A Sunny Sunday in Madrid

Breakfast at an authentic chocolateria, strolling past the stalls of one of Europe's oldest original flea markets, lunch in a restaurant dating back to 1725, and tracing the footsteps of Spanish monarchs in what today is one of Madrid's most popular parks. Faces raised to the sun, it is a sunny Sunday in Madrid, and my last day here.

San Gines' chocolate and churros

A classic, we start the day with thick, slightly bitter chocolate and a portion of churros at San Gines, Madrid's oldest chocolateria. Founded in 1890, San Gines today is just as much a tourist haunt, as it is a local favorite. San Gines is open 24 hours, which makes it extra popular with the night owls stopping here before going home.

From San Gines it is a short hop to the Royal Palace. The road used to run just in front of the palace, but it is now all pedestrian. The Royal Palace is Madrid's most imposing building, and on my list to visit while in Madrid. But on this splendid day (and with a head a little heavy from the late night before), we walk past the palace to the Sabatini Gardens with a view of the palace instead.

It feels sublime: sitting on the bench in this beautiful park with its fountains and sculptures, watching people nodding off, their newspapers crumpled. No rest for the wicked though, and I am ushered to El Rastro, one of Europe's oldest (and largest) original flea markets. En route, we stop for a quick drink on a terrace with a view extending far across Madrid's humongous central park: Casa de Campo. It looks like forested plains, and I can't believe it is actually in the heart of Madrid.

El Rastro stretches along the cobbled streets of Madrid's Barrio Embajadores, a historical central district. The main drag of El Rastro feels rather touristy, with stalls selling items found at any odd market elsewhere. Still, there are plenty "authentic" stalls run by artists, collectors, craftsmen, and designers alike. For even more unusual brocante, you'll have to come early and dive into all the side streets branching off the main drag. We arrive quite late, and find it hard to navigate through the throngs of people. The atmosphere is lively, buzzing, and entertaining. The latter not least because of the many street bands and performers.

My hooves are burning, and not just from this sunny Sunday morning. It has been a full four days of walking, watching, absorbing, loving, and eating up Madrid. It's also been a while since the churros, and lunch is at least another hour away. In local late-lunch fashion, we booked a table for 3pm. The Mercado de San Miguel is on our way, and we pop in for a pre-lunch vermut and a tasting of butifarra (sausages). Vermouth (a fortified, aromatised wine) is a popular aperatif, and in Madrid often available on-tap. It wasn't the first one that day, nor would it be the last.

Claimed to be the world's oldest restaurant, Restaurante Botin was established in 1725. To this day Botin holds a steady reputation for perfect asados, most notably their cochinillo asado: roasted suckling pig. It is the all-round order at our table. Beautiful tender and tasty meat, with a perfect crackling: thin, full of flavor and crunchingly crisp. Talk about the best Sunday roast!

Botin has several classics on its menu, one of which is Angulas. Prized (and at 100 euro per order also very pricy) tiny little eel from the Basque region. They look like grayish thin pasta strands.

Not in the mood for seafood (for a change), another classic on the menu beckons: Morcilla de Burgos, said to be Spain's most delicious blood sausage. Made with rice, onions, garlic, spice, and a good pinch of cumin, it reminds me of a fine New Orleans boudin.

crunchy, delicious morsels of Morcilla de Burgos. The vague shapes in the front are setas: Spanish wild mushrooms. The drink, yes, a vermut rojo with ice and lemon

It is past five when we finish lunch, and we rush through a hectic Madrid to the park "behind the Prado". Buen Retiro Park, or El Retiro, is a magnificent park, huge with wide lanes, sculptures, gardens, playgrounds, fields, a lake with rowing boats and inviting spots to sit and relax. It is what its name stands for: a park for a pleasant retreat. El Retiro dates back to the 1500s, and many a royal footprint (in more than one sense) was left in this park throughout the centuries. On this sunny Sunday, it is full of people. Rowing on the lake, snoozing on a picnic blanket, strolling past monuments and sculptures, buying an ice cream, watching the many street acts. We watch a street act stroller with a makeshift baby, its head the painted face of a street actor seeking interaction with his audience. Slightly disturbing, we laugh. We sit on the railing along the boating lake, relaxed in the late afternoon sun.

But not for long. To the airport I must. I am on a night flight back to Dubai. Never did I sleep better on a plane. But then, never did I have such a gloriously full and sunny Sunday in Madrid.

ps. thank you Carina, Paul, Peter, and Marta. Great company! Thank you Raymond and Mees for a fabulous trip...

These here are "gulas", reconstituted fish to make it look like Angulas (he prized tiny eel from the Basque region). "Gulas" is a gastronomic enigma to me: why would you imitate something that obviously isn't in it for its looks? At any rate: Restaurant Botin has the real thing on its menu (and that is NOT what you see in this picture).

