Galician Queimada

Antonio Villaverde “O Ruso” , native of Illas Ons, old sea lion and cook of large ships that went to sea sailing all the continents.

He said that the Queimada had a Celtic origin and something magical, related to everything that we do not know and that he knew how to transmit so well in his stories in light of a good amount of queimada or good wine.

No one better than him to prepare it and recite his well-known incantation. So this recipe remains as a small tribute to this character so endearing and with whom I shared such good moments.

Any occasion is good to prepare a good Queimada, especially on the night of San Xoán (June 24) or throughout the summer. Many prepare them after a good dinner in the light of the night and end up such a good evening with their sweet and intoxicating flavor.

In the Queimada spell the 4 elements are invoked (fire, earth, water and air), fundamental deities of the druid culture and Celtic rites, all are symbolized in the ritual although fire is the key element:

• THE FIRE : Deity of purification.
• THE EARTH : Symbolized by the clay pot of Queimada.
• THE WATER : Symbolized with the brandy.
• THE AIR : On which the flames will rise and dance.

As important as the rite and the famous conxuro against las meigas is that the brandy is of great quality, otherwise we will not make all this magical mixture of brandy, sugar, fruit and coffee beans burn well. We must also do it outdoors and at night, watching the bluish flame that gives the sugar gradually go out.

Preparation of the base ingredients to make Queimada

1. We place the brandy and sugar in a container of own baked clay to make queimada (you can find them in almost any hardware store or ceramic shops), in the proportion of 150 grams per liter of brandy.
2. In this case, such as 2 liters of brandy, 300 grams of fine white sugar. We reserve 2 tablespoons of sugar to plant the fire.
3. We peel the lemons and the orange. We throw them into the clay container.
4. Now comes the most important part. In a ladle we put the 2 tablespoons of sugar with a little brandy and we heat it, when we plant the flame we bring it closer to the bowl of the burnt so that it begins to burn.
5. We are carefully stirring the queimada, turning without reaching the bottom, where almost all the sugar accumulates.
6. Then we can raise the ladle slowly, letting the alcohol flames rise. Creating waterfalls with them (this for the most daring …)
7. Add the handful of coffee beans, which fit in one hand. In this way, the drink will have a toasted color, also thanks to the caramel that will gradually form with the sugar.
8. We continue stirring but already raising a little of the sugar from the bottom of the clay pot.
9. Be careful because it is easy to burn with the ladle, I usually use a kitchen cloth to catch it.

Preparation of the queimada and final presentation

1. As the name says we must let the brandy burn, the flame indicates that the alcohol is being consumed (it is bluish due to sugar).
2. I like it strong so I end up turning off the queimada with a lid. But whoever wants it weaker must wait for it to decrease little by little to finish turning off the queimada with a strong blow. If you let all the alcohol burn what we get will be hot and sweet water.
3. The queimada is served hot. When we have turned it off we serve it in a clay pot or in a ceramic glass to maintain the temperature.
4. So we drink it little by little without burning ourselves. Do not abuse it, it seems to be lazy and it rises very fast … Enjoy it and the company of your / as in this magical moment.

Tips for a sooty pudding

• There are those who quench the queimada with some coffee or red wine (although the most purists of this liquor do not accept it).
• Others add pieces of apple or other fruit (which you also end up eating, but in moderation as they accumulate a lot of alcohol).
• Now I leave you the spell that is usually recited in the last step when the blue flame is ending.

CONXURO DA QUEIMADA GALEGA:

Mouchos, curuxas, toads and bruxas. Demos, goblins and diaños, espíritos das neboadas veigas.
Corvos, pntegas e meigas. Feitizos das menciñeiras.
You can fired reeds, fire two worms and vermin.
Lume das Santas Compañas, mal de ollo, black meigallos, cheiro dos mortos, thrones and raios.
Ouveo do can, pregón da mort, fociño do satiro e pé do coello.
Sinner lingua gives bad muller married with home hair.
Avernus of Satan and Beelzebub. Lume two burning corpses, mutilated corpses two indecent,
but two infernais cus, muxide from the raging sea.
Useless belly gives muller solteira, falar two cats that walk to xaneira, guedella porca gives goat badly calved.

With this fol will raise the shadows of the lume that resemble those of Inferno,
and the bruxas will be flushed completely from their glass, going to bathe in the fat areas.

Hear, hear! The noises that give so that they can not stop burning not pleasant, thus being purified.
E cando this beberaxe baixe polas nosas gorxas, we will be free two evils of our soul and of all bewitchment.

Forzas do ar, terra, mar e lume, this phamada is for you, it is true that you have more power than human beings,
here and now, so that the spirits two friends who are outside, participate with our Queimada.