Lets drink Mosto and eat garlic soup

There is a saying:

“Por San Andres el mosto vino es” -  by Saint Andrew’s (Nov 30), Mosto turns into wine.  

During the months of November/December, if you drive around the countryside by the small vineyards in the Jerez and Sanlucar, you will encounter a small country restaurant with a red flag by their doors.  This means that mosto is ready.  Mosto, is the new wine, and it is a most anticipated event.  It happens quietly when the cold weather arrives.  If the season is unusually warm, the mosto season will be late, but when the cold arrives, you can delight yourself with the sampling of this new wine. 

This is Tio Pepe Sherry in diapers.

And where there is good wine, there is good food.  Nothing fancy, something like a hearty soup made with garlic and day old bread called, "ajo caliente", or another dish with tomato and bread soup, called "sopa de tomate" ,to accompany the wine.  

Groups of people visit these places during lunch.  Some are very popular, and others are somewhat hidden and hard to find places.  The very first time you visit one of these places, you may need a local to recommend, or take you to their favorite mosto spot.  Now, If you are feeling adventurous you can just drive around and find those red flag markers.  However, not all places are in the countryside.  The cities/towns have bars that sell mosto and will also display a flag or a sign that says: “Hay Mosto”.  The groceries stores carry a bottled mosto, but this is grape juice, check the label, there is no alcohol, this is the wrong kind.  Mosto can have up to 12% of alcohol, even if it doesn’t taste like it, it is very refreshing.

The finished dish, always served with a radish and some pepper garnish.

 Ajo Caliente is actually really healthy, and cheap to make.  It has raw garlic and peppers which are good for colds, with extra virgin olive oil, and raw radishes.  You can't go wrong with this combo, well except for the amount of bread…  You may have to get used to the texture, if you like mushy things then you will like this.  My kids hated it, but I loved it.  One word of advice, make only what you are eating at that moment, this does not store or reheat well, it turns into a sticky mess, and, unless you like eating glue ...

Fresh vegetables all full of cold fighting vitamins

Day old bread for thickening the "soup"

For the Spanish recipe version go to my friend Pilar's cooking blog, together we learned how to make Ajo Caliente:

Recipe for the Garlic soup, Ajo Caliente:

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 1 pound ripe tomatoes coarsely chopped/pureed, skins off
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 green peppers thinly diced
• salt
• 250 grams of day old bread cubed
• 1 liter of boiling water
• 200 mil of extra virgin olive oil
• Roasted red peppers 
• 4 whole peeled radishes

Preparation

1. Mash the garlic, salt, in a Lebrillo or giant clay mortar.  If not, you can use a medium bowl, preferably wooden.  
2. Now add the chopped green peppers, coarsely chopped tomato.  Mush well.
3. Add the bread and oil, and some boiling water and cover with a lid.  You might not use all the water, that’s ok.  The water will help soften the bread.  
4. Uncover after a few minutes, the bread will have absorbed all the water and it is ready to be pounded.  
5. With the pestle or wooden spoon, incorporate all ingredients as if using a giant mortar, help yourself with more boiling water which is added slowly until desired consistency.  Stop pounding the mixture when you have reached the consistency of Guacamole or thick puree rather than a soup.  
6. Cover it with plastic film, and let it rest for 5 minutes.  
7. Serve in bowls and garnish with strips of red roasted peppers and radish. 

Enjoy.

Lebrillo works like a mortar and it is necessary for traditional Ajo Caliente soup

Garlic, peppers, tomato and homemade roasted red bell peppers.

To peel whole tomatoes you have to "x" them
and then boil them for a few minutes

All ingredients end up in the Lebrillo, add hot water, then pound to a pulp

Experts tasting the ajo caliente

Here we are, from left to right: myself, Lupe, Katiana, Pilar and Stephanie.  Cheers to our teacher Lupe!

I have never bought a lebrillo, but I am told that you can find it anywhere in Rota, and in traditional craft markets around the area.  They have lebrillos of different sizes.  Thery are not too expensive, I have seen them in the market for about 8€ to 15€, depending on the size.  Even if you don't use it, it make a great decoration piece.

Look at this meal!

To our health and yours, cheers!