Chocolateria San Gines, Pasadizo de San Gines 5, Madrid Spain (website) Note that while the English version says "open 24 hours", in the Spanish version they're open"from 9am to dawn".

Botin Restaurant, Calle de Cuchilleros 17, Madrid (website)

El Rastro takes place every Sunday morning until about 2pm. A close-by metro station is La Latina (more information)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOME OTHER PICKINGS:

Dantxari (website)
A traditional Basque restaurant complete with chequered table cloths and black-suited waiters. The menu offers authentic Basque cuisine, and much to my delight had a dish on it that I'd been dreaming about before even departing for Madrid: Txangurro. It is stuffed spider crab, and oh so delicious! This Txangurro, a goat cheese, tomato jam and onion salad, Bacalao Pil-Pil, Croquetas de Bacalao, and a bottle of crisp, fruity Albarino was all happiness at the table.

Sergi Arola Gastro - modern cuisine/two Michelin star. A separate post will follow

El Boqueron (in a previous post: From Rias Baixas to El Boqueron)

Mercado San Miguel (website)
Located around the corner from Plaza Major, Mercado de San Miguel is a market where you leave your shopping bag at home, and bring a large appetite instead. It is a mouthwatering gourmet food court, from paella to pastries, sausages to seafood, wines, hams, bacalao, pastas, fruits and vegetables even. You stand at a bar, one of the long tables, or manage to find yourself a stool to sit on, and "eat around".

Mercado de San Anton (website)
In many ways similar to Mercado de San Miguel, at Mercado de San Anton you bring both: a shopping bag and and a large appetite. I would LOVE to cook with the fresh produce, the beautiful meats, and above all: the seafood I see. But not in Madrid to cook, I settle (no hardship) for the foods prepared on the floor up in this square, open plan market. Upstairs, high tables along the railing look down on this market, and it is an extra tantalising treat as you sip a wine and nibble on your order of seafood, pinchos, boccadillos, grilled meats - all fresh and prepared to order. Another floor up, there is a rooftop terrace, a large wine bar and more eateries.

Meson de la Guitarra
For tapas and drinks, this is one of Madrid's "cave bars", literally housed in a cave: vaulted ceilings, no windows, narrow tables and small chairs. There are several around the area close to Plaza Major. The night we went to Meson de La Guitarra, a music duo from Sevilla performed live on guitar, singing those melancholic Flamenco songs. We shared a plate of pimientos de padron (mild, green small peppers, pan-grilled and tossed with coarse salt - great with a jarra de sangria, even if a jug is rather a lot for two...).

Cardamomo (website)
Cardamomo is an intimate Tablao Flamenco, a place for flamenco. Bistro tables and chairs are all centered toward the small stage where flamenco dancers and musicians visibly lose themselves in a whirlwind of dance, song, guitar, and cajon (drum). The passion, the expressions, the rhythm - I was captivated, and would have gone again, had not time run out. I didn't eat here, but they have a tapas menu, and I believe a set dinner as well.

Some excellent recommendations came from A Taste of Spain: a boutique travel group of culinary experts with a passion for slow gastronomy (http://www.atasteofspain.com) 

From Rias Baixas to El Boqueron

blistering barnacles

On the southern coast of Galicia, itself the verdant green province in the northwest of Spain, you will find the Rias Baixas. Literally the "lower estuaries", Rias Baixas is part of the Costa do Mariscos: the Shellfish Coast. It is a name that reflects the abundance of shellfish found in the coastal waters of Galicia. More inland, the Rias Baixas (pronounced something like ree-us buy-shus) is home to a white grape varietal that is used to produce the region's increasingly famous Albariño. Often likened to a riesling, these comparisons have inspired tales that the grape was introduced to the region by pilgrims "from the north" visiting the holy city of Santiago de Compostella. You will find excellent information about Alberino and its many Denominations of Origin on Rias Baixas Wines.

Albariño and Mariscos
Crispy, (stone) fruity Albariño is a perfect match for the briny flavors of fresh seafood, as I am to discover another 500 kilometers or so further inland. I am in Madrid, and Galician seafood is found in every other tapas bar, food market and restaurant. Invariable there will be a selection of Albariños to accompany your plate of superb shellfish. And not only in a wine glass: try clams steamed with a splash of Albariño.

Blistering Barnacles
A short stroll from the Reina Sofia museum is the tiny and colorfully-tiled El Boqueron, a small bar serving Galician seafood (and then some). El Boqueron has been around for ages, and always popular with local Madrileños. I listen to my (Spanish) friend sharing childhood memories of eating seafood in El Boqueron when she lived in Madrid. On a busy day, the floor would literally be lined with (prawn) shells, she tells me. The atmosphere she describes seems very much the same today. I watch the two men behind the bar ever so calmly deliver order after order of super fresh mariscos. I look at the menu board on the wall. "What do you fancy?" she asks me. "Everything!" is my seafood-hungry response.

