Madrid fusion

Madrid fusion
Magazine: April 2008

After the international success aroused by the new Catalan and Basque cuisine, Madrid is certainly not caught napping. It has stood itself, in Europe, for the role of observer of cutting edge trends and experimentations in a haute cuisine that knows no limits. In February, after winning the unanimous acclaim of both public and critics, the lights dimmed on Madrid Fusion, which had brought some of the most innovative and trend setting protagonists of the new creative cuisine to the capital. In the four fab days of food immersion everything was on show: from the technological alchemies of Ferran Adrià to the new inventions in culinary hardware. The Madrid Fusion venue showcases the novelties in the ambit of new ‘celebrity chef’ cuisine; there is no diffi culty in pinpointing the luminaries of this tumult in the Spanish capital, the choice is vast and varied. The fusion does not only refer to the mix of products and techniques from different countries used in the recipes proposed in the restaurants, but also to the actual spaces where today some proprietors merge different locations and themes. We fi nd a series of restaurants like the ‘Puerta 57’ or the ‘Realcafé’, built in the interior of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium that tempt with excellent neomadrilena cuisine. For modern art and wellbeing afi cionados ‘Casa Palacio’ is a gym and art gallery hosted in ‘Alboroque’ an elegant restaurant.

La comida tradicional
The traditional cuisine from Madrid has always been extremely varied; the capital has always made full use of all the best regional ingredients. The Cocido is without doubt the symbolic dish of tradition, a consommé with a meat and vegetable base to sip piping hot. Desserts merit a chapter apart: the tradicion repostera of Madrid links every religious occasion to a customary dessert. The ‘sweet’ year starts in January with the candid fruit ring Roscón de Reyes, continues for carnival with Los Hojaldres, stuffed with cream, jam or candid fruit and runs through to huesos de Santo, torrijas, rosquillas dedicated to the saints. Boquerones en vinagre, oreja… are just some of the names chosen from a menu on display outside one of the city restaurants where they celebrate the ritual of “tapear”. The areas of Los Asturias, la Puerta del Sol and La Latina are the most frequented by the Madrid residents for aperitif time. Discerning diners who favour tasty food desert the fashionable hangouts to look for specialised places each with its own versions of tapas, like ‘Casa Revuelta’ that dish up excellent callos, fi ne queso and Valdepeñas house wine, all at notto- be-sniffed-at prices.