Editor’s Note: Watch CNN Original Series “Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain,” following the award-winning actress on a gastronomic pilgrimage across the rich tapestry of Spanish cuisine. The eight-episode series airs Sunday nights at 9p ET/PT on CNN.
CNN
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There are hundreds of varieties of garlic grown around the world.
But Chinchón, a quiet, Spanish town about 40 minutes south of Madrid, is home to a special variety called ajo fino — one that, until recently, was at risk of disappearing.
Miriam Hernández, head chef at the restaurant La Casa del Pregonero, is on a mission to preserve it.
Ajo fino, characterized by its small cloves, is a hallmark of Chinchón’s local gastronomy. Growing up, Hernández watched her grandparents plant it and her parents use it in dishes at the family restaurant. When she became a chef, she wanted to incorporate it into her own cooking but found it difficult to procure.
That inspired Hernández to begin cultivating the garlic herself.
Growing ajo fino is a labor-intensive effort, with a much lower yield than other varieties. But as Hernández shows in the Madrid episode of “Eva Longoria: Searching For Spain,” its unique flavor makes the hard work well worth it.
“When I tasted it, it punched me in the face,” Eva Longoria tells CNN.
Despite its potency, ajo fino manages to be subtle and elegant at the same time, according to Hernández. And as distinctive as it is, she sees ajo fino as more than just a flavorful ingredient. It’s a piece of the country’s culinary heritage.
“It’s part of Spain,” she says in the episode. “If we lose our identity, we lose everything.”
At Hernández’s restaurant, Chinchón’s signature garlic makes up the base of sopa de ajo, or garlic soup. A traditional dish in central Spain, it originated as a humble meal consisting of garlic, oil and bread. Ingredients such as meat and eggs were added in later as they became more accessible.
Hernández’s version incorporates bacon and ham, and calls for a mixture of garlic, spices and meat to marinate for a week before being simmered into a hearty, comforting soup.
This recipe is courtesy of Chef Miriam Hernández.
Makes 4 servings
3 heads of garlic
7 ounces | 200 grams of ham, finely diced
7 ounces | 200 grams of bacon, finely diced
2 stale baguettes, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons of paprika
Salt and pepper
Water
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Separate the garlic into cloves and dice finely.
Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and drop in the garlic, bacon and ham.
Sauté until the garlic “stops stinging the eyes.” Turn off the heat, add the bread cubes and sauté.
With the heat off, stir in the paprika. Then turn the heat back on to toast the paprika. Make sure the bread absorbs all the flavors at the bottom.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. Leave it to marinate for one week in the fridge.
After a week, take out the garlic soup base, add the water and bring to a boil. Adjust with salt and a pinch of pepper.