I don't order it all, of course. Spending four days in Madrid offers plenty opportunity to stop at other seafood bars and food markets for all the clams, cockles, winkles and other sea creatures I fancy. But it is at El Boqueron that I for the first time try percebes. Unsightly little creatures, percebes are goose barnacles, a crustacean that is extremely difficult to harvest, and they don't come cheap. To eat the quick-boiled barnacle, you grab it by the hard-shelled white spiky top, bite open the softer brownish-orange part and suck out the soft, delicate and naturally flavorful flesh inside. We share plates of steamed berberechos (small cockles), delicious crabs, grilled gambas, freshly shucked flat round Napoleon oysters, almejas on the half shell, and cigalas: beautiful pink-orange langoustines, butterflied and grilled, their flesh is juicy, tender and sweet. It tastes so good, you really want to make sure you suck all the juices from the head as well.

starting off with a glass of vermut rojo (which El Boqueron has on tap), green olives, and boquerones en vinagre

berberechos steamed with a splash of Albarino

what's in a name
In English boquerones are smelt (I agree, it doesn't have the same gastronomic ring to it). At El Boqueron they serve these little fish en vinagre  as a welcome tapas with green olives. Incidentally, smelt translates in Dutch as.... SPIERING! No wonder I felt so much at home in El Boqueron, home of the Spiering!

El Boqueron is located on Calle de Valencia 14, Madrid

Have you heard of A Taste of Spain (http://www.atasteofspain.com)? A Taste of Spain is a boutique travel agency that stands for professional culinary expertise with a focus on artisan and slow food. Their offer of culinary trips is mouthwatering, and come highly recommended.

cooked percebes go for a whopping 220 euro per kilo at the popular Mercado de San Miguel

Much more on Madrid to come. Stay tuned!

Beef Masterclass at Gaucho

"Can you bring me a cow?"

We're in the kitchen of Gaucho Dubai, in the heart of Dubai's International Financial Center, or DIFC. It's an area rich in contemporary restaurants, art galleries and urban architecture. In Gaucho's kitchen, preparations for the popular business lunch are in full swing, but one station has been set up for a beef masterclass.

The volunteering chef bends over with a grin on his face, as London-based executive chef Michael Reid - in Dubai for a week - places his hands on the guy's back, about to explain the location of various beef cuts, from ribeye to rump. The meat masterclass is in progress.

Seven Cuts of Steak
All beef served at Gaucho comes from Angus, Hereford, or Shorthorn cattle raised on the grasslands of Argentina: the pampas, where cattle not only finds a varied grass diet, but also plenty exercise. Seven cuts of beef are used in the Gaucho kitchens: Lomo (fillet), Chorizo (sirloin), Ancho (ribeye), and Cuadril (rumpsteak). In addition, Gaucho uses Entrana (thin skirt), Vacio (flank steak) and Picanha (top rump). We get to unwrap, clean and divide the lomo and the ancho. I'll take you through it.

Lomo 
The Lomo is the fillet or the tenderloin. The tenderloin is not a weight-bearing muscle: it does very little work, which makes it a very tender piece of meat. Quite the opposite, all fat and sinew (connective tissue) around the tenderloin are hard and tough, and will not cook away.

lomo ready to be unwrapped, trimmed and cut. The onion, red pepper, parsley and condiments are for the chimichurri, a tangy Argentinian sauce great with grilled meat

The lomo we unwrap is already trimmed of most of its hard fat, sinew and its "chain"*. It just needs a final trim. A cleaned, deep red meaty tenderloin ready on the cutting board, Chef Mike shows us how to cut the lomo into different steaks:

From the fillet "head", chef cuts the lomo churrasco. The churrasco is a spiral cut which will be marinated for up to 48 hours, grilled and sliced to serve 1 or 2 (depending on the carnivorous appetite). From thickest to smallest part, the lomo is next divided into:

• chateaubriand (averaging 400 gr, a chateaubriand is grilled whole, rested and sliced to serve two)
• Bife de Lomo (fillet steak or tournedos)
• Medallions (if cut as one steak, this would be the filet mignon)

tenderloin tail folded to form a steak

As for the tail end of the tenderloin, the tip that is so uneven in thickness: the chef scores it in three places, just deep enough to fold and form one full-sized steak. Now, you can cook this uneven piece of meat evenly!

One thing the chef stresses throughout the masterclass: handle the meat gently. Don't turn it over and over, touch it as little as you can. Every touch and turn means you're bruising the meat.

*the chain is the meaty "string" of connective tissue. Usually, your tenderloin is already trimmed of it. When it isn't, don't throw it away. It may be a lot of work to clean the beef chain of all sinew and hard fat, but it's tasty meat and makes for great fajita steak, for instance!

notice how the chef holds the knife blade between thumb and index finger, balancing the handle with remaining three fingers? It allows him better control over the blade as it cuts through the meat

Ancho
The Ancho is the ribeye. Nestled in the upper rib cage, the ribeye is marbled with good fat. It's called the "meat lovers' steak": a juicy steak with lots of flavor.

