12-10-2017
Joan Roca replies to the journalists at the end of his lesson at Gastronomika 2017
«Memory, knowledge, values, respect, diversity, complexity, passion, creativity, research, technique, innovation, care. Life». These are the words that a few hours ago, at Gastronomika 2017, Joan Roca used to sum up “the essence of my cuisine”, the title of the speech the chef from Gerona gave from the stage in San Sebastian. We omitted one more element from this list: journey. The idea of (gastronomic, but not necessarily) journey as a cultural input that becomes culinary: because since their long journey in Turkey [we wrote about it here: The new frontiers of cooking. Right after Gastronomika, two years ago] los hermanos continued to research with their suitcase at hand, gradually visiting 18 towns across the entire planet, studying their products and traditions. And cooking. Istanbul, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Miami, Birmingham, Houston, Dallas, Mexico City, Monterrey…
The Roca brothers always with a suitcase (photo www.bbva.com)
Oyster with Albariño
"Andalusian" sardine
The Roca brothers’ journey was long, even in Spain: La Coruña, Siviglia, Valencia, Bilbao… And it was in the Basque Country [indeed it is dedicated to Elkano, a gourmet location in Getaria] that they got the inspiration for a dish «that starts from chargrilled turbot, but using a part that is usually discarded: the skin». Joan makes a sort of cannellone enclosing esparteñas (the rare “sea tongues”, stichopus regalis) and anemones, paired with glasswort and two sauces, the first made with the head and bones of the turbot, chargrilled and then vacuum cooked with oil and garlic, the second with anemones.
Joan Roca explains the "Basque cannellone" from the stage of Gastronomika 2017
Chargrilled lobster with artemisia
Then they marinate the egg yolk for 24 hours with salt and sugar: they make it compact so it acquires the texture of cheese, and then cut it like a Tête de Moine. The dessert finally reproduces a vegetable garden with a gel of chartreuse, Granny Smith jam, gel of pine honey, distilled earth, licorice foam, crumble, tarragon, cucumber slush, violet meringues, red fruit sauce… Dish after dish, a sort of Iberian summary.
So we ask Joan: what do you think of the Catalan issue? He first shies away («No, I’d rather not»), then he stops and he’s about to answer. But plenty of questions from other journalists overwhelm him. The moment has gone.
A selfie from 2015 with Massimo Bottura [it’s taken from his Instagram account] at the 50Best with René Redzepi and Joan Roca
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by
journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief