Gazpachos yeclanos, a typical hearty winter food and one of the specialities of Yecla

This meat and flatbread meal has nothing to do with Andalusian gazpacho!

Those of us who live in coastal areas think we know about gazpacho, the cool summer drink made from blended tomato, cucumber and other ingredients, but don’t imagine that this anything to do with the local speciality of “gazpachos yeclanos” (in plural) in the north of the Region of Murcia.

This is not a summer speciality and if it has become one of the most emblematic dishes in Yecla it is because of its nourishing qualities during the winter, which can be bitingly cold. It looks as hearty as it is and is best accompanied by a glass of the local red wine along with perhaps some spring onions and other dressings.

No doubt every household in Yecla has its own secret for the “perfect” gazpachos, but the ingredients suggested to feed 10 people by the tourist office website are as follows:

5 tortas de gazpachos (a flat bread made with wheat flour, salt and water but no yeast)

500g rabbit meat

250g chicken

250g mushrooms

1 red pepper

250g spinach

Grated tomato

100g snails

250ml olive oil

Salt to taste

First heat the oil in a pan and then fry the pepper until soft, taking it out of the pan to fry the meat. Then add the grated tomato followed by the spinach and mushrooms, after which add water and the snails.

Boil on a hot flame for around half an hour and then separate the tortas before adding to the mix on a low flame for 10 to 15 minutes.

The resulting dish has its origins in Castilla-La Mancha and inland areas of Murcia and Valencia among the shepherding community, providing hearty food when the shepherds cam back home on cold nights, and it is traditionally served as a community meal with the large pot or a platter in the centre of the table with guests gathered around it.

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