From the ancho, chef cuts a thick-cut ribeye steak. He then proceeds (he is showing us some great knife work) to cut a tira de ancho, or a "belt" of ribeye steak. It is grilled slowly and brushed with chimichurri towards the end. Same style but smaller is the tapa de ancho: the top of the ribeye.

the Gaucho grill with V-bars at a slight angle, so meat doesn't steam or stew in its own juices

And now, it is time to light the grill! Grilling a good steak is all about timing: when to season your steak, when to turn it, when to take it off, and how long to rest it.

In general terms, a marbled steak will need slow grilling. Fat takes long to cook, and undercooked fat is NOT pleasant. Tenderloin, on the other hand, wants its natural velvety tenderness preserved: the longer a tenderloin cooks, the grainier (drier) it becomes. All grilled meat needs proper resting before serving.

no fingers poking in food in
chef Mike's kitchen:
tasting spoon ready
(he has one in his back pocket too)!

Here is how Gaucho grills its ancho cuts:

• the steak is placed unseasoned on the grill, presentation side down.
• a generous amount (I'm talking heaps) of coarse salt is sprinkled all over, and left to cook on the meat
• the meat is turned only when it comes away from the grill bars without tearing. 
• also note: the meat is turned only once, cooking time divided roughly into 70% first, 30% after turning
• when it is turned over, most salt will fall off, having seasoned the beef as it slowly cooked on the grill
• experience will tell if the meat is done to your liking. Otherwise, use a meat thermometer. Chef doesn't like fingers poking in food to check for doneness but it is a good indicator: doneness ranges from much resistance (well-done) to little resistance (rare). 

a knockout side: twice cooked sweet potato steak fries. Drizzled with honey, lemon confit and capers

Black quinoa tamales: the black quinoa is prepared like a risotto and bursting with flavor. 

Back to the roots
Gauchos Grill Restaurant originated in the Netherlands in 1976. The first restaurant was called Los Gauchos Argentinian Grill Restaurant and was opened in Amsterdam. The concept proved a success and soon after more Gauchos Grill Restaurants opened throughout the Netherlands, before making the jump to the UK. To finance the expansion, Gauchos was listed on the London Stock Exchange for a brief period of time. Soon after, Gauchos split into the Dutch Gauchos Grill and UK Gaucho. 

The menu
The Gaucho menu offers flavors of South America. Group Executive Chef Michael Reid was telling us that Gaucho UK now is adopting a seasonal menu, and the Dubai restaurant will follow suit. Question then, which season will that be for Gaucho Dubai? Europe or South America? Gaucho Menu here

Final remark: cooking, or in this case eating without waste

A grilled steak is gorgeous (to a meat lover, of course). However, portions in many a steakhouse are often absurdly huge. I've said it in previous posts, and I will say it again: abundance is only great if nothing is wasted. One way to be (meat) prudent: don't order or buy more than you can chew! By the way, at Gaucho beef scraps -perfectly good meat that is cut away when meat is trimmed of sinew and hard fat - are used to make burgers. As Chef Mike put it: "this is expensive meat, and you do not want to waste a scrap of it." 

ps. I was invited for this meat masterclass, courtesy of Gaucho Dubai. For more information on Gaucho Dubai's (Beef) Masterclass (as well as an interesting range of wine masterclasses): here

How do YOU like your steak?

G is for.... GOURMET!

What do heirloom beets, Balqees honey and artisan goat cheese have in common? They found their way into my shopping basket at Lafayette Gourmet. My favorite gourmet shop in Dubai* ran a 5-day food festival, with tastings galore. In this post, I focus on some of the things I got to cook a fine dinner at home.

Heirloom beets
I think my eyes dropped out of their sockets when I saw the selection of beets alone. Beautiful heirloom beets including the tapered Crapaudine beets and "marbled red" Bassano beets. And oh, there were golden beets. The section actually held a lot more fine food surprises: edible flowers, fresh horseradish root, watermelon radish, fresh laurel leaves on the branch, smoked garlic, and that gorgeous tuber with a texture of water chestnut and a taste of artichoke: jerusalem artichokes (also called sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple or topinambour).

The section is supplied by Lootah Premium Foods who import directly from Rungis, the world's largest wholesale market located close to Paris. Rungis is actually more like a town than a market, with exits to "viande" (meat), "poisson" (fish), "legumes" (vegetables), "fruits" (fruits), well, you get the idea. I visited years ago and my mind still boggles over the staggering supply of foods and produce from all over France and far beyond, not to mention the dizzying whirlwind of activity at this ginormous "market".

From the Premium Foods section I got some beets, including yellow beetroot, a bunch of fresh laurel leaves, and a bag of jerusalem artichokes.

