Late last year I found myself alone in Melbourne’s most famous Spanish restaurant, Movida. I was sitting at the bar with eight (yes, EIGHT) dishes in front of me. I was in Melbourne for three days doing a baking course and had asked my classmates for dinner recommendations. The overwhelming response was to try Movida and despite warnings from everyone that it would be almost impossible to get a table, I managed to walk in and get a seat at the bar. Luck was on my side! So there I was, all alone with eight different tapas and because everything was riquisimo, I was secretly glad there was no one to share it with me!
The highlight of my meal was Movida’s hot chocolate ganache pudding with vanilla bean ice-cream and nougat. There isn’t anything new with a warm chocolate pudding with ice cream is there? I mean, that’s always going to be a winner – but when you add Frank Camora’s nougat or turron – the combination of a warm chocolatey pudding, cold and creamy vanilla ice cream and then THAT nougat… the lady beside me must have suffered from some serious dessert envy because even if she had eaten half her dessert, she pointed to my plate and asked the waiter “give me exactly what she’s having!”.
As I was leaving the restaurant the bartender mentioned to me that the turron recipe was in the Movida Rustica cookbook. I knew I just had to get the cookbook, if only for the turron recipe.
Movida Rustica
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Rustica cookbook has many other recipes that make this a wonderful addition to my collection. The book is the result of Frank Camora’s (owner and chef of Movida) 18 month journey through Spain to find out what is true Spanish food. There’s no mention of molecular gastronomy in this book, nor will you have to search very far for the ingredients – Senor Camora goes back to basics in this book and shows you rustic, Spanish cuisine at its finest.
This is going to sound strange but you know what I love about this book? Having grown up in a world where women dominated the kitchen, I’ve always thought it would be cool if I could have even one man that I could look up to in the kitchen. For some reason, Frank Camora fills that gap. He tells your stories about his travels around a little town in Cadiz and then goes on to teach you why there is nothing wrong with eating preserved food and how the Spaniards have turned this into an art (nothing goes into a tin unless it is the best!). He tells you about the art of cutting jamon properly and that there are in fact people in Spain who do this for a living! Reading the cookbook, you feel like the Spaniards have adopted Camora into their homes and he shares this fantastic experience with you. As you read through Rustica you find yourself saying “tell me more!”.
And there are the recipes – they have come from the Spaniards that have opened their homes to Frank Camora – they are honest – you know you can trust these recipes.
From the recipes I’ve tried, I’ve had great success with the Coca de recapte (a Catalan flatbread that and I use the recipe as my standard pizza crust now – (oh but please, you aren’t allowed to tell a Catalan that coca is their version of a pizza!).
The Escudella or Catalan Hot Pot reminds me of a dish which we used to eat all the time called cocido (a version from Madrid) and Frank Camora’s version takes me back in time when we used to have Sunday lunch at my Mama’s house and we would have this filling soup with mixed meats, sausages, vegetables, chicken, beans and pasta. You know a dish is good when it can take you back to your childhood right?
And then of course… there is that magnificent turron.
Recipe
- 125 grams honey
- 225 grams glucose syrup
- 190 grams caster sugar
- 2 egg whites
- rice paper for lining (available from Asian groceries)
- 200 grams blanched almond kernels, toasted
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- Place the honey and 175 grams of the glucose syrup in a small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over low heat until well combined, then cook until the temperature reaches 130C on a kitchen thermometer.
- Meanwhile, put the sugar, remaining glucose syrup and 50 ml water in another small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then cook until the temperature reaches 170c.
- While the syrups are cooking, beat the egg whites using electric beaters until stiff peaks form.
- As soon as the honey reaches 130c very slowly pour it into the egg whites, beating continuously. When the sugar syrup reaches 170c, very slowly add it to the egg whites and continue beating until the mixture has cooled enough so that it is just hot, but not hot enough to burn you.
- Lightly grease a 15 x 25 cm tray and line with rice paper.
- Stir the almonds and zest into the nougat mixture, then pour it into the prepared tray.
- Cover the top of the nougat with more rice paper, cutting the sheets to fit.
- Leave to stand until cool, then cut into 12 pieces.
The nougat will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month (if it lasts that long!)
Notes from me:
- Work quickly when mixing the almonds and zest as the mixture will harden before you know it
- The bowl and beaters will be difficult to clean straight after – no problem – just leave it to soak in water and after a few hours it should be much easier to clean
- If you can’t find blanched almonds, use unblanched – I didn’t notice any difference in taste
- For those of us unfortunate enough not to be able to eat in Movida as often as we’d like – the book is a fantastic substitute!
Following the multi-award winning title MoVida, chef and restaurateur Frank Camorra returns to his native Spain in this companion book. In MoVida Rustica, Frank delivers many traditional as well as innovative recipes that are inspired by his travels but perfected for the home cook. From the nation’s bustling capital Madrid and Basque seaside towns to rustic Andalucia with its Sherry Triangle, MoVida Rustica highlights the pillars of Spanish cooking, and the culture in which the food is grown, prepared and eaten. Get to know matriarch Herminda, stroll across the Santiago Market and visit the kitchen gardens of Salamanca to understand what defines traditional Spanish food.
