A beautiful taste of December in Spain

Clementines and artichokes come together for an amazing new dish

Look out the window, what do you see? Grey sky, brown earth, maybe some white snow if you are lucky?

What’s seasonal in December where you live? What is there at your farmers’ market? Roots, winter squash, greens?

The people of Valencia, in the east of Spain, are looking at something a little bit different…a beautiful sea of orange and green, the citrus trees full of fruit.

And if you are lucky enough to be in a farmhouse in Catalonia, or you’re driving through Rioja, maybe you look out your window and see a field of green and purple…artichokes! In Spain, the season is starting now, when the weather is getting cold and the artichokes get extra extra sweet.

We have this dish, Calamares con Clementinas, on our menu for the Clementina Festival that is going on right now at Jaleo in Washington, DC (and at Spanish Diner in Bethesda, though you’ll find other amazing dishes there). It combines clementines and artichokes, with a beautiful sherry dressing and seared calamares, squid, for some delicious, savory protein. It’s something entirely new, never been seen before, made by Ramon Martinez, the head chef of all the Jaleos.

Have I ever told you the quote of my favorite culinary philosophers, Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, “The discovery of a new dish brings more happiness to humanity than the discovery of a new star.”

Well, I hope this dish brings happiness to you all, and a way to celebrate the season. If you’re pescetarian, skip the jamón. If you’re vegetarian, skip the squid—though the dish will be quite a bit differemt, and you’ll want to up the number of artichokes to make it feel more like a warm salad.

Calamares Con Clementinas

Serves 4