Spanish Churros Showstopper
This week on the Great British Bake Off (Series 7 Ep.4) the showstopper challenge was Spanish Churros.
The bakers were challenged to make churros from scratch with a sauce. In typical GBBO style there were many versions of this recipe. Lots of fusion flavours but none of them actually make a recognisable Spanish churros.
While watching the challenge on TV I was getting a little aeriated. There were quite a few confused references throughout the programme. I wanted to put the record straight. (Yes I´m clearly a Churros geek)
In Spain Churros are typical for Sunday breakfast or on festival days. It´s also popular to have them after a long night out at 6am before you totter home.
Originally created by Spanish shepherds, they made this batter mix and used an open fire to heat the oil. As they were away from the village bakery this substituted baked goods when they were out on the hills. The name of Churros comes from the Churra sheep. The fried shapes like similar to the horns of the Churra sheep breed.
There are some other references to the origin of this food being from China or Portugal. However most sources point to the Shepherds origin. I imagine that the history has been lost in time and it´s probably a combination.
Churros is the plural version of the word and Churro singular. You can taste a churro or eat some Churros. You can´t taste a Churros even if Paul Hollywood does ; )
Different Kinds of Churros
Churros are made in a large round pan with oil. As they mentioned they drop the mix straight into the pan and each one comes out different. Sometimes they even make a wheel. A large spiral of churro mix.
The typical style is not filled or shaped, itñs just fried dough. Sometimes dusted with sugar on the outside. They serve it will thick dark chocolate or sometime café con leche.
To complicate matters some places in Spain call Churros by another name, Porras. It that depends on the region. In Andalucía Churros are slightly smoother and don´t have the ridged edges.
In Madrid to get Churros you need to ask for Porras which confuses me. Every. Single. Time.
Porras
These are ´sticks´ a little chunkier and sometimes filled with yellow or pink coloured cream or chocolate. You see this often a fairgrounds in Spain, next to the Candy floss. The remind me slightly of Italian Cannoli.
Lazos
These are slimmer shaped. They link at the top in a teardrop shape and seem a little drier to me than the churros. You can also find them in the frozen section of Spanish supermarkets too.
Spanish Churros Recipe
So on the showstopper of last night Bake off the Winning Churros were the Tropical flavoured ones. Actually they are Lazos (bows) rather than Churros. Here´s the recipe: BBC Food-Tropical Churros
Traditional Chocolate con Churros
And of course here´s the recipe for Proper Churros, Spanish Style BBC Good Food – Churros in case you were left actually wanting the proper ones.
Where to eat to Spanish churros
Some of the places I´ve enjoyed Churros over the years in Spain.
Barcelona – Granja M Viader, Next to La Boqueria Market
Granada – Café Futbol on Plaza Marina Pineda
Madrid – Chocolatería San Ginés
Seville – Bar El Comercio – Calle Lineros
Malaga – Casa Aranda on Calle Herreria del Rey
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