The favorite tapas of the great stars of our gastronomy
In total they add up 13 Michelin stars to his credit. We have sat these greats of Spanish gastronomy at a round table so that they can reveal the secret of your ideal cover. And this has been the result.
MARIO SANDOVAL, COQUE RESTAURANT (2 stars **Michelin ) **
"Eating tapas or going for tapas is a culture, much more than gastronomy. It has changed the way of eating in Spain and in the world".
Little more can be said about the meteoric career of Mario Sandoval. This chef, a lover of fermented foods and R&D cooking, considers tapas as part of our DNA, a culture that includes gastronomy, friendship and cordiality.
For Sandoval, a good tapa is made from the best raw material, which also affects the diversity and knowledge of the product. According to him, we like tapas because it is part of our culture, because that's how we eat and that's how we socialize.
"A talk and a good product made with the right technique and paired with a little glass, everything in one hand, and a chat". That's the perfect tapa for Mario.
The best tapa he remembers eating... "Well, I'll tell you. It was a ''simple'' tapa of Arturo Sánchez Iberian ham at the Granada Jam Tavern. Spectacular. Flavor, moment, smiles among friends".
The best creation of him ... "I will answer that the abalone He made it with abalone spent two days in rice vinegar with ginger; txaca created from a beet mayonnaise and orange curry, lemon pepper and Sichuan pepper with sriracha, Mexican spices, Sesame oil, and I finish it with an air of pickle. The abalone, the ham, the anchovy. All caps. Pure culture."
Mario Sandoval, in charge of Coque, one of Madrid's places of pilgrimage for lovers of haute cuisine
FERNANDO CANALES, LA DESPENSA & EL ATELIER DE ETXANOBE (1 star **Michelin ) **
"Must be a quick bite, surprising and that you liked a lot ".
The Basque Country It is the territory of pinchos, and Fernando Canales knows a lot about this. Opening a new space in this 2018, the Bilbao chef defends this part of our gastronomy that must remain in the memory.
For him, we like tapas because it is a fast, informal and social way to eat delicious things, the need that when you try one, you want another one.
The best tapa that he remembers having eaten... "The best tapa that he had eaten was at ** Gure Toki in Bilbao.** It was a scallop cover with cream cheese and crispy seaweed. The feeling was spectacular, so much so that I ate seven more tapas in a row".
His best creation... "It was just the last one I've done and it's also very healthy. It's about a tapa based on guacamole, sumac and chard sprouts".
"Tapping is a fast, informal and social way of eating delicious things", Fernando Canales
ÁNGEL LEÓN, APONIENTE RESTAURANT (3 stars **Michelin ) **
"The cover is a concept that must concentrate a lot of flavor and product in one or two bites and without a doubt be accompanied by a good wine or a cold beer".
Our chef from the sea, like a good Andalusian, does not miss a tapa wherever he goes. Currently, in addition to his Aponiente, he is in charge of several projects such as the Glass Mar at the Urban Hotel, where he is committed to a concept of snacks to share that takes us to the typical snack tavern where, in addition, sherry wines have great prominence.
For León, tapas is part of our culture, of sharing, of celebrating everything around a table while eating; It is an icon of our gastronomy and the most exported concept.
The best tapa that he remembers having eaten... "The hake pavia of Casa Paco Ceballos here, in El Puerto de Santa María. It is a type of fried food typical of Andalusian tapas, where the quality of the hake has to be excellent so that it is juicy and it must be very well fried so that it does not have an excess of oil and fat. A perfect bite."
His best creation... "I think one that sums up and brings together a lot of our kitchen concept is: 'What does the ocean taste like?' It is a can in which the purest flavor of the sea is concentrated in different textures: gelée of mussel broth, cockles and plankton".
Ángel León, 'the chef of the sea'
ÁLVARO GARRIDO, MINA RESTAURANT (1 star **Michelin ) **
"Tapping is a social act, we enjoy eating and drinking and if it is with friends even better. We're extroverts, it's part of our culture."
