Not only Cádiz lives on tuna: Mogán, the Canarian tuna port
The third edition of the Tuna Fair and the sea brought together fishermen and restaurateurs and, as is customary, made known the varied marine offer of the brotherhoods of Mogan and Arguineguin.
Mogán is less than an hour by road from The Gran Canarian palms . An unavoidable stop is the restaurant of the Fishermen's Guild on Avenida del Muelle de Arguineguín, where you can begin to taste the Canarian flavors and the wide variety of fish that the brotherhood offers and cooks with mastery.
The Mogán setting is unusual, difficult to judge at first sight. The port of Mogan It is surrounded by the arid mountains of the south of Gran Canaria, which are lined with hotels and aparthotels, some luxurious, others simpler, almost all white and surrounded by native vegetation steppe-like (such as the dragon trees or the Canarian palm tree.
But Mogán also has the most leafy and protected areas of the Nublo Rural Park , the Taurus Natural Monument and the Inagua Integral Nature Reserve.
One of the protected areas of Mogán, Parque Rural del Nublo
Behind the colorful layer of foreigners (mostly Nordic), shopping centers, restaurants and pubs, of that tourism that has boosted the economy of the area, are the genuine roots of what they were and son Mogán and its neighbor Arquineguín: fishing settlements whose fishermen enter the sea throughout the year and that form two of the most important brotherhoods of the islands.
That is to say, fishing villages from when the fishing activity began in both municipalities at the beginning of the s. XX, creating salting factories and turning the fishing sector into the way of life in the area.
THE FAIR, A NECESSARY INITIATIVE
The Mogán and Arquineguín fishermen's associations continue to supply Gran Canaria with mackerel, sama, bocinegro, red mullet, rooster, and tuna (bluefin, bonito, yellowfin, skipjack or sierra tuna) with great nutritional benefits and so appreciated on the island that they are even called Mogán.
Given that the fishing gear is still the same as before, which does not have more than 60 boats and 200 sailors between the two brotherhoods, and that fishing is being reduced by the large boats that scare away the tuna, two years ago the initiative arose from different organizations in the area to create the Tuna and Sea Fair to show the important task of the two brotherhoods in their responsible and artisan process when capturing tuna.
The port of Mogan
Economically value the price of some of them, such as skipjack tuna, which is not valued, and also create synergies between fishermen and restaurateurs.
The fair that occupies the 1,200 m2 of the permanent marquee located in the Plaza Pérez Galdós in Arguineguín . Inside, charming stalls from the main restaurateurs in the area: Henry House , golden canary , Mr Croquet Gourmet , Échale Mojo, La Jaca bar, La Vintage Foodtruck and Paso 21.
They offer their specialties in which the fish, washed down with Tropical beer and local wines such as those made with Indian prickly pear and banana from Jeribilla or those from the La Higuera Mayor, La Montaña and Hinojo wineries in Gran Canaria.
The first night, more than 10,000 people tasted 1,000 kilos of free mackerel cooked on five barbecues three meters in diameter by chefs from the Mojo Picón Association, seasoned with 350 kilos of wrinkled potatoes.
The fair seeks to create synergies between fishermen and restaurateurs
Everyone knows each other and recognizes the restaurateurs of the stalls, gastronomic critics, and Canarian chefs who are increasingly in vogue. From time to time, between that sweet canary accent Do not go to alicor my girl! translated to, don't drink so much! ... Other languages are heard and the blonde heads of those who came to the islands from other parts and have already made them their own stand out.
AWARD FOR THE BEST TUNA DISH FROM GRAN CANARIA
On the second day of the fair, José A. González, alias Solea, director of the Cultural, Science and Gastronomy Classroom of the MACAROFOOD and MARISCOMAC projects began the presentations by talking about The Blue Fish of the Canary Sea , followed by Magda Abdsalam Sayka from the Meraki restaurant who emphasized the healthiness of cooking with algae.
The first showcooking of the day at the hands of the cook Ivonne Hernández from the Mojo Picón Gastronomic Association discussed the use of sweet tuna . Paolo Dorazio of the Sensi restaurant stuck to tuna in Mediterranean cuisine.
