- Sea bass, hake, turbot and sole bring the flavours of the sea to the grill at this Madrid restaurant, where Santiago Pedraza demonstrates that the grill has much more to offer than just prime cuts of meat.
- “I really love cooking meat, but for me, cooking a fine piece of fish brings an even greater sense of satisfaction,” admits the chef.
Although the end of summer usually means a return to Madrid, it doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to the taste of the sea. At Taberna Pedraza, Santiago Pedraza invites diners to prolong that summery feeling around the table a little longer thanks to one of the elements that best defines the restaurant’s cuisine: its grill.
For whilst the embers are almost instinctively associated with chops and large cuts of meat, at Taberna Pedraza they are also the domain of fish. Sea bass and hake are regular features on the menu, and at the moment turbot and sole have also been added – four ingredients that find a different way to express their texture, fat content and flavour over the flames.
In the case of hake, turbot and sole, Taberna Pedraza uses Cantabrian fish sourced from Alberto Ferreres, Ernesto Prieto and Pescaderías Coruñesas. For sea bass, the restaurant relies on Aquanaria. A selection that makes the grill a great excuse to return to Taberna Pedraza after the summer and discover one of the less obvious facets of a cuisine particularly renowned for its meat dishes, its Betanzos-style omelette, its cocido and its traditional specialities.
Fish over the fire: Santiago Pedraza’s technique
For Santiago Pedraza, however, before talking about the fire, one must talk about the produce. “For a fish to work on the grill — and, in fact, any produce that goes on the grill, be it fish, meat, a mushroom or whatever — it must be of the very highest quality. For me, that accounts for 60 per cent of the success”. Then come into play the size, fat content, skin and the specific characteristics of each fish. Pedraza admits he has a preference for large fish, although at Taberna Pedraza he also looks for sizes that allow the whole fish to be served at the table and shared between two people.
This is the case with the turbot weighing approximately 1.3 kilos that they are currently working with. “I’d rather cook a whole turbot of that size than bring in a much larger one and serve just a slice,” he explains. Turbot and sole are among the fish that respond particularly well to grilling, but Santiago’s list is much longer. “I’m absolutely mad about grouper. It’s a fish that evokes a special feeling in me and that I’m passionate about. Virrey too. Or some sardines, which can be marvellous. There are so many extraordinary fish to cook on the grill.”
For Pedraza, the magic of this technique lies in something seemingly simple: the fish barely touches anything whilst cooking. “The fish is almost suspended above the heat. This allows us, in certain cases, to achieve results that no other cooking method can match.”
But that doesn’t mean everything is better when it goes over the embers. Santiago Pedraza shuns dogma and argues that each ingredient requires finding the technique that suits it best. “I’m no fundamentalist. I believe there are different cooking methods, and they can all be extraordinary depending on the ingredient and the result we’re aiming for.” “What he is clear about is that grilled fish shouldn’t taste excessively of smoke.” “I really don’t like dishes where there’s an excess of smoke. A good piece of meat, as long as it tastes of meat, is enough. And it’s exactly the same with fish. There are always slight hints of the embers that are pleasant, but they must be subtle. The fire has to complement the food, never overpower it.”
The doneness, the skin and the fat
Achieving this requires a thorough understanding of each cut. The thickness and texture of the skin determine how it reacts to the embers, whilst the natural fat takes on particular importance when the fish is at its best. “Fish, when they’re at their fattest and at their peak, yield a much more rewarding end result. The skin is also crucial, as the way it reacts to the heat has a huge impact on the outcome,” explains Santiago.
And if there’s one thing capable of ruining a good piece of fish, it’s overcooking it. For the head grill chef at Taberna Pedraza, one of the most common mistakes is precisely drying out the fish. “Simply placing a fish on a grill guarantees absolutely nothing. What matters isn’t the grill itself, but the result.”
Nor does he follow one of the most widespread practices when it comes to grilling: letting the food rest after cooking. On this point, Santiago Pedraza has a clear stance: “I don’t let meat or fish rest. Everyone works in their own way, and I respect all techniques, but personally I’ve never really understood the point of letting food rest.” A decision which, like many others when it comes to the embers, stems from his own experience and years of observing how each ingredient reacts to the heat. Because for Pedraza, there are no set-in-stone rules: technique is always at the service of the result.
Perhaps it is precisely this quest that makes fish one of the greatest pleasures of his work at the grill. “Cooking a fine fish over the fire is immensely satisfying. I really enjoy cooking meat, but I think that for me, cooking a fine fish brings an even greater sense of satisfaction.”
Taberna Pedraza
Calle de Recoletos, 4. Madrid
Telephone: 913 42 82 40
Tuesdays from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm / Wednesdays to Saturdays from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm and 8.00 pm to 11.30 pm / Sundays from 1.00 pm to 4.30 pm. Closed on Mondays
Source: BUCK3T Agencia de Comunicación