Published November 2009
368 pages, hardcover
200 x 255mm
AU $59.95
ISBN 9781741964691
[…] trissalicious.com via Renee on […]
This might be some sort of nougat, but it is not torró. Torró has, at least, 60% almond. This has less than 33%.
[…] och 5-metylfurfural som ger karaktär olika typer av nougat som turrón de Jijona eller luftigare turónn från Alicante i Sverige kallas fransk nougat. Här hettas honungen upp till drygt 120°C för att den […]
The nougat looks amazing! Just wondering if the nougat hardens like true Spanish Turron Alicante or is it soft and chewy more like the Italian Torron?
Hi Joe
Mine was more soft and chewy. Cheers
Trissa
If i want to use a substitude for the sugar what do you sugest? ( i am diabetic )
I’d suggest not doing it at all. The recipe is mostly 3 types of sugar base – Honey, Glucose Syrup, and caster sugar. You could probably replace caster sugar with splenda, and you might be able to design your own syrup using water and splenda in a reduction.. But there’s no substituting for Honey really. Nature’s miracle sugar treat :-D.
Yeah, it’s good, very useful, thanks 🙂
OMG I need to make this like right now!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It never ever occurred to me to make turron myself. You have a beautiful blog, I will be visiting often!
Awesome pictures! Cause me instant craving!!!
The dessert sounds amazing! I like the sound of that book – I must go have a better look at it.
I’ve always wanted to try making turron. Thanks for posting a recipe:-)
Waw,..this turron recipe , the endresult is stunning!! So tasty too!
Hey – where’s my sample!!!???
Trissa the nougat looks simply incredible =D
My husband recently gobbled up a delicious stick of honey nougat that we bought from Haigh’s Chocolate in Adelaide, and I was just thinking to myself how nice it would be to make one’s own nougat right before I saw this post on your blog =)
And now I’m so bummed I didn’t get to go to Movida during our definitely-too-short stay in Melbourne last month… I wanna get back there!
Wow you have to make that spanish turron for me. Looks exactly like Spain s tried in the museo de turrones…. Was it in alicante? It was a store that produced all types of turrones.
This looks fantastic. I love these nougats!
Hehe nothing wrong with 8 dishes at all. I’m torn, some nougat I love but some I’m not sure about. This does look good though.
Stunning plate, with the blue designs and I love the look of the nougat….
Oh, Trissa, the dessert look stunning! And now I have one more cookbook to buy… I would love to learn more about Spanish food.
(Too bad for the other people in the class that did not join you at the restaurant 😉 )
Haha, thanks for the Catalan warning 😉 I don’t think I’ve ever seen a turron look this delicious and unctuous. Well done!
See I just have to get to Australia one day… if only for going to fabulous places like Movida! This nougat looks absolutely gorgeous!!
I love Movida – and I love this turron!!
your nougat looks much better than the ones I bought from Australia. The book looks really interesting.
omg trissa.. I totallya dore nougat. This recipe looks so simple to make, and your photos are so enticing. If I have left over egg whites, I know to use it for nougat instead of macaron. Great write up as well, I enjoy reading your stories =D
Oh my, that is some good lookin’ nougat. Nice work, Trissa!
They’re beautiful trissa, my rice sheets have been sitting in my cupboard for months, i have been saving this 2pages of magazine nougat recipe but am too scared to do homemade sweet treats…never tried candy making but so intrigue in turron making, when I tasted my first cashew turrones from the Philippines, they look like little cigars, i’ve been eyeing candy thermometers for how long now..LOL…just to scared to buy one….you made my curiousity alive again..
Wowee, that is one good looking turron! Fantastic Trissa. And lucky you, bakign course + Movida…how lucky. Thanks for the review, very interested in a copy now.
Trissa,
Spanish cuisine is quite new to me. But after reading your post and browsing your photos, I found myself a bit related to something I’ve known. Is that nougat similar to the ones that we can buy here in Australia? My family and friends used to buy some back home for gifts.
Oh, I really love nougat very much. Your pictures of torrone are gorgeous!
‘i’ll have what she’s having’ indeed! this is a new treat to me, but methinks it’d be quite satisfactory on its own and to DIE for when combined with chocolate pudding and ice cream. magnificent!
Oh yum! So awesome that you ordered 8 dishes for yourself 😀 If only Movida was in Sydney *sigh* I’m dying to go!
wow beautiful photos! I love this book too and I tried this nougat recipe but failed dismally, it turned out too soft, like a marshmallow. Tasted yum but it was not nougat 🙂 Glad you managed to make it like it should be…I’ll have to give it another go now that I know it can be done!