The Km0 kitchen was in charge of Borja Marrero, Texeda restaurant . The moganero Alejandro Álamo- Casa Enrique Restaurant He discovered his special way of cooking tuna.
Endearing was the moment in which three elders of the municipality whose lives have been dedicated to fishing were recognized and rewarded. They, Sebastián Llovell Chano and José Ortega, at sea . She, Maria Isabel Ruiz Mariquita with the basket on her lap shouting through the streets.
It is very pleasant to walk through this city of impressive architecture and friendly people, cross its bridges, and wander through streets full of life and contrasts.
The restaurant stalls took pains to create the most exquisite tuna tapa in his eagerness to give everything in the tapas contest . It was difficult for the jury to decide between tuna cooked in different and delicious ways, smoked, with avocado, with touches of spices.
The winner was Jackfruit that with his tuna in red fruit vinaigrette on a bed of parmentier potatoes, cauliflower and wasabi, she took the well deserved laurels.
On Sunday, August 4, the final day of the fair, Rosalía Díaz Cieza, owner and chef of the QapaQ restaurant and the renowned chef Erlantz Gorostiza of the M.B restaurant, two Michelin stars , at the Ritz-Carlton Abama in Tenerife.
Erlantz, after delighting those present with a Red tuna tartare showcooking , became part of the jury that also enjoyed the excellence of Juan Santiago (chef of Hestia) Ángel Palacios, disciple of Martín Berasategui and current chef of The Bar and The Brasserie and gastronomic press of category, willing to evaluate the Best Tuna Plate of Gran Canaria in the contest sponsored by GM Food Canarias.
The award went to Joel Trujillo from the ** Summun restaurant for his cured tuna with algae caviar**, pickled ginger and cucumber air and pickled carrot puree, although they did not leave indifferent the tie of the second winners **Abraham Ortega (restaurant El Santo) ** which presented Canarian tuna with beurre blanc and shots of peas and crispy truffles and Antonio Pérez de los Cobos Suárez with tuna ravioli stuffed with tuna bolognese with tacos from the heart in tuna broth with ginger, lemon and tea green.
TUNA BEYOND THE FAIR
Not only at the fair can you try seafood delicacies. Khun Gran Bahia Asian Restaurant is an inescapable.
Under an oriental movie decor, its executive chef Davidoff Lugo prepares a Sea Menu where the traditional island flavors with asian cuisine , see the scallop oniguiri with red mojo, the octopus with goat butter béarnaise, green curry and ito togarashi or the rockfish uzukurri with Peruvian dressing and creamy avocado, among others….
LIFE IN PUERTO DE MOGÁN
The fishing boats sail from the port of Arguineguin where the mural painting of the hangars representing the Virgen de las Nieves embarked, seems to protect them before entering the sea. They also leave from the port of Mogán, which is not only for fishing, since Mogán is considered ideal for nautical activities.
The alleys of white houses framed in bright colors
In the ports of the Municipality of Mogán (Arquineguín, Puerto Rico and Mogán), traditional and sport fishing coexist harmoniously. But going back to Puerto de Mogan , it should be noted that it is one of the obligatory and most touristic points of the island . Its alleys of white houses framed in bright colors, and adorned with bougainvillea, are a enjoyment for the view and for shopping Well, El Puerto is dotted with artisan shops.
A magnificent way to live the quiet life of the port is to hire a boat with the catering of Casa Enrique Restaurant , where its owner, Alejandro Álamo, cooks the bonito moganero al mojo on board, while her wife, María José, attends to her guests, offering them the local craft beers , Jaira la Chiflada del Trigo, the semi-sweet Eidan white wine from Bodega Ventura, or the strong and addictive wine from Gran Canaria that is reflected in the red wine from La Higuera Mayor, D.O.
As an appetizer, some wrinkled potatoes with egg yolk, a name that gives them the yellow color of their meat, very tasty when soaked with the substantial green or red wet picón that María José makes, tuna dumplings, tuna ceviche with mango , Canarian cheeses, olives and avocados from the chef's garden.
Lonely beaches and arid mountains they are the choreography of the conversation that revolves around legends, anecdotes and stories of shearwaters, the native seagull that keeps you awake with its nocturnal squawks. For dessert, a sweet and juicy Canarian mango.
Mogan (Gran Canaria)