Heading one of the five flagships of Basque haute cuisine, Álvaro Garrido is one of those who considers that each cover has its moment; emphasizing above all that the flavors are well marked and that the product is first class. For him, eating tapas before going out to eat on a Sunday is not the same as having tapas for dinner.
The best tapa that he remembers having eaten... "I have eaten many and very good ones. anchovy and sea urchin of Txepetxa in Donosti, that of stuffed leaves in the Santamaría de Bilbao, the gildas of the Basaras, the ham or tuna sandwich of La Viña, the calluses del Rio-Oja, that of cod of the Rotterdam, dried roe and flame-fed red mullet of La Cosmopolita in Malaga. I could say many more."
The best creation of him ... "I remember one that I did in season that my 'amama' taught me. When comes Txitxarro from a boat, the one that is small, we pass it through flour and fry, we put it in a source, we add a good splash of apple cider vinegar and julienned fresh spring onion", Garrido explains.
"On the other hand we do a sauce with sliced garlic, virgin olive oil, finely chopped parsley and a slice of chilli pepper, We add it on top, stir a little and let it rest in the fridge. After a few hours we take it out, toast the bread, spread the slice with that oil, put a leaf of farmhouse lettuce, a little chopped tomato, the onion from the Txitxarro and the shredded Txitxarro boneless, a glass of Txakoli and quietly wait for the world to end", he says.
Álvaro Garrido, one of the most important faces of Basque haute cuisine
TOÑO PÉREZ, ATRIO RESTAURANT (2 stars **Michelin ) **
"The essential is that it is made with a lot of love, affection and that it transmits sensations to you".
All eyes fell on Toño when Cáceres became the Capital of Gastronomy. Since then, he has not stopped leaving us speechless with his savoir faire in the kitchen.
For Tony, the cover is one of those moments in reduced format that can be something great, from spending the whole day touring locals to taking exclusive trips just to try those small but great bites. And the good thing, according to him, is that you can enjoy it alone or in company.
The best tapa that he remembers eating... "Well, when I was little I remember eating a taste of pig fresh from the slaughter, with that Iberian fat spreading on the bread, the paprika, the spices, the smell of the fire and the conversations of my grandparents", he says.
"They were unique moments where the pig was the protagonist, everything revolved around the animal and most importantly, those feelings that are marked by the passage of time and that you always want to do, make those moments incredible moments," he concludes.
His best creation... "In our menu we have a two-bite finger food that I love, it is based on an Extremaduran tomato soup. In summer we used to make it in the classic version, with its melon garnish and must gelée. we currently do a crispy pie with taro, inside which is the well-reduced tomato soup bound with cornstarch, cut in half and spread on top with a madras curry mayonnaise. This soup itself is spiced with roasted cumin, which together with the madras curry and the acidity of the tomato, make a very tasty and appetizing set".
"The cover is one of those moments in reduced format that can be something great", Toño Pérez
PACO RONCERO, RESTAURANT ON THE TERRACE OF THE MADRID CASINO (2 stars **Michelin ) **
"Tapping is a social act that goes beyond what you are eating, it is share with the people you love".
In front of the incredible restaurant of the Terraza del Casino de Madrid, this giant of gastronomy is faithful to the traditions when it comes to tapas. "We like tapas because it's part of our lifestyle," he says.
The famous chef considers that what is essential for a perfect tapa is a good product, an excellent raw material, which is the basis of success without a doubt. As a second requirement, to be enjoyable, "stain your fingers with it", he asserts bluntly.
The best tapa he remembers having eaten... "I have no choice but to tell you that my grandmother's croquettes.. . I'll never forget them... And I'm sure they're not the best croquettes I've ever eaten, but they are the ones I like the most and the ones I have indelible memories of"
His best creation... "I really love making tapas, in fact we make them for our more traditional tapas bars, like at La Terraza del Casino restaurant where the first part of the menu is snacks or tapas that are eaten with your hands . The best? It's coming, for sure!"