I can’t wait till my book arrive! These looks awesome and I shall make some and eat it.
They are the most pristine looking nougat I have ever seen. Ever. I live for nougat. I wish we lived next to each other.
this looks like something I’d eat while watching a movie…
That looks fantastic….great photos too! I must try and make this.
Yum, looks just like the Italian Torrone we get shipped from the relatives. Mmm…. can just imagine pieces melting in my mouth …..
The turron looks sensation, especially against the beautiful blue platter.
Oh… my… gosh… that is just sexy white goodness!!! I want some now – I can literally already taste it = and it’s your fault I’m drooling all over my keyboard!! 🙂 lol
can i please have some of this??? or have the dogs gobbled it all up?!!!
@ tina – I didn’t know you wanted them – I gave them to the nurses in the hospital. Next time
Ooo I have actually been meaning to make Turron – after looking at your beautiful result I just might have to.
Aww.. Now I wished I went to Movida when I was at Melbourne in the beginning of this year as the other place I choose to dine out wasn’t that great.. WIll definately keep this in mind next time Jetstar has special deals 🙂
I saw this book and it looked pretty good; didn’t realise that it was from Movida though.. Good to hear a lovely review on it. When I first saw this book I thought of buying it for my bf’s mum (who is from Uruguay) and now I will definately get it as it looks great! Thanks for the review Trissa
PS Your turron is to die for.
You’ve just made Nougat! I am in delighted awe! I will have to visit Movida when I get to Melbourne – hopefully in April….I don’t know if you are aware, but one of the holiday treats people come back from Australia with are actually Nougats… Oh, I will definitely have to give this a try! This is the soft,chewy version, I suppose?
Ooh pretty! Beautiful photos as always.
I just wikipedia-ed “turron” as I’d never heard the term before, and was assumed to read that apparently hard turrón (the Alicante variety) has 64% almonds while soft turrón (the Jijona variety) has 60% almonds. I hope you had exactly 60% almonds in there Trissa! 😀
@Conor – hmmm…. I just did a quick calculation and came out with only 37% (excluding egg whites) – maybe I didn’t put enough of the almonds!
You are certainly a great source of cookbook reviews! And it’s even better that you actually make things from the books, as opposed to just looking at the pictures *ahem, that’s me*. I love nougat, and your version looks fantastic.
Mmh, I love turron. I always buy some at the Italian market near my house. Yours looks much better!
Triss… I do love Spanish cuisine and am too much of a romantic to broach the subject of molecular gastronomy. I’m glad Chef Camorra does not ‘go there’ … suffice it to say, it happens while we are thinking and doing other things in the kitchen. I am inspired by your review to add to the cookbook shelf here in the Garden and can’t wait to look through some new ‘old’ recipes.
Trissa, nice recipe…and the pictures as so pretty 🙂 I feel like going through the computer screen 🙂
Turron is an absolute favourite trissa…well done on recreating it at home! Movida restaurant sounds like a great place to eat (and I would have felt the same way about eating all those dishes on my own!)
I have not heard of turron. Is it the same as nougat? When you mentioned it to me, I thought it was a savoury dish. lol!!! Your pictures are stunning.
okey! GAH! somehow I thought you had said “nougat”.. clearly the Turron is different and meant to be soft…
I am not a big fan of nougat because, gawd! they are hard! But yours looks soft and pillowy like a marshmallow!! is it soft?
Wow, so impressive! Your photography is excellent. I’m going to check out that book next time i get the chance.
*kisses* HH
WOW I love these white nougat! Must try your recipe!
oh where did u go for the baking course ? I went to Savour School once a few years back, it was fun !
@Swee – yes I went to savour – it was fantastic!
OMG – These photos are making my mouth water for torrone. I love this! What about the hard turrone? How can you get that from this soft kind? cook it longer?
@ Ciaochowlinda – yes I think cooking the sugar to a higher heat would do the trick – but it is just a guess! 🙂
I am sorry I meant nougaT..
Gorgeous photos..it reminds me of nougas a bit?:)
I tried this year and it was “le Fiasco!”
Thanks you so much for the recipe, I’ve been dreaming about making Turon for ages.
Cheers,
elra
I remembered making a nougat once in my life but never made it again. But I love biting and chewing it. And the photos makes me what to grab it through the screen. I’m not into molecular gastronomy and this book is worth buying because of it’s rustic Spanish cooking.
There’s just something about nougat I have always loved. This turron looks absolutely divine! And your photos are worthy of the best cook books. Can’t decide if I like it better on the wood or the plate. Guess I’ll chose that blue and white plate. It shows off the turron to perfection. Can’t resist this one! And the cookbook sounds wonderful. Hope to see more recipes out of it!
Great review on Movida Rustica now wheres my piece of nougat? hmmm. It looks so good Trissa. I really want a piece. PLEASE.. ehehhe
I love turron, but I’ve never tried to cook it! It’s so easy to find good turron in France… but expensive!