Si, Spanish food secrets and more!
A slab of anchovy on top of charred mashed eggplant was the perfect introduction to a dinner in Cantabria. The anchovy comes from a small fishing village in Northern Spain, says chef Chele Gonzalez, and it has the pedigree of coming straight from the sea. Although its bones had been meticulously picked off, the anchovy retained its slim elongated shape, its fleshy texture, and the saltiness of the sea.
Gonzalez’s pride in the anchovy is understandable; after all, he is from Cantabria, where long coastal areas skim the edges of the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean. Thus the abundance of fresh seafood, which Cantabria is famous for.
It is such abundant seafood that inspired the menu of Cantabria, Gonzalez’s restaurant collaboration with Westin Hotel Manila. Sea scallops baked into a tartlet then topped with caviar as well as chili crab croquettes with lime mayonnaise further underscored our dinner’s focus on seafood. The grilled octopus leg seasoned with Spanish paprika tasted smoky and tender, with the side of pickled potatoes adding heartiness to the dish.
“We take on a creative and sophisticated approach to seafood, and showcase a unique side of Spanish cuisine,” said Gonzalez. To this end, Gonzalez and his chef de cuisine Ivan Saiz Sordo make it a point to oversee the quality and sources of the ingredients. That, and their innovative touches on tapas and other Spanish dishes, take the cuisine in Cantabria to another level.
A signature dish is the Rodabello a la Parilla, grilled wild turbo fish (which must be ordered ahead as it’s brought in from Cantabria). It’s sometimes called “hero fish” because one needs muscle and strength to overcome the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean while reeling in the humongous creature.
We didn’t have the hero fish that evening but instead had something that was just as dramatic in flavor and presentation: the Mero al Horno con Patata Panadera. Just as we were finishing with the octopus, Gonzalez brought a large grouper to our table that had been baked at 180ºC. Like an expert magician, Gonzalez then piped a thick white emulsion made of fish stock and olive oil all over the fish.
“Are you hungry?” he joked as he partitioned the fish, perhaps wondering how big a portion to put on my plate. Hungry? Salivating was more like it. Served with garlic chips and confit potatoes, the grouper looked sumptuous and enticing. Its tender, delicate flesh was a revelation, as it melted gently against a coating of the creamy white sauce.
For the carnivorous, there are a number of meat dishes on the menu. One that Gonzalez serves with nostalgia is the ravioli, a dish his mother used to prepare at home. Ground beef shank braised with porcini mushrooms is enveloped in pasta sheets that are then layered with frothy bubbles of basil oil and Parmesan cheese, which reminded me somewhat of a velvety Béchamel sauce.
Then there’s the Secreto Iberico, derived from the black pigs that are nurtured with acorns and herbs in specially designated regions of Spain. Called pata negra because of their black hooves, these are the pigs that have given the world the much-coveted Jamon Iberico. The pork steak is extracted from a hidden part of the pig, thus the term “secreto.” Grilled to an appetizing pinkish hue, the steak was supple, slowly disclosing its meaty flavor on the taste buds in small increments. It is, indeed, a secret in more ways than one. Fried skin-on marble potatoes drizzled with green and red mojo sauces provided a kind of sideshow.
And what’s a Spanish dinner without paella? “In Cantabria, we have our own interpretation of this rice dish,” said Gonzalez. Because their region is cold, they cook their paella to a moist texture, not dry the way it’s served in the warmer regions of Spain.
The paella we had that evening was studded with succulent slices of duck meat, and shimeji, king oyster, and button mushrooms. The small-grain rice that had been simmered in duck broth was indeed moist, making it somewhat like a cross between a risotto and a paella. The made-from-scratch apple aioli sauce added some punch to the paella’s savory flavor.
Because of its hilly green pastures, Cantabria is also home to a thriving dairy industry. A well-loved delicacy is called Sobao Pasiego, a cake that is soaked in milk and cream for four hours. They’d sometimes have it for breakfast, said Gonzalez, but it being evening, we had this traditional delicacy for dessert, along with a rich cheese ice cream and berry coulis.
Being located at the top floor of the Westin, Cantabria has a commanding view of the metropolis. But on the walls, across from the windows, sceneries of a different kind allure: images of Cantabria’s rolling hills and breathtaking coasts, transporting diners to the distant shores that have inspired the food on the menu.
