Photo Excursion to El Ermitaño

This past Saturday, the English edition of El País (sold as a supplement of the International Herald Tribune) published my article on Restaurante El Ermitaño in Benavente, Zamora. Though the full article can be found here, Tasting Autumn in Castilla y León, I though I would share a few more photos from this fabulous dinner, despite the fact that the image quality might not be up to snuff. Enjoy!

 
Amuse-bouche of goat’s cheese cream with Reineta apple .

Cecina rolls with foie gras and quince paste (Canutillos de cecina rellenos de higado de pato con dulce de membrillo).

Aora Mil Cien pale ale, brewed the town of Cacabelos, in nearby Bierzo (Leon).

A free-range egg on a bed of creamy leeks topped with three types of wild mushrooms, thin slices of black truffle and flavorful mounds of shaved marinated tongue (Huevo de corral con setas silvestres, lengua adobada, parmentier de puerros y trufa negra).

This photo was unfortunately taken before the amazing, almost sweet gravy was poured on this venison loin that had been rubbed with wild mushroom salt, cooked over wood smoke, and served with Boletus risotto, Zamorano cheese and the venison’s sweet gravy .

The plate of cured Zamorano cheese that had been grated, cubed and sliced into a variety of formats.

Chef Pedro Mario in his huge kitchen.

The castle at Medina del Campo.

Bridge crossing the Duero River in Toro.

The beautiful, walled town of Urueña.

Restaurante El Ermitaño

Ctra. Benavente-Leon, Km 1,2

49600 Benavente, Zamora 

980 632 213

Pre-Prepared Pre-Thanksgiving from Cascajares

I was greeted with an agreeable surprise the other day when a messenger showed up at my door with the new Thanksgiving Day Turkey made by Spanish company Cascajares - experts in the field of gourmet pre-prepared fare like roasted suckling pig and stuffed capons. Their latest adventure, in collaboration with USA-based Spanish chef José Andrés, is a Thanksgiving turkey, pre-cooked and ready to pop in the oven for half an hour, and accompanied with all the fixings (stuffing, chestnut puree, cranberry sauce, apple sauce, gravy and mashed potatoes). Still a work in progress with only 1,000 turkeys being sold this year, I was super excited when the company offered to send me one to get an authentic American point of view on the product. Anxious to do my part, I dutifully invited some true blue americanas around this weekend to size up this new design. While I am still in the midst of constructing my full report, I thought I could get a jump on the whole thing with a few photos and first impressions.

While the box is enormous, everyone's first thought was that the photo of the plate doesn't do justice to the typical American portion sizes on Thanksgiving - a day when it's all about heaping it on. We were dubious as to the 8-10 portion serving size indicated on the box and worried we might not have enough. I made another tray of stuffing just in case. In the end, while the sides might not be sufficient for 8 people, the turkey had more than enough delicious meat, and three days later I am still enjoying the last of it (there were 5 of us at lunch).

The turkey and the gravy were the best part and truly tasted just as they should. I really have no complaints other than the fact that the meat might have been slightly dry (which happens to my turkeys as well from time to time), and maybe we would have benefited from more specific cooking instructions (30-45 minutes at no specified temperature). The bird comes with some gravy in the cooking package and I confess that I did rub the whole thing in butter and pepper before chucking it in the oven...once an American. It really was good and has now turned into an absolutely wonderful and flavorful turkey stock.

The most disappointing aspects were undoubtedly the sides, which lacked a bit of oomph and texture in terms of presentation and quantity. The gravy was delicious, especially when I mixed it with the juices that came off the bird in the oven. The cranberry sauce was good flavor-wise, but was completely pureed and needed some whole berries (and maybe gelatin) to give it some texture. The apple compote was fine and the chestnut puree correct though really sweet, but neither one seem necessary to me and don't add much in terms of presentation or texture either as they are both similarly toned brown purees. The stuffing was flavorful, but with basically only onions, celery and bread, it was kind of boring and lacked color and herbs. I have never had a stuffing without sage, or at the very LEAST thyme. And my least favorite were the mashed potatoes which were very runny and also needed more structure and texture. In any case, they are on the right track and hopefully will continue to tweak the products during the year to come. The product is intended for an American audience (the company has a newly minted factory in Canada), but also for people all over the world.

Cascajares President, Alfonso Jiménz Rodríguez-Villa carving the turkey at the US Embassy (the Ambassador is pictured directly across from him). Other guests included the President of Castilla-Leon, Rafael Ansón (the President of the Spanish Royal Academy of Gastronomy and José Andrés).