Balquees Honey
There is a row of ten or so big round glass bowls filled with the viscous nectar of flowers and herbs growing in remote regions of Yemen. Dark to light hues of amber, these beautiful bowls contain Yemeni raw honey, brought to the UAE by Balqees. Their "liquid gold" ranges from the priced and unique Sidr honey to infusions with saffron, nigella seeds, or cinnamon and sesame seeds.

I am taken on a tasting by the very "honey man" himself: Riath Hamed is founder and owner of Balqees. Yemeni raw honey is thick and lush like caramel. It is a honey to savour on your palate before allowing it to slide down slowly. The taste is simply stunning, its texture almost chewy like a delicate toffee, and each and every Balqees honey is rich with layers of flavor. It comes at a price, for sure, but a price well worth it.

Loving them all, I ultimately decided on a jar of wildflower honey. Even if the saffron infused honey was tempting my tastebuds to take it home and spoon it over a grilled lobster tail. I might do that soon, in fact.

Al Fumo, a traditional and artisan smokehouse located in Dubai sells its smoked Atlantic salmon at Lafayette Gourmet.

The entire floor of Lafayette Gourmet is dedicated to fine food. There are cooking stations and deli counters, including a tapas bar, and seating areas for coffee, lunch or dinner. All in addition to the various fresh food sections for cheese, meat, fish, produce, pastries, breads, and more.

Unifrutti the Green League has a stand packed with organic fruits and vegetables from across the world. I took home some apples, kiwi, and banana for a fruit salad (which I spiked with a dash of my homemade limoncello).

The butcher has free-range grass fed beef from Alberta, as well as milk fed veal from Quebec. No piles of pre-cut and pre-packed meats here. There is only a small selection on display with a butcher present to help you get your order. From this butcher, I got two beautiful pale pink veal chops.

The cheese section has over 240 different cheeses available, from either cow, goat, or ewe milk. Dictated by the wildflower honey, I was after a single cheese this time, a creamy goat cheese. The choice fell on Clacbitou, a cylindrical raw milk artisan goat cheese from Burgundy. It is a soft and creamy handmade cheese with a natural rind and noble (= edible) mould.

With ingredients like this, cooking a gourmet dinner has never been easier. I use the combination of Clacbitou and Balqees twice, and I tell you: I could have had it for every course!

My Menu

salad of roasted beets, crumbled clacbitou and balqees wildflower honey

grilled veal chops, laurel-infused cream sauce, topinambour mash and sauteed organic spinach**  

clacbitou goat cheese, raw yemeni wildflower honey, walnut & raisin toast

unifrutti fruit salad (spiked with limoncello)

Beetroot, Goat Cheese, and Honey Salad

• the beets are roasted whole and unpeeled for about 45 minutes in a hot oven (200C)
• leave to cool completely before peeling, then slice thin (use a mandolin or slicer)
• toss the sliced beet with a little good quality olive oil and a squirt of fresh lemon juice (if you are using different colored beets, do not mix until on the plate: the colors will run)
• arrange on a plate, add a gentle sprinkling of salt flakes, crumble the goat cheese all over, and finish with a drizzle of the honey. Now, raw honey has a much thicker consistency. Drizzling may not be so easy, but be patient. Alternatively, scoop it on a spoon and hold the spoon over the steam of boiling water. It heats up the honey gently (without destroying the precious enzymes) and makes it easier to drizzle. 

Fresh Laurel 

Fresh laurel has a refreshing herbal zing and is gentler, milder than dried laurel (bay) leaf. Here are some of the things I did or will do with the fresh laurel I got on a bunch:

• laurel-infused cream sauce: simmer a fresh laurel leaf briefly in 250 ml cream (as it reduces, the cream thickens and takes up the laurel flavor. Add the roasting juices of the veal after resting, season to taste, and your sauce is done! 
• fresh laurel and lemon polenta: it is great with grilled lamb chops
• add a tiny fresh laurel leave to organic carrots as they caramelized in a little butter and Balqees wildflower honey
• skewer pieces of chicken and halloumi with fresh laurel to make kebabs for the BBQ. 
• the fresh leaves came attached to woody twigs. I am drying those at the moment to see what I can do with them. The wood smells fragrant: maybe we can chip it once dried and use it as smoke chips. Any ideas anybody?

Le Topinambour

I do know that more commonly in English this root vegetable is called sunchoke or Jerusalem artichoke, but I like topinambour. It reminds me of the very first time I had them in a tiny bistro in Paris, years and years ago. Surprised at the taste of artichoke in the creamy mash, I found out later it was a root vegetable called topinambour (in French). Topinambour has a nutty taste hinting of artichoke. It is also great raw: it has a delicious crunchy texture similar to water chestnut.

Piemontese topinambur at the Salone del Gusto: sliced raw to dip in Bagna Cauda. Life is good in the food lane.

