Ángel León, the chef of the sea, has teamed up with Moët
Berta de Pablos, president of Moët
The cook laments that "we look at Mars, but not at our seas as a source of food." In the ambitious and pioneering project he has up to six biologists. The chef of the sea is committed to cultivating a marine cereal, a phanerogamous plant. It is the seