'Donete de paloma en escabeche de fir' has been the winning tapa of the II Official Spanish Hospitality Championship dedicated to Tapas and Pintxos that was held this week within the framework of Madrid Fusión. The creators of this snack are chefs Iris Jordán and Susana Marqueta, from the Ansils restaurant, which is located in the town of Anciles, in the heart of the Benasque valley.
To make it, they pickle red onion that they crush with yogurt and kimchi. Then, they prepare a pâté with pigeon, poached onion, bacon and brandy, which they layer in frozen layers in a mold.
Next, they brine, wash and smoke the pigeon tenderloins, and then pack them in oil. They produce a fir powder by toasting shoots and leaves and, finally, they coat the frozen donuts with cocoa butter before adding the rest of the ingredients for assembly.
The flavor, texture, originality, presentation and usability for the establishment were some of the aspects that the jury valued most. He also applauded the use of native and traditional products, something that is common in the restaurant where these two cooks work.
Mª Pilar Ferrer Saura and Javier Pardo opened the doors of Ansils in 1984, but it is their grandchildren Iris Jordán, in charge of the gastronomic proposal, and Bruno Jordán, in the room, who currently run it. There they prepare a cuisine based on tradition, with which they try to recover the spirit of their grandparents' generation, "that good work in the kitchen that rewarded local products, hunting, gathering and conservation systems."
The garden and the field, they explain on their website, have a great role. And they collaborate with neighbors to supply the restaurant with products such as apples, nuts, honey or vegetables from the garden. To be sustainable, they try to use all the food and thus generate minimal waste. "It is a responsibility that we acquire towards respect for the environment," they point out.
The menu is divided into starters, where they offer dishes such as trout tartar cubes or suckling pig tartar; mains, with wild boar cheeks with vanilla parmienter and wild rabbit with rock tea curry among the options; and desserts, such as sheep's cheese cake or pumpkin millefeuille.
Javier Pardo, sommelier and Spanish runner-up in the Nariz de oro competition in 2000, is in charge of the winery, and he carefully chooses the wines.