Paco Roncero, his name and surname precede him
MIGUEL COBO, COBO VINTAGE RESTAURANT (1 star **Michelin ) **
"You have to have a crunchy and sweet texture to be able to define in the mouth the different types of textures, essential for me".
We all remember this finalist from the first edition of top-chef which, despite not winning the contest, can well boast of being **the first Michelin star Burgos has won. ** And well deserved, by the way.
theFor Cobo, the perfect lid has to wear a high quality product. Furthermore, it is important to him that there be a link between the main product and that small side dish that accompanies it.
Miguel tells us that we consume so many tapas because of that social culture that we have developed from taking those small bites accompanied by some beers or some wines, because tapas is part of the philosophy of the Spanish.
The best tapa he remembers eating... "The best tapa I've ever eaten has been at Casa Marcial, in Arriondas (Asturias): a Torto with a scrambled egg with seaweed and marinated sardine. It transported me directly to Asturias, to its mountains until I ended up in the sea, on the beach. It was a feeling of traveling, from the plateau to the sea."
His best creation... "Something very simple: a pil pil of hake head, a 30 gram cube of hake very finely battered with organic egg and in a very low temperature oil and some grilled and peeled Isla peppers with their reduced broth and put in oil. I also accompany it with a crispy bread made from algae. Texture, product and a perfect combination."
Miguel Cobo, the first Michelin star in Burgos. and well deserved
ÓSCAR VELASCO, SANTCELONI RESTAURANT (2 stars **Michelin ) **
"I don't think there is just one formula for what the perfect lid should look like."
Little can be said about Óscar Velasco, one of the most successful chefs in our country. And it is that Santceloni, with Óscar Velasco, is already playing in another league. Velasco also has tapas, and for him it depends on each person, since tapas are A casual way to be able to try many different things.
Also, conceivable tapas in general as a moment in a relaxed atmosphere that helps foster and cultivate relationships between people.
The best tapa that he remembers having eaten... “It is very difficult to assess which has been the best tapa, some colleagues make very creative tapas that are very good, but in general I prefer traditional-cut tapas, a good Spanish omelette with onion, some ham croquettes, a salad, they are wonderful tapas”.
His best creation... “Well, choosing one that I've made is difficult for me, but I'm going to say one that we're doing in Santceloni and I like it a lot: fried rice, lemon caramel, caviar and cured Iberian pork jowls”.
Óscar Velasco and Santceloni, another league
PEPE SOLLA, CASA SOLLA (1 star **Michelin ) **
"Sometimes we see authentic gastronomic dishes in tapas, but the cover must be intense and maintain its essence of simplicity".
At the gates of the PortAmérica festival, the rockiest chef always attends the event summoning other greats of gastronomy. The genius Solla is one of those who thinks that any tapa can work perfectly, as long as it meets a series of characteristics: it should be a small dish that should be eaten in two or three bites. It should not be so complex and base his genius on the size, intensity, clarity and the right ingredient.
The best tapa you remember eating... "I remember one of Iván Domínguez at PortAmérica 2017, with cauliflower. It was brutal because of that intensity and clarity starting from a humble ingredient. He had a mussel broth. I have eaten many things and it is very difficult to choose one. This is one that I think could be a good example. Suddenly, something you didn't expect turns into a big bite."
His best creation... "Well, like all of them, you always think it's going to be the next thing you do. I'm sure many of our dishes can be tapas, but I wouldn't single out one in particular," he says.
"This year at PortAmerica 2018 we are going to do two: The flower, What is it a stuffed pumpkin flower with a kind of tuna ceviche called sarda sarda, which we cool a lot so that when we make the tempura, the interior remains cold. The other is a free range rooster drumstick, finished with lots of fresh leaves and a mole poblano. These are my two proposals for PortAmerica 2018, which I'm giving you in advance as we haven't published them yet", explains Solla.
Pepe Solla, the rockiest chef on the national scene