- Its ever-changing menu is steeped in the pantry of cold Aragonese and international cuisine, with dishes as original as its lamb terrine with rose gel, a tribute to The Little Prince served on original tableware and offering a gourmet take on the lonely asteroid B-612.
- Game is a must; for the younger diners, a version of bean stew with hare that uses fresh peanuts; for the older ones, a venison loin with Mexican nuances.
- Among the classics, highlights include his “Madrugón a por setas” (Early morning mushroom hunt), a chawanmushi with mushroom dashi and shitake ragout, with a bubble reminiscent of the fog in the Pyrenees, and a mushroom takoyaki.
The cold dampens certain spirits, but certainly not that of Franchesko Vera, chef at Restaurante Gamberro (1 Repsol Sun, featured in the Michelin Guide), who finds in the richness of the cold pantry—both Aragonese and international—a fascinating source of inspiration for the new winter dishes on his ever-changing 17-course menu (70 euros). Thus, alongside his essential classics (Thai-style prawn croquettes, airpizza, Guardia Civil 2.0, etc.), there are new dishes full of imagination and flavour, such as his particular tribute to The Little Prince in the form of a lamb and rose terrine, his curious reworked Galician vegetable ramen, a twist on the classic Aragonese beans with hare, but with stewed peanuts, and a chocolate torrefacto dessert that is pure winter. All of this, of course, is accompanied by wines from Flor García and Julio Canales, who adapt their cellar to the rigours of a culinary season that is nothing short of marvellous.
The lamb and the rose, the ramen that is created at the table... and the scallop
The new special recipe is the result of a happy twist in the creative process. Franchesko Vera and Flor fell in love with some meteor-inspired tableware and bought it for Gamberro, so the chef set to work to create a dish that would suit such a unique container. As he himself explains, “We started thinking and could only come up with very sweet desserts, flavours associated with the moon, corny and hackneyed ideas that put us off. Until a light bulb went off in my head and I saw that the tableware was much more like the lonely planet in The Little Prince, one of my favourite books. I remembered how the aviator painted a sheep on a box because he didn’t know how to draw sheep, and the protagonist’s love for his rose. And then it all came together.” The result is a spectacular dish, a terrine of Ternasco de Aragón lamb – Vera is the face of his offal – with coconut and bone infusion, served with a delicious sauce made from the animal’s bones, a rose and yuzu gel with a little pumpkin and pumpkin seeds, and accompanied by a black sesame sponge cake to reinforce the rocky aspect of the preparation. Sprinkled with rose petals, it is served with the dome-shaped dish closed, with dense steam. Not only is it delicious, but it is also absolutely spectacular. You can see a video of the dish at this link.
Gamberro is also bringing back a familiar dish, but with a twist: its Galician vegetable ramen. A broth with a powerful flavour, 100% vegetable, which no longer contains takoyaki, but does contain white bean hummus, miso, butter and paprika, and of course, its grilled cabbage noodles, which are finished at the table: with a small sleeve, on contact with the heat of the soup, they acquire the consistency of pasta. Pure autumnal flavour, too, another of Gamberro’s greatest hits: his Madrugón para ir a por setas (Early morning mushroom hunt), a chawanmushi (Japanese savoury custard) made with mushroom dashi and a shitake ragout, hidden under a bubble reminiscent of the fog in the Pyrenees. After the moist, earthier part, now it’s time for a mushroom takoyaki, cooked and raw in a very Iberian version of the popular Japanese fritter.
From the sea, another delicious novelty: scallops cooked in black butter, with diced plums in umeboshi liqueur and a foam of orange hollandaise and umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur). A whole interplay of temperatures and contrasting textures, crowned with citrus tears passed through nitrogen.
Peanuts with hare and Mexican deer
The Aragonese recipe book, so dear to Franchesko and his team, is a clear reference point for their small game dishes. In the region, one of the most popular dishes among hunters is white beans and hare. Vera uses another legume that in Spain is used almost exclusively as a nut: fresh peanuts from Cultivo Desterrado. They are cooked in their own water to make a traditional hare stew with red curry, which is served with roasted peanuts. To reduce the richness, lime, shiso, herbs and flowers are added.
There is also game meat on the new menu. Specifically, a venison tenderloin marinated with mole, achiote and chipotle. As Franchesko explains, “We leave the centre raw, but warm, and it is well seared on the grill. It is served with mini corn cobs confit, seared on the grill with the venison marinade, and plated with Cajun-spiced popcorn and a sweet corn cream with koji and a bone and meat sauce reminiscent of the Spanish classic, but even more flavourful.”
The cheesecake is back... and a chocolatey roast
On the sweet side of the menu, the restaurant’s famous Radiquero cheesecake is back, accompanied by oxidised Calanda peach ice cream, but in a new square format. And as a novelty, a more than original dessert. It is a white chocolate roast that is cooked in the Okko pot until it turns brown and is filled with toasted coffee and liquorice nuances. It is served with a dark and white chocolate brownie for added “sweetness”, with stout ice cream to give it character and contrast, chocolate coffee beans, caramelised hazelnuts, a coffee biscuit sheet and hazelnut praline foam.
Fuente: THE NEWS ROOM