Three hours on a pretty uneventful road is, well, pretty uneventful. With G In the drivers seat I had the chance to relax in the back and catch a few zeds. So what is the first thing you do when you arrive in a Spanish town, even before going to the beach house? You go to the supermarket and stock up on essential provisions. Cava, Rioja, Ribero del Duero, jamon Iberico, chorizo, pan y quesa were all hastily placed into the trolley. For me shopping for food in Spain, as I touched on earlier, is one of the joys of coming to this beautful country. So with provisions gathered we headed for the port of Burriana to meet K and MM at the house and have a glass or two of Campo Viejo Crianza.
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| Prawn carpaccio |
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| Violet water |
Dinner was booked for 9.30 at Pinnochios on Calle Escullera de Ponent. Styled as an Italian restaurant I would have said it was more of a local Valencian but may be totally wrong. Whatever it was it provided some wonderful flavour combinations that were new to me. The series of cold and hot starters included many local ingredients, just the way I love to eat. First up was a prawn carpaccio which was served with a wonderful little vol au vent of violet water. Who'd have thought Parma Violets and prawns would go so well together but the combination of fresh seafood, olive oil and the floral sweetness of the violet was really good. I'm definitely experimenting with violets this summer!! Next up was a foie salad with thinly sliced parfait (I think) alongside pan fried duck liver served on salad leaves with, of all things, strawberries. Well they are interchangeable on the flavour scale with tomatoes. Again the little pot of floral zing was there too like a 70s sweet shop throwback. Isn't it exciting when you discover something new, if this isn't new to you then I apologise for going on and smiling broadly!
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| Wonderful egg starters |
Two hot starters followed. Everyone knows that eggs and cured fish is a heavenly combination, and I've eaten a lot of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs in my time, but scrambled eggs with bacalao was a new on on me. Creamy eggs, salty fish. Simple, clean, perfect. The second one was local 'black pudding' with scrambled eggs and broad beans (one of J's devil foods before this meal!). Again delicious, creamy and salty with a strong hint of iron.
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| Sizzling steak on hot plate |
The main course arrived and there was a problem. It was steak with a warm ragu of mushrooms, onions and broad beans served on bread. This was accompanied by a hot stone for cooking the steak to your liking. The problem being that the first steak was cooked perfectly rare so there wasn't much fun to be had with the hot stone and doing the meat and heat thing caveman style. So we finished this first steak with little interaction with the hot stone for most of us and asked for a raw one to be served. With this the chef came out, I'm not sure if this was to view the slightly tipsy Scotsman who had asked for this (embarrassingly? not sure?) or just because it was nearing the end of the night. Anyway the raw steak was duly served with another hot plate and we had a bit of fun sizzling the delicious beef.
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| The six of us! |
The whole meal was accompanied by Chivite Gran Feudo Rosado 2010. I first tried this wine way back in 1997 when its empty bottle doubled up as a candle holder for this sophisticated new graduate. I loved it then and I love it now, for me it is always a stand out rosé and a wonderful example of why I think the Spanish make the best rosés. It has big strawberry flavours but lots of delicate acidity that make it a perfect partner to the oily foods of Spain as it cuts through the oiliness and marries to the bold flavours beautifully.
After coffees we headed back home. What a wonderful day of food and wine on our first full day. I had learned so many things that I couldn't wait to try in the kitchen back home and I was eager for more. The next day promised more. A visit to the first day of las Fallas in Valencia.
Next: Day 2, Valencia
Previous: Day 1, Barcelona
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