Sloe berries and hot coals

One of my favourite ways to end a good meal is with a glass of pacharan, a strong liqueur originally from Navarra, in northern Spain. It’s a sweet drink made from sloe berries from a recipe dating back to the 14^th Century. Its flavour is a mix of aniseed and fruit. Think pastis or anis and you’re in the right ball park, kind of.

Although some traditionalists would baulk at this, in my family we drink it with lots of ice. As it melts in the glass, the flavour and consistency of the drink change. It’s refreshing, it cleans the palate and it is regarded in Spain as a digestive aid. It’s all good stuff, in my book.

The last time I sampled this was at my mum and dad’s after a barbeque on their terrace overlooking the Bay of Gibraltar. It was a typical family meal, which in this house means copious amounts of food.

There were sausages and burgers – meat and vegetarian varieties, of course – and salads of various types. The crown dish, though, was for me the chicken. My dad had marinated chicken breast overnight in white wine, garlic and herbs. Grilled over hot charcoal, it was remarkably juicy and tender, with a tart taste from the wine. Lovely.

For desert, we had baked sweet potatoes. They were wrapped in foil and placed on the hot coals. The orange flesh was sweet and mushy.

We also had watermelon and melon, cut into crowns by my mum in typical llanito style. And yes, we ate it all.