Rick Stein's Spain

Celebrated chef Rick Stein begins his Spanish culinary adventure in Galicia on the Atlantic coast. Hitting the road in his old, trusty RV, he discovers places off the beaten track and samples the classic dishes of rural Spain. Around Santander, he sees a traditional paella dish cooked in the street, and samples some 'pinchos', or some small Spanish snacks, originating from the Basque country.

Celebrated chef Rick Stein continues his culinary adventure through Spain in his old camper van. On this leg, he travels from the Basque country on the Atlantic coast, to journey ever eastwards towards the Mediterranean and into Catalonia. Sampling the food delights of the region, he encounters a delicious salsa romesco, an authentic fideua and a mouth-watering seafood stew.

Rick Stein, in his old but trusty RV, heads into the Castile region, known as the land of El Cid, the renowned 11th century military leader. It's a region of romantic castles and vast plains, plus delicious food. In La Mancha, famous for its rustic dishes and wine, he encounters Montserrat tomatoes and whips up a tasty rice dish using monkfish, tomatoes, shallots, garlic and pimenton.

Rick heads into the little-known region of Extremadura, famous for pimentón, or smoked paprika, and Spain's most celebrated ham: Iberico. In his old RV, he then drives south to Spain's most romantic city, Seville, the home of tapas and flamenco. He also unexpectedly rubs shoulders with a British transplant who is both a member of rock royalty and a bestselling author.

Rick Stein believes that no one celebrates Christmas in greater style than the Spanish, where the festivities last for over two weeks and the dishes they prepare are delicious alternatives to the usual festive fare. Rick hosts a special Christmas party in London, cooking clams with serrano ham, lamb stuffed eggplant with Moorish spices, chicken with saffron and orange caramel creams.