On a side note, Cascajares held a press conference in the American Embassy last Friday with José Andrés and the American Ambassador Alan Solomont and his wife Susan. It was lots of fun to watch them explain to the Spanish press about the meaning of Thanksgiving (my hands-down favorite holiday) and the significance of the turkey and the meal. Then they dove into a turkey lunch with about a million reporters snapping photos around them.

Despite any misgivings I have about trying to replicate this home cooked favorite, I truly admire the company for what they are trying to do and think that they are well on their way to achieving it. Oh, and for 120 Euros a box, it's not a bad deal at all - especially if you can't cook and it saves doing the shopping and cleaning.

More information to follow and also on http://pavo.cascajares.com/.

(Acción de) Gracias!

Wild mushrooms, Castile-Leon and an edible crush

Wild mushrooms burrow in piney forests

There is something about Castile-Leon that makes my heart pound. Though a cultural and neurological center of Spain for centuries, boasting some of the country's finest universities, palaces, museums, restaurants and cathedrals, I'm drawn to this vast area for its great unknown and the sense of wildness that I feel when I'm here.
I want to get to know its darkest forests and rugged, changing landscapes; the long expanses of green that are interrupted by neither town nor fence - with the exception of a crumbled down wall or stone farmhouse here and there - the idea that you can drive for hours and still discover corners, valleys and rivers that you've never seen before.
And mostly, I want to eat, everything I can - from the more classical slow roasted meats and cured hams and sausages, to gamier meats like boar, venison and partridge; and not forgetting the area's wonderful cheeses, produce and legumes. But what I want most of all are its wild mushrooms - those secrets from the forest that can only be found in the autumn and that for me can't be replicated anywhere else but in this magical place.

Fortunately, I'm a lucky soul. Lucky enough to have just gotten back from the third edition of "Soria Gastronómica", the International Mycology Conference that's held in the Castilian city of Soria every two years. This congress, dedicated to all things relating to gastronomic applications for wild mushrooms, is a feast for the senses and a challenge to the waistline. This year's edition, which was held on October 29-30th, hosted presentations by over 20 chefs - mainly from Castile-Leon, but also representing Madrid, Cantabria and a few far flung countries like Sweden, India and Canada - was no different, featuring cooking demonstrations, round-table discussions, tasting opportunities, and hunger-inducing talks on topics such as: The Sweet World of Wild Mushrooms (Elena Lucas Gonzalo, Restaurante la Lobita in Navaleo, Soria), Sensations: Mycology in its Habitat (Pedro Mario and Óscar Pérez, Restaurante El Ermitaño in Benevente, Zamora), Gastromycology in Bierzo (Lydia Álvarz Marqués, Parador de Turismo in Villafranca de Bierzo, Leon), and Avant-garde Techniques Applied to Wild Mushrooms (Óscar García Marina of Baluarte in Soria), to name just a few.

Elena Lucas of La Lobita

Óscar y Pedro Mario Peréz of Restaurante El Ermitaño

And while I am slowly picking away at my full report on this fascinating conference for Foods From Spain, I will leave you with just a few photos of some of the nibbles I was able to try as part of this amazing trip. Most are from Soria's Restaurante Trashumante or the Convento Espacio Grumer in nearby Almazán. More to come.

Black trumpet mushrooms on seared red tuna. It sounded strange but really worked. At Trashumante.

Wonderfully simple and flavorful, at Trashumante

Boletus carpaccio with pistachios at Trashumante. Delicious and the best wild mushroom carpaccio I've ever had.

Duck ham, strawberries, sprouts and wild mushrooms at Convento Espacio Grumer. I love that succulent leaf in the background.

Tapa Hopping the Nation's Best Tapas and Pintxos

Incredible "Jabón de pato" pintxo at Los Zagales Restaurant in Valladolid

This past November I again had the opportunity to attend the incredible National Pintxos and Tapas Competition that is held annually in the city of Valladolid, in Castilla Leon. While the competition itself is absolutely amazing, this year I focused my experience on visiting the local bars and restaurants that were hosting the competing chefs from all over Spain and providing the opportunity to taste their winning creations. Not only does the city boast a lively nightlife and ample tapas scene, but also, being able to actually taste the competing pintxos added a level of complexity to my understanding of the event itself.

Read more in Small Wonders in Valladolid on Foods From Spain.