absorbs a rich seafood broth spiked with saffron, smoked paprika, and fried tomato. What sets it apart is the socarrat — the toasted crust of rice at the bottom achieved by turning up the heat at the end. You never stir it; you let the paella do its thing.

Brazo de gitano — Spanish roulade — is a delicate rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. The thin sponge must be rolled while still warm using a damp cloth; once cold it will crack. The result is light, not too sweet, and visually striking when sliced. A Spanish pastry staple for spring birthdays and family gatherings.

Argentine baked empanadas are the most classic snack and finger food of the Río de la Plata region: a lard-enriched dough filled with seasoned ground beef, paprika, cumin, onion, olives, and hard-boiled egg, then baked until golden. The braided edge crimp — called repulgue — is the regional signature, and in many homes a large batch is made to reheat over the following days.

Piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod are a classic of Navarrese and Basque cooking, pairing two prized northern Spanish products: the sweet, slightly smoky piquillo pepper from Lodosa and desalted cod. The filling is a smooth brandade of flaked cod, cooked potato, and cream. Served with a piquillo sauce or light béchamel, they make an impressive first course for any celebration.

Neapolitan pizza is the original and strictest of all pizzas: high-protein wheat dough cold-fermented for at least 24 hours, stretched thin with puffed air-bubble edges, topped with barely crushed San Marzano tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana has written rules for every detail of its preparation. At home, a very hot oven and a baking stone get you surprisingly close.

Red pozole is one of Mexico's oldest ceremonial dishes: cacahuazintle corn — the large hominy kernels that bloom open when cooked — simmered in a long broth of guajillo and ancho chillies with shredded pork. Each diner builds their own bowl at the table, adding shredded lettuce, dried oregano, radishes, tostadas and lime to taste. Party food, New Year's food, the kind of meal that turns into a long afternoon.

Iberian ham croquettes made in the air fryer keep everything that makes this Spanish classic irresistible — a thick béchamel base loaded with finely chopped ibérico ham, a crisp panko coating, and a molten creamy centre — while cutting the oil dramatically. Chill the béchamel well before shaping and do not overcrowd the basket: this is how you get the crunch without the grease.

Asturian fabada is the most substantial bean stew in Spanish cooking: large, buttery La Granja white beans slow-cooked with Asturian chorizo, morcilla and lacón until the broth thickens and the beans soften to the point of collapse. The slow cooking and the quality of the cured meats — the compango — are what make or break this dish. A winter recipe, mountain food, built for long Sunday afternoons.

Gyoza are Japan's beloved dumplings, adapted from the Chinese jiaozi: thin wheat dough wrappers filled with ground pork, napa cabbage, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. They are cooked using the pan-fry and steam method — first fried flat-side down until golden, then a splash of water is added and the lid goes on to steam the dough tender. The dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chilli oil is non-negotiable.

Mushroom risotto is one of the most representative dishes of northern Italy: arborio or carnaroli rice coaxed ladle by ladle with hot stock, fresh mushrooms, and a handful of dried porcini that add deep umami. A final knob of butter and parmesan give it the characteristic creaminess. It demands your attention at the stove, and it rewards every minute of it.

Carnitas tacos are one of the most beloved preparations in Mexican cooking. Pork shoulder is braised in its own lard with orange juice and peel, garlic, oregano, and cumin until it falls apart and crisps at the edges. Served in corn tortillas with chopped cilantro, white onion, and green salsa — a proper market taco, no frills needed.

Dark chocolate mousse is one of the most elegant desserts in French pastry-making and also one of the simplest: just 70% dark chocolate, butter, eggs and sugar. The key is folding stiffly beaten egg whites into the chocolate base with care to keep the mixture light and airy. Serve well chilled.

Shio ramen is the most delicate of all ramen styles: a long-simmered chicken broth seasoned with sea salt alone, without the opacity of miso or the richness of tonkotsu. The carcass cooks for hours with leek and ginger until the stock turns translucent and fragrant, ready to receive the noodles, chashu pork, marinated egg, and nori. Time-consuming, but deeply satisfying.

Cochinita pibil is one of the Yucatan's oldest dishes: pork marinated in achiote paste and sour orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked until the meat falls apart. The achiote gives the flesh its deep terracotta colour and an earthy, floral flavour you can't replicate with anything else. Served in corn tortillas with pickled red onion and habanero, whose acidity and heat cut through the richness perfectly.

The Basque cheesecake is one of the few cheesecakes baked at very high heat to achieve that caramelized, almost burnt exterior while the inside stays creamy and just set. It was born at Bar La Viña in San Sebastián in the 1990s and now has fans worldwide. Just five ingredients: cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and a touch of flour.

Churros with thick hot chocolate are Spain's most beloved breakfast treat. The dough is fried until the outside is crisp and lightly golden, then dipped into a rich, thick drinking chocolate made with cocoa, milk and cornstarch. A true winter ritual, especially popular at Christmas, Carnival and late-night celebrations.

Italian meat lasagna is the quintessential Sunday dish of the Bolognese tradition: fresh pasta sheets layered with a slow-cooked ragù of minced meat and pancetta, velvety béchamel, and generously gratinéed parmesan. The ragù needs time — red wine, carrot, celery — but every minute of simmering shows in the final result. Feeds six hungry people.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza dough with 24-hour slow fermentation, San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. The perfect pizza you can make in a domestic oven with pizzeria results.

The real Valencian paella: with chicken, rabbit, green flat beans, and the perfect crispy rice crust. No chorizo or seafood. The original recipe from the Valencian Community passed down from generation to generation.