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TOP Spanish chef Jordi Gimeno is dishing up platefuls of sunny delights for the kingdom’s senors and senoritas!
Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa is this week staging a Spanish Gastronomic & Cultural Festival which carries on until Friday at the seaside Tapas Restaurant.
Even the howling winds and a lashing of sand could not dissuade lovers of the Mediterranean cuisine from the launch party last Wednesday which featured a full scale fiesta, with flamenco dancing and foot-tapping traditional music.
Although the noisy entertainment proved culturally captivating the star of the show was Chef Jordi’s inspired cuisine which included an assortment of sizzling seafood in Paella, fish cakes, tortilla, chicken with garlic sauce, meatballs with cuttlefish and bean casserole.
“Variety is what makes Spanish cuisine special in my opinion because I can say that there are 100 different Spanish cuisines and every cuisine has his own landscape!” explained Chef Jordi.
“This connection with the landscape is very important because you can’t believe how different gastronomically the outlook is in every region. This variety is the most amazing thing about our cuisine.
“People know that Paella and Tapas is Spanish cuisine but, in fact, there is so much more than that. I would encourage people to tour around Spain and taste the stews from the north, the fritters in the south, roast meat in the west and come to the east to enjoy the seafood specialties.”
After a period of training at the celebrated El Tupí Cooking School in Barcelona, he travelled around Europe and the US to hone his skills.
This voyage of discovery also included different Mediterranean islands and it allowed him to study other kitchens of the Mare Nostrum. He has worked in many Michelin star restaurants too such as the Fonda Xesc, Gombrén, Catalonia, and the Restaurant Palau Reial of Alghero, in Sardinia, and Chef Jordi also built up a glowing reputation for organising food festivals and teaching the art of cooking the celebrated cuisine.
Chef Jordi even set aside time to share some special tips for GulfWeekly readers wanting to prepare one of the most popular Spanish dishes at home.
“For fans of Paella,” he said, “I suggest using cuttlefish instead of Calamari and, it’s very important to cook the vegetables for a long time at a slow temperature to get the true essence of the flavour.
“I suggest the fish stock has a touch of saffron and Spanish sweet paprika and, of course, do not forgot the quality of the rice. In my opinion the best rice for Paella is Bomba rice from Spain. However, if you cannot find it in the local market, I suggest using Italian Carnaroli rice which is much more readily available abroad.”
His efforts have impressed the Tapas Restaurant team. “Mediterranean cuisine is different from rest of the world, not only in taste, but also in cooking methods,” explained Chef Kim, Executive Chef of Sofitel Bahrain. “It reflects a deep heritage that has been flavoured through many diverse influences and exchanges.”
Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain. They may be cold such as mixed olives and cheese or hot like chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid.
In select bars in Spain and across most European cities, tapas have evolved into an entire, and sometimes sophisticated, cuisine. In Spain, patrons can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. In some Central American countries, such snacks are known as bocas. In Mexico, similar dishes are called botanas.
The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation and in some countries it is customary for diners to stand and move about while eating.
Guests at the Sofitel’s launch event couldn’t help but move to the heady beat of Las Duquelas, an international group who are continuing to entertain guests with songs and dance throughout the festival.
* Diners can enjoy this unique Spanish experience with traditional food, cocktails and live entertainment starting each evening at 8pm. Call 17636363 for more details.
