Salvador Lopez
Full name and name of restaurant?
Salvador Lopez, La Rondita Restaurant Bar.
When did you start cooking and what made you start?
Since an early age I've had a passion for food.
One tip for budding chefs?
Always try to use the best ingredients and cook with passion.
Favorite recipe/dish
Chicken in Garlic sauce.
If you were a spice / herb what would you be?
Rosemary.
If you were put on a dessert island who would you like as company and what food?
Naomi Campbell and a whole Fillet Steak.
Jamón Serrano - Mountain Ham
This air-cured ham from white pigs is produced in several areas in Andalucía, and is widely known as jamón serrano, or mountain ham.
One of the most highly-regarded hams comes from Trevélez, which lies on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and is renowned for being the highest village in Spain.
Throughout the whole year cool, dry mountain winds blow clean, clear air through the wooden huts in which thousands of jamon haunches mature.
The end product is the delicate and aromatic jamón serrano, made from pigs fattened more often than not on the acorns of the abundant oak trees.
After slaughter, the haunches are first salted with coarse sea salt, before being washed and air-dried for at least 12 months.
In some cases, the drying process lasts as much as 20 months, and can even go on for 32 months - almost three years.
Serrano ham from a white pig is distinguishable from the Iberico ham, which comes from a black pig, because of its wider base - the Serrano ham is often said to resemble a Spanish guitar, whilst the Iberico is closer in appearance to a violin.
The very best, and most expensive, jamón is fed purely on acorns, and is called the Pata Negra, or Black Hoof.
The finished product is sliced thinly and can either be eaten raw as tapas, or as part of a more elaborate recipe.