Peel this root vegetable as you would potatoes. Wash them, cover with slightly salted water and bring to a boil. Yes very similar to cooking potatoes: drain them when soft, add a little lump of butter and a splash of cream, mash as fine or coarse as you like, season to taste, et voila: topinambour mash. I add very little other than salt, as I adore the pure taste of the topinambour.

The veal chops I pan-grilled and reserved the juices (that come out after you properly rest meat before serving). Added to the thickened cream infused with fresh laurel, it is the easiest cream sauce to make. I love spinach sauteed quickly with a little crushed garlic and salt flakes.

cheese dessert: soft and creamy artisan goat cheese from Burgundy with raw wildflower honey from Yemen and walnut and raisin toast

Visit Balqees website for detailed information on their honey, including nutritional value of raw honey

Lafayette Gourmet Catering offers some stunning food, see a previous post here

*Markets & Platters in the Dubai Marina area is another favorite gourmet shop, particularly for fresh seafood including a wide variety of shellfish such as oysters, periwinkles, and clams 

** if you wonder why the organic spinach was not on the "shopping list": I already had it (it was in my Greenheart UAE local veggie box, website here). The carrots mentioned under "fresh laurel" also came from this box, but I did spot some fine looking carrots at Unifrutti as well as beautiful long, thin yellow carrots at the Lootah Premium Foods stand.

The Nordic Food Lab

Last October, I attended a taste workshop by the Nordic Food Lab at Slow Food's Salone del Gusto. The Nordic Food Lab is the research lab associated with Copenhagen's top-ranked Noma restaurant. Noma was the number one on the list of the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants but this year had to make way for El Celler de Can Roca. The new number one restaurant resides just a little further south from where El Bulli held that number one position for years on end. 

Have you seen the documentary El Bulli Cooking in Progress? It is a documentary about Ferran Adria and his dedication to gastronomic research: the film starts as the restaurant prepares to close for the season. All kitchen stuff is packed up and moved to the lab in Barcelona, where they spend the next six months doing research. This is how El Bulli operated for years until it closed its doors for good, two years ago in July. Ferran Adria since focused to establish the El Bulli Foundation: a six-million euro project to preserve and built on the legacy of El Bulli. A center for culinary creativity dedicated to the innovation of gastronomy, it is set to open in 2014.
North to the lands of long dark winters and midnight summer sun, the Nordic Food Lab has its focus on the Nordic region.

Established in 2008 by Noma's head chef Rene Redzepi and gastronomic entrepeneur Claus Meyer, the Nordic Food Lab was set up to explore "the building blocks of Nordic cuisine". In pursuit of new flavors and textures, Redzepi calls it the science of deliciousness. In a nutshell, all things brewing at the Nordic Food Lab are aimed to innovate Nordic cuisine while building on what their regional nature has to offer. The lab operates from a houseboat in the Copenhagen harbor.  

Noma (from the book): a New Nordic Cuisine

"Salt, fat and sweet. Those are the tastes ingrained on the Nordic food palate. From birth! We try to innovate on that, add to the traditional flavor spectrum towards a new Nordic cuisine." Speaking is Michael Bom Frøst. He is the director of the Nordic Food Lab. Together with Ben Reade, head of culinary research, he has come to Slow Food's Salone del Gusto to present the Nordic Food Lab in a taste workshop. 

at the Nordic Salone del Gusto 2012 stands: herring in brine, and stockfish (salted, dried cod)

What are some of those "building blocks of Nordic cuisine"? A classic to preserve fish is to bury it in the sand above the high tide level; gutted, covered and weighed down with stones and rocks, time and pressure drain the fluids from the fish as it rots in the sand. Gravlax (literally grave salmon: buried salmon) used to be made like this, but the modern version is cured under salt and herbs. There is Rakfisk (Norwegian dish of fermented trout or char), Surströmming (a Swedish dish of fermented Baltic herring), Hákarl (Greenland's putrefied shark). And Lutefisk: salted, dried whitefish that is soaked in cold water and lye (to which it owes its name: lye fish). Meats are traditionally cured, smoked, or preserved in fermented whey. Sounds good? How about brunost? It is a brown, fatty cheese made from boiled, caramelized goat's milk whey. Earlier this year, a truck-load of brunost exploded in a tunnel, causing a fire that raged for 5 days: the fat content in the cheese is that high!

Nordic cuisine at first glance is not for the weak, it seems. Strong, pungent flavors and smells, brought on by fermenting, brining, smoking and even rotting... am I ready to taste the results of lab investigations based on these "building blocks of Nordic cuisine"?

