The food world was startled when Spanish uber-chef Ferran Adrià announced that El Bulli, his temple to haut cuisine and five-times best restaurant in the world, would be serving its last mind-bending supper in July 2011. Although dispensing with the diners might seem an odd move for a chef, it makes sense after watching German director Gereon Wetzel’s documentary El Bulli: Cooking in Progress. Shot from 2008 to 2009, the film is a year in the life of Adrià and his chefs. And it portrays a chef-cum-artist for whom the logical next step is his proposed culinary think tank (due to open in 2014), rather than a restaurant that serves dinner. The film opens as the whitewashed El Bulli, sunk … [Read more...] about Ferran Adrià’s lavish tale sates our curiosity, but not our appetite
spanish food
Catalan cuisine faces the future by returning to its roots
Nearly two years ago, the Epicurious food and dining website declared that Barcelona had, in its words, jumped the shark. Long known as a culinary leader for its regional chefs’ efforts at the forefront of the tapas movement and more widely acclaimed for advances in molecular gastronomy, the city and wider region had lost their creative juice, slowing under over-indulgence and over-exposure. However, as the New Year arrives and the region struggles to figure out a path forward without the aid of its flagship of culinary innovation, Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli, the local menu is showing new signs of life with a return to traditional staples – delicious simplicity. Though, this being Catalonia, … [Read more...] about Catalan cuisine faces the future by returning to its roots
A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
I have to admit, when it comes to the recent debate about the state of Spanish croissants, I’ve come to the table rather late. The furore itself was sparked by a blog post by food writer Mikel López Iturriaga in early February, in which he attacked his country’s version of the croissant on several fronts: from its outrageous size and criminally stale dough, to that utterly redundant glaze that so many bakers apply. By the end of his article, the croissant was, so to speak, toast. “All these examples of baked, varnished paste which thousands of Spaniards consume for breakfast each day do not deserve to be called croissants,” he thundered. It’s a harmless enough issue to tackle, you … [Read more...] about A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
Bacalao
Cod preserved in thick layers of salt, providing a unique flavour and texture. Traditionally done as a way to store fish - though much of it now comes from Norway and Iceland - the dish remains popular all over Spain but especially in the Basque Country and Catalonia. In the latter region bunyola de bacalla are popular: salt cod fritters usually sprinkled with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon, eaten with an ice cold beer as an appetizer or main course. … [Read more...] about Bacalao
Pa amb oli / tomàquet
Bread with olive oil (pa amb oli) or bread with tomato (pa amb tomàquet)? Actually, the two dishes are usually the same - rustic bread rubbed with olive oil and tomato and seasoned with garlic and salt, perhaps topped with a slice of jamón or manchego cheese. The difference lies in the name: the former is what it is called in the Balearic Islands, the latter in Catalonia - a source of great controversy for such a simple dish. … [Read more...] about Pa amb oli / tomàquet
Paella
The iconic dish of Spain. The food version of flamenco. And, like flamenco, there are as many styles as there are people to make it. Home-cooked, anyone will tell you is always the best, though exactly what should go in and what should stay out is the source of dinner-table discussions everywhere. The main variety is familiar to nearly everyone - and a few fast-food versions have been put on restaurant menus in recent years, to the disgust of true aficionados - though there are several notable variations on the theme, including: Paella Negra: blackened with squid ink for effect and flavour. Paella Fideus: No rice, but small curly pasta (fideus) used in its place. Paella Ciega (Blind … [Read more...] about Paella
Snails
Certainly chowing down on the little brown gastropods is not to everybody's liking, though across Spain they can easily be found on restaurant and café menus and there are even a number of well-patronized snail fiestas. The molluscan delicacies are either farmed or gathered - hunted? - from the wild: the latter are usually collected in autumn after a good downpour, purged on grit for two to three weeks and then gorged on herbs before finally being cooked in a caldo (stock) - anything from garlic, ham off-cuts and herbs to simple tomato sauce. It's not fast food for sure, but it's not unusual to see the odd snail sandwich being handed to the kids. … [Read more...] about Snails
Tapas
There are now fancy tapas bars in the stylish parts of almost every city worldwide. But in Spain tapas run the gamut, from elegantly decorated prawns in honey and basil sauce to potato chips with a splodge of potato salad plonked on top. The name tapa (literally, cover) is said to originate from a small plate that was traditionally placed on top of a glass of drink. ln many bars tapas are automatically part of your drinks order – it's a surprise included in the price. It may be just a slice of bread with olive oil, a few slivers of chorizo, fuet or salchichón sausage, it might be calamares, or patatas bravas - chunky french fries in spicy tomato sauce - it could be pickled fish... you get … [Read more...] about Tapas
Ferran Adrià
The most famous chef in the world is more than a chef. He authors books, supervises “workshops” and even takes part in artistic events such as the 2007 Kassel show in Germany. Adrià, head chef of the now-closed El Bulli never seemed to be trying to make cooking look easy – just look at some of his recipes, such as Carrot Air or Kellogg’s Paella. But the emperor of molecular gastronomy has made people conscious of how unearthly and challenging food can be. He says: “The most important thing is to make people happy, but the second is to give them something to think about.” Keep cooking, Ferran. … [Read more...] about Ferran Adrià