Salmorejo – Similar to the famous cold soup Gazpacho Andaluz but left thick enough to spread onto or dip your bread into. It is traditionally made by pounding the ingredients in a pestle and mortar, but is much more easily made in a food processor.

Soak some stale bread in water until soft and then squeeze out most of the water.

Roughly chop some good tasty tomatoes and turn them to pulp in the food processor. Put through a mouli with a fine disc or through a sieve to filter out the seeds and skins.

Whizz together in the food processor a clove of garlic, the tomato juice and a generous amount of good fruity olive oil. Season well and thicken with the bread pulp until you achieve a thick spreading consistency.

To serve decorate with chopped raw ham and boiled egg.

Pepper Salad – red peppers roasted or seared over a flame to remove the skins. Sliced and dressed with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Boquerones al Limon – Smelts de-headed and de-boned, steeped in fresh lemon juice for half an hour then dried and dipped into thin batter and deep fried until crisp.

Ensalada Malaguena – Boiled potatoes, Salt Cod soaked overnight to remove salt and then poached until tender, sliced onions, chopped orange flesh, a few strips of red pepper for colour, all dressed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Berenjenas con Miel de Cana – This dish epitomises Malaga for me. In the tropical climate of the area sugar cane is grown and its bitter sweet syrup is used in many dishes of the region. The aubergines are sliced very thinly, dipped in a light batter and fried until crisp and golden brown. We were served them on this occasion with the sugar cane syrup in a little bowl for dipping, but more frequently it is drizzled over the aubergines.

Salpicon de Mariscos – A salad of a mixture of shellfish, prawns, mussels, poached squid or octopus chopped small, finely chopped onions, red and green peppers and tomatoes in an olive oil and white wine vinegar dressing.