At the workshop we find plates with all sorts of bags, pipettes, and vials. The sage-green powder is samphire. It tastes grassy, almost like a salty green tea. The sachet with dried leaves that smells vaguely of vanilla is mellilotis, or sweet clover. It contains high levels of coumarin, a fragrant, but toxic chemical compound. If not dried properly before use, it can cause internal hemorrhaging. Otherwise, a lovely aromatic herb! There is a slice of hefty solid sourdough whole grain rye bread with artisan butter that is creamy and acidic as sour cream. The pipette holds a quince vinegar. It is richly refreshing with a fruity acidity. 

The dried, fermented and incredibly potent kelp crisps in the little plastic cup are almost like salt flakes. A result of the lab's "algal cuisine", the kelp crisps are part of the search for Nordic umami. 
Fermented pulses come in various forms. There is a bowl of caramel-brown, soft and tender barley. Through a fermentation process, the barley developed a flavor heading towards dried raisins with a definite saltiness to them. 

And then there is peaso. Savory and appetizing, peaso is miso made of peas, and is another "new Nordic source of umami".
It brings me to a discussion I remember from watching an interview with Rene Redzepi by HardTalk's Stephen Sackur. Redzepi hands Sackur "a grain mould inoculation that has been fermenting to create a liquid". The grains used are dried, local yellow peas. It tastes just like Japanese soy sauce, and Sackur remarks: "a cynic would say: why not just go to the supermarket and buy a bottle of Japanese soy sauce?" The answer, in short, is: because it is a new product, and it is made with what was found in their own region.

In fact, building a "database" of wild plants and herbs, roots and barks, mushrooms, seaweeds, and other materials found in Nordic nature is part of the "gastronomic mission" of the Nordic Food Lab. Ben Reade (head of culinary research) gets even more enthusiastic as he paints a picture of himself bearing wind or rain, in search of new "raw materials". On one of these "hunts", clouds gather for a big thunderstorm. He hides under the trees and sees how lightening strikes in a spruce tree close to him, and the resin is oozing out. He collects it straight away, and calls it "struck-by-lightening spruce resin". We taste it in combination with an iced sheep's yogurt. When asked about the culinary impact of lightening on the resin, he admits it is poetic only. 

At the workshop, they save the best for last (a matter of opinion, as it turns out). It is a vial with a liquid that is salty and pungent like an Asian fish sauce. Only, it isn't fish. 

The vial is filled with a "fish sauce" made of.... grasshopper. 

It is part of yet another direction taken by the Nordic Food Lab: to explore the edibility of what is seemingly inedible. Such as insects.

In the hands of Rene Redzepi in Noma's restaurant kitchen, the final products developed in the food lab are transformed into stunning pieces of culinary art, bringing out their ultimate deliciousness. New Nordic cuisine comes full circle. 

Noma (from the book): Nordic nature explored to create deliciousness

Some links:

Musings on Molecular Gastronomy: http://www.lifeinthefoodlane.com/2012/06/musings-on-molecular-gastronomy.html

The Nordic Food Lab Research Blog: http://nordicfoodlab.org/research/

Salone del Gusto/Terra Madre 2012: http://salonedelgustoterramadre.slowfood.com/

The Slow Lobster

In the winter of 1953, spring tide and a storm surge caused by winds of hurricane force 10 swept the North Sea water high and powerful all across the low-lying lands of coastal Netherlands. It was a horrific flooding disaster claiming the lives of 1836 people. Over 100,000 people lost their homes and possessions, and a staggering number of livestock was lost. Once the water receded, fear remained: how can we prevent it from happening again.

The Netherlands are lowlands. The correct percentage varies, but anywhere between 20-55% of the country is below sea level. Only marginally protected by natural dunes and man-made dikes, the country has always been vulnerable to flooding. As tragic as the 1953 disaster was, a positive thing came from it: in the fight against water, a plan was designed that became known as The Delta Works. The Delta Works is a complex coastal engineering project of strategically placed dams, sluices, dikes, flood gates, and storm surge barriers.

Storm Surge Barrier and National Park
The Eastern Scheldt (Oosterschelde) is an estuary in the south-west province of Zeeland. In 1953, it was one of the areas most badly affected. Closing off the estuary by way of a dam or barrier would protect the land from the sea. Rich in marine life, the Eastern Scheldt is also home to the country's main mussel and oyster beds. A closed dam or barrier would have devastating consequences for marine life.

It took years of protest and discussion, but finally the decision was a storm surge barrier that remains open to allow for tidal flow, yet can be closed off in the event of a storm surge. The Oosterscheldekering or Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier was opened in 1986. Two dams built earlier nearer the mouth of the river Scheldt considerably reduced the freshwater influx, and the estuary is now predominantly seawater. The Eastern Scheldt today has abundant sea life, including seals and porpoises. Its mud flats and salt marshes offer a wealth of edible sea plants and shell fish, including oysters, cockles, periwinkles and razor clams. Large parts of the coastal plains were "returned to nature" and birds abound.

The Eastern Scheldt was declared a National Park in 2002.

Eastern Scheldt Lobster: A Slow Food Presidium
One marine creature that flourished since the completion of the Delta Works in its region, is the Eastern Scheldt Lobster.

