COOKSUPPLY Prime
COOKSUPPLY Prime is our line of fresh ingredients. It’s home to our cultivated vegetables and fruits from Valencia, Murcia, Barcelona or Galicia. But also to our fresh meat from our Iberico butchers. We offer you in this page a detailed description of the ingredients, how to recognize them and where they come from. To guarantee that these ingredients are enjoyed how they should be, we only offer Express courier service. Like this you will enjoy vegetables and fruits picked only for you, within 36 hours.
Morado or Purple Garlic
One of the most important ingredients from the mediterranean kitchen, come from the Alliaceae family. These garlics are available in all markets in Spain, in different stages of the plant. When the garlic sprouts, the stems are used commonly, the flowers and at last, the bulbs. With the variëty Morado you can rest assure to properly prepare mediterranean recipes. With the origin of Pedroñeras, these garlic bulbs are among world’s finest. It has a a strong flavour but not spicy, like species more common in the north of Europe. The garlic bulbs themselves have relatively large cloves.
How to recognize good garlic?
The outside skin shouldn’t be too dry, and absolutely not humid. The skin shouldn’t peel very easy, and while breaking the cloves there should be a strong presence of garlic scent.
To add high quality garlic strings to your kitchen click here
Valencian Oranges: Navel Lane Latte
Oranges are synonimous to Valencia. It’s orange beauty prizes itself on many ways, but only after trying really fresh, handpicked oranges you will have an unforgettable experience. Oranges are one of the most important export products of Valencia and Sevilla, but what is being exported, is not the quality nor size that is being enjoyed by the locals.
Like most high quality ingredients, the best quality comes from small, local farmers with the know how in the agricultural sector. It’s because the connaisseurs buy the orange batches daily, that therefore is no need for export, or finding different markets.
The oranges of COOKSUPPLY are a true gift from Spain, and are scaled in the highest quality available. Handpicked and sent the same day or next after. No storaging in magazines.
How to recognize good oranges (Navel Lane Latte) ?
The Navel orange is one of the biggest variëties available. The colour of the peel is typically orange and the leaves dark green. The peel is very aromatic, and flammable due to the ethereal oils. The flesh is juicy, and a Navel orange is suitable for making juice, and/or cutting parts of the flesh. The membrane is somewhat sturdy, but contains a lot of juice.
Unfortunately, it is not the season of high quality oranges. We don’t recommend buy them now.
Valencian Orri Mandarines
Valencia is also known as the Citrus county. It is competing to Sevilla which has a generally more orange production, while Valencia offers more distinct types of citrus. Cidra’s, mandarines, lime caviar, kumquats lemons and all that’s in between. Most citrus run until April, May and start being seasonal again in December. A less common mandarine is the D.O.P. Orri, it has a little bit more bite than a typical mandarine. It’s season runs until the end of April.
How to recognize good (Orri) mandarines?
The best mandarines have a syptome that is called cellulosis. It’s surface is irregular and wobbly. The peel is not too stuck to the meat, and bounces slightly back when you press it. The twigs on top are a quality hallmark, it functions like a oxygen flask for the fruit. Orri manderines do not produce a lot of odour.
Unfortunately, it is not the season of high quality mandarines. We don’t recommend buy them now.
The Iberian ham story
We offer you outside Spain the best price for real 100% Iberico acornfed ham. The reason why is because we collaborate with a farmer in Jabugo who has full control of breeding, butchering and curing the ham. This is what we think the definition of Iberico ham for a good price.
What is Iberico ham?
Iberico pigs are breeds regulated by law, a total of 6 (hairy) pigs mostly with black legs, hence the name “pata negra” Unfortunatly this is an expensive breed to keep, because all the breeding is regulated and registered by law. Also, the Iberico pigs are not the largest variety neither, which results that Iberico ham has more expenses added. If the ham has been made from legislated Iberico pigs it has written on the label 100% Iberico, A hallmark of quality. If this was a breed between one of the parents Iberico and for example Duroc, we can find a 50% Raza Iberica on the label. Like this we can encounter a 75% Iberico as well.
Thanks to breeding other races, the market has more products to offer with higher and lower prices. Another way to increase or lower the price, is by selling the Paleta instead of Jamon.
Paleta is made from the front legs of the pig, which are smaller and have less fat then the legs behind. Because of that, the curing process is shorter and develops less profound flavors.
Pigs live in a stable until they are released in “la dehesa.”During November and April the Iberico pigs are set loose in camps or wild parks to feast on wild acorns. If this is a free and natural process, where the pigs eat and play where they like without restriction it earns the name “Bellota.” Bellotas or acorns are only available until the 25th week of the year. After that period there are no more acorns available because of the seasonality and therefore no Iberico bellota Jamon can’t be made. Should the pigs run in the wild and be fed with whatever the farmer provides, the ham will be called “Cebo del campo.” This ham can be made all-year round.
The last but not least factor is curing the ham. While there is a general rule of curing, climate and places together with variety of pigs develop different flavors. Spanish ham curing starts with salting the legs using only sea salt. The legs are stored between the 0°C and 5°C with a humidity between the 70% and 90%. General rule of thumb is curing 1 day in salt for every kilo of ham.
After 35 or 70 days depending the size of the legs the drying process starts. The leg is always hung with the toes up, so the natural fat is pulled down by gravity, and drips down. This process takes up to 9 months.
Final stage before selling the ham is maturing the ham. This is the typical hanging of the meat, for which bodegas and cellars are so famous for. This stage is different for every brand of ham made, with varying temperatures and time used for the flavor development. The highest quality hams start with 2-3 years of maturing. Also the region affects the flavor, for example that a ham in Guijuelo is in general more softer then a ham from Jabugo. Ham from COOKSUPPLY has been cured at least 2 years, is a 100% Iberico and 100% Acorn fed.
Ensure yourself in obtaining real ham, with COOKSUPPLY.
Pluma Iberica Bellota
We use Iberico pigs straight from the butcher to offer you extraordinary quality meat. Pluma means feather in Spanish, and this feather shaped piece is located on the upper shoulder of the pig. Because Ibericos are so well fed during the acorn season, this piece of meat has a lot of marbeling. Marbeling allows us to execute various techniques and cooking points. This meat stays moist even if it’s well done!
How to recognize a good quality Pluma?
The meat itself has a dark pink, light red color. The texture is soft. The fat and tendons are off white colored. The smell of the meat is almost like you expect from wild boars. After cooking the meat, where pan-fried and oven-baked are your best options, the flavor is intense, and profound. There is a hint of nuts in there, as result of the acorn-fed Iberico.
To order your first Pluma: Click here
