In the Kukutana kitchen
Lourdes has always had a soft spot for breakfasts – freshly squeezed orange juice, local breads and pastries, meats and cheeses, and eggs courtesy of the six hens kept next to the vegetable garden. Served with tea and coffee either in the dining room or on the terrace, there’s no better way to start the day.
And with breakfast served and guests embarking on their excursions for the day, Lourdes and Isabel turn their attention to lunch and supper.
As with any home – for that is what Kukutana is – the meals served are an integral part of the day, and of the experience the guests will enjoy here.
“At Kukutana, an important part of the ‘encounter’ is in the gastronomy”, explains Lourdes as she talks about the cooking and what has inspired her. “Our cooking is traditional, using recipes we have learnt as a family, inspired by friends, our experiences and our travels”.
The key, as is so often the case, is the fresh ingredients and seasonal produce, such as the sun-ripened fruits and locally grown vegetables that adorn every meal.
The warm Spanish climate and fertile soil produces excellent seasonal vegetables, always put to good use by Lourdes and Isabel. Tomatoes, peppers, courgettes and aubergine are abundant in the summer months, perfect for salads, soups and sauces. As the temperature drops, leeks, onions, artichokes, and cauliflower are ready in the winter. A particular favourite of Lourdes’ is a baked vegetable pie, whilst pumpkin soup is a warming winter option and the onion soup a local favourite.
Much of the produce is grown on site in Kukutana’s vegetable gardens, tended to by the gardeners and overseen, of course, by Lourdes.
“But there is also a special ingredient, the secret to all my recipes,” she admits, referring to the Llorente olive oil produced by the family. ‘The extra virgin olive oil is fantastically distinct, rich and full of family memories – we use it as a base for a huge number of our dishes”.
So what is Lourdes’ favourite dish, amongst all the options on offer at Kukutana?
“Other than homemade jams and marmalades, which I love to cook using seasonal fruits such as oranges, mandarins and strawberries and enjoy throughout the year, my favourite thing to cook is a simple dish. Fried eggs from our very own hens, served with the highest quality Serrano ham and what we call ‘poor man’s potatoes’ (thinly sliced and fried with onions). It’s a dish that never fails to impress although it can be a bit of a frantic process because it has to be perfectly timed and served immediately when it is ready”.
For Isabel, it’s the signature salad that she likes to prepare. “Although it may sound like a pretty regular dish,” she explains, “when the Llorente family made it 30 years ago, it would have been quite original. I love the combination of colours and how beautiful it looks when finished. I also enjoy making tortilla (Spanish potato omelette) in all its varieties – it’s a dish that’s engrained in me that I have been making for as long as I remember”.
All the food is washed down with the finest wines from Kukutana’s cellars, testament to the amenable climate and famous local viticulture. Fresh, crisp rosés are the perfect accompaniment to fish reeled in from the nearby shores, with deeper, fuller reds ideal for heartier dishes.
The region’s most well-known tipple is the manzanilla, a light, refreshing sherry from the nearby town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The seafood there is divine and well worth a visit – tucking into plates of cockles, shrimp and fried fish on the banks of the Guadalquivir River is always a favourite for visitors and our guides will happily incorporate a trip into your itinerary.
Community is key to Kukutana and its cuisine. “In the ’40s”, Lourdes reminisces with a twinkle in her eye, “the Llorente family had a house in the Basque Country in northern Spain, hence the northern influence which you can see in many of Kukutana’s recipes. When the family were living there, the nearby farms would gift them cockerels at Christmas which they divided between the children. We stopped doing this around 20 years ago, but Kukutana has carried on this tradition of roasting cockerel for a deeper, richer flavour”.
History flows through the dishes rustled up daily by Lourdes and Isabel. Whether it’s breads cooked using a recipe brought back by a cousin from Venezuela generations ago, or canapes made with anchovies, gherkins and olives typical of the Basque Country, the food is a reflection of the Llorente family, their past and present.
“We recreate old favourites”, Lourdes says as she talks about the influences which have guided her over the years. “A particular dish I love at the moment is Iberian pork shoulder doused in sea salt, paired with truffle sprinkled potatoes or marinated salmon topped with avocado. This is usually followed by cheese and homemade bitter-orange marmalade, or perhaps a chocolate marquis – delicious”.
Of course, using local ingredients gives the dishes a local flavour too, and Lourdes and Isabel have embraced the Andalusian styles to the full. Andalusian gazpacho, using home-grown tomatoes, and Iberian ham from the nearby hills of Huelva are popular dishes firmly based on local, traditional ingredients. Fresh fruit – watermelon, berries and melons, not to mention Sevillian oranges and persimmons – are fresh, juicy and delicious, and one pudding, the marquesa de chocolate Lourdes mentions above, is made using a secret recipe shared by a local Sevillian family.
“If we don’t grow it”, says Isabel, talking of the ingredients and fresh produce, “we buy locally, such as in Villamanrique where we get lots of our fruit. We always look to source our produce from nearby – it’s much more sustainable and better in so many ways, supporting local growers and focusing on minimising our farm to fork”.
Food is a ritual embedded in Kukutana’s lifestyle that synchronises with the seasons and the rhythm of the day. As Lourdes says, “enjoy breakfast as the sun rises or a supper by the warmth of the fire”. In the winter, guests can help Isabel pick pumpkin and cauliflower from the organic garden and in the summer, pluck lemons for homemade lemonade. ‘There’s a lot of work but I’m very happy as I always get to meet new people,’ she says.
If a guest wanders into the kitchen, they’ll be greeted with a warm smile and with any luck a homemade snack.
For a hands-on experience, a cooking lesson – learning how to prepare rice, Spanish style, using methods cultivated since the Moors occupied the land – is not to be missed. Rice is an ingredient sacred to seafood paellas cooked slowly for ultimate flavour. While many recipes remain family secrets, there are some techniques that are too good not to share.
If you would like to sample the delights of the Kukutana kitchen, please get in touch with us and we would be delighted to help plan your visit.
I’m struggling to put into words everything that we have experienced these past days, from the very first moment it has all been exceptional. The team and the hosts are marvellous, the experiences unforgettable - we will cherish these days forever.
Guest, Madrid
A unique experience surrounded by friends and hosted by this wonderful family who have poured their dreams and love into this project. The most memorable G&T in history! We will be back soon.
V.U. Madrid
The magic of southern Spain and the warmth with which we have been received have made these days unforgettable. What an incredible project you have created!
A.L. Germany
Thank you for the most magical few days in this piece of Paradise! It was the most memorable time and holiday that we have ever had. The food was delicious, the horses were beautiful and cannot believe that we saw a Lynx! We cannot thank you enough for all you have done. Hope to see you again soon and best luck for the creation and adventures that you plan.
J&M.H United Kingdom
KUKUTANA IN THE PRESS
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