The Eastern Scheldt lobster belongs to the homarus gammarus, the common or European lobster. It is a blackish-blue clawed lobster that turns bright red when cooked. First spotted some 130 years ago on a mudflat in the Eastern Scheldt, it had to fight all odds to survive. High influx of freshwater coming in from the Scheldt river, dramatic overfishing, and harsh winters nearly killed off the lobster in the Eastern Scheldt. The survivors developed a slightly different DNA, and the Eastern Scheldt lobster evolved into a unique species.

Slow to reproduce, the lobster is protected by low impact fishing regulations. Only lobsters of at least 24 centimeters (indicating a reproductive age) are allowed to be caught. Smaller lobsters and females with eggs must be released back into the water. Another protective measure is the very short lobster season. It runs strictly from the 28th of March to the 15th of July. And only professional fishermen with a permit are allowed to catch the lobster. With its unique features and the sustainable fishing regulations, the Eastern Scheldt lobster is a Slow Food Presidium.


Sustainable Seafood Restaurant
I visited the Eastern Scheldt early April, mere days after the official start of the Eastern Scheldt lobster season. Alas, winter had decided to show its freezing face just one more time, and the lobster refused to come out of hibernation in the estuary's deep, sheltered rocky holes. Nature rules, and tasting would have to wait. I will try again before the season closes mid July.

One of the restaurants I booked had drawn my attention for more than "just" its lobster menu. It was a restaurant dedicated to sustainable food, with a focus on local and organic. A side story: their seafood supplier is a fisherman who made headlines last year catching a 45-year-old lobster, entering it for charity auction. The 4.9 kg heavy lobster raised over 15,000 euros, fisherman Jumelet himself being the highest bidder. He released the lobster back into the waters where he found it, named and tagged so it would be left alone.

Restaurant De Vluchthaven was named after the little inlet it looks out on. A vluchthaven is a safe haven, an inlet or port to take shelter. The sun is out (but not the lobster: it really is winter cold) and the water is clear and calm. Everything here breathes fresh seafood, from the fishing vessels in the harbor to the hanging culture mussels in the little inlet.

view from restaurant De Vluchthaven

The Food Verdict
In restaurant De Vluchthaven, organic and sustainable translate into excellent food. It is honest, delicious, well-prepared beautiful food. It is a bright restaurant with a great seaside ambiance, weathered wood, large windows and an open terrace. The menu is kept small to allow for daily specials. The restaurant is open only six months of the year (end of March to end of October).

The chef's signature dish is a combination of various clams, each cooked in a special way. Cockles with chermoula, clams with tomatoes and basil, and razor clams lightly barbecued and served with a refreshing red shallot vinaigrette. Cleaned and prepared to perfection, that dish alone is worth coming back for. It is part of their Eastern Scheldt Lobster menu!

At our table also a beautiful bouillabaisse, rich with local fish and seafood. The rouille was homemade and tasting so authentic, that closing my eyes I believed I was in Marseille. A platter of oysters - including the prized local flat oyster - and the special of the day( (a big and beautiful local brill) completed something that was perfect from the start.

• The Eastern Scheldt Storm Surge Barrier is the largest of all 13 Delta Works. It stretches for 9 kilometers, crossing the former construction base and man-made island Neeltje Jans mid-way. Functioning also as a long bridge across the water, the barrier has huge sluice-gate doors that remain open to allow for tidal flow. In the event of a storm surge, the huge steel doors close to seal off the estuary from the open sea. Neeltje Jans now also houses the interactive Delta Works center, including an opportunity to enter the storm surge barrier for an up close and very personal experience: www.neeltjejans.nl/index.php/en/home
• Slow Food is a food organisation involved in safeguarding a sustainable food future. It has projects on many levels, both national (Italy) and international. Slow Food Presidia is aimed to defend (agro) biodiversity: it is a growing list (or catalogue if you will) of products around the globe that for a multitude of reasons need protecting. A previous post highlighting a Slow Food Presidium is Sarawak's Indigenous Food Treasures. Or check out my Slow Food page (here)
• During the short Eastern Scheldt lobster season, a selection of associated restaurants offer a unique prix fix lobster menu set at 59,50 EUR (map here/in Dutch) 
• De Vluchthaven (http://devluchthaven.nl/, website in Dutch only) is located in the small town of Bruinisse (map). A stone's throw away (relatively speaking) is Zeeland's unique winery De Kleine Schorre (translated: the little salt marsh). Grape varietals include pinot gris and pinot blanc.
• De Eastern Scheldt National Park is a beautiful holiday destination, with ample biking and hiking trails, beaches, nature walks and excursions, and numerous water sports, including sailing and diving. Make sure to visit its many historic towns and cities.

		Schiphol, The Netherlands
		1 hour 33 mins

Oosterschelde

135.3 km