The Josetxo Lizarreta show at Fork Tours
Let's make a brief analysis of why Basque cuisine works so well. The first, because they like to eat and has always floated in his sirimiri an exhibitionist spirit , to grow up with friends in gastronomic societies. The second, because the chefs have dialogued, they have talked to each other, they have climbed mountains and crossed rivers to show their progress, their innovative ideas . There has been no fear of copying since there are stomachs to spare for all their dishes and their cash registers. And third, because they have been able to tell, They have had that grace and closeness with their audience necessary to make him unconditional, to retain him from affection and good results. This communication raised to the nth power is what the new good initiative of the regional government called Euskadi Gastronomy (there, note that it is with K), in which the Basque Country it becomes a kind of Big Brother where distances are reduced and there are no walls between chefs and diners. Come on, what comes to be a “sneak into the kitchen” literally.
This trip has three stops, one for appetizer, one for lunch, and one for dessert. We go there! Road and blanket, and let it not be said that we are not moved by hunger and thirst... to learn.
PINTXOS IN SAN SEBASTIAN The pintxo street in the city of pintxo is, without a doubt, Fermin Calbeton . And there, right in the thick of it, at number 27, is the Tenedor Tours pintxo workshop. But more than a company, it is a chef. In a coquettish kitchen of a living room of any house, Josetxo Lizarreta , famous chef and teacher at the prestigious Irizar school of cooking is in his element. He has the soul of a teacher showman between ceramic hob and pots and he makes it very clear from the beginning. It is a necessary cordiality that makes student and teacher shorten distances. There are no holy places and no lines not to cross. His wooden spoon is your wooden spoon, simple as that. So in half a second, the apprentice on duty finds himself with his hands turning the dough of what in a few minutes will end up being some cod fritters.
Eat, drink, cook... learn with Josetxo Lizarreta
The wait is enlivened with good talk and etymological explanations of the dishes (such as the essential gildas , named for mixing the salty -anchovies- and the spicy -chili peppers-, as the character played by Rita Hayworth did with her demure eroticism). The throat is refreshed with good txakoli while the morning goes on with the preparation of other simple classics such as the bonito-stuffed peppers that, I don't know if it's because of Josetxo's hand or because of the enthusiasm that his Padawans put into the stew, taste like pure glory. Eat, eat. Laugh, laugh. Learn... you also learn although it is one of those activities that are enjoyed, such as gym classes or relaxation courses in which it is not necessary to take notes. oh! and sing, you sing ; especially at the end, when the wine brings its grain of joy and Josetxo is no longer a father to be feared, but rather a buddy to join in the chorus and celebrate that, for a few hours, we have fulfilled a dream: respect for our delicacies.
FOOD IN ZORTZIKO, BILBAO The truth is that it's nice to see how Daniel Garcia He doesn't settle down, he doesn't get bored and he doesn't deny himself anything. Not tired of having one of the best restaurants in the spectacular Biscayan city, he has given his classic space a twist to set up a cooking class. Well, excuse me, a show cooking, which sounds better. Neither short nor lazy, he stands behind his ceramic hob while he confesses that what he likes are induction cookers, after having seen how technology has evolved in the service of gastronomy. And there, where he is happy (he claims that he even goes to the kitchen to relax and unwind when he gets tired of cooking), he grabs his pans and prepares some appetizers to everyone's amazement.
But it is not a master class that requires too much prior knowledge. Daniel doesn't get all naked or overcomplicate his dishes as he believes, he pampers and adores the ingredient . He explains how to buy and treat the anchovy so that the cold chain is not broken while he prepares some sublime sandwiches with toasted bread and olive oil. Or he demystifies the foreign ideas of the pil-pil, that simple and glossy accompaniment that is present in every menu in the region. Then there is the restaurant, the more traditional appreciation of dishes as magnificent as hake on pea bread and desserts that are worth leaving a little hole in your stomach. And no wanting to say hello to the chef afterwards, huh? That in this case, Daniel García has already gone ahead of us giving this interesting welcome.
Daniel Garcia red-handed
DESSERT AT GORROTXATEGI CONFECTIONERY, TOLOSA In Tolosa, an old communications hub between Álava, San Sebastián and Navarra, they receive some 300,000 visitors a year. Well, a large part of these make their stop to complete their pilgrimage to the Gorrotxategi Museum , a ninth wonder that talks about the eighth wonder **(the confectionery) ** and about the history of a trade eclipsed by the great creators of 'savory' cuisine in our country. But it is also the discovery of another 'character', of another man as enthusiastic about working as he is about spreading his experiences and his wisdom. Rafael Gorrotxategi he opens the doors of the museum as if they were his house. Each exhibited object is known by heart as it is the legacy of several past generations dedicated to the noble art of sweetening life. It is true that it could be one of those insipid ethnographic museums, but the amount of curiosities that its owner tells makes it much more entertaining.
The final shot comes with the small confectionery workshop that he conducts for visitors . The micro course serves for the traveler to reaffirm in the discovery of this trip: the secret is to take care of the good ingredients . And it is that with a little almond, sugar and eggs, Rafael teaches how to make his famous tiles to the general astonishment, as if instead of cooking he was performing an amazing magic trick. It's that simple, that simple and that wonderful, as everyday cooking should be.
_*And as a reward for the feast, our favorite pintxos from San Sebastián. _
The Gorrotxategi Museum and its confectionery master of ceremonies, Rafael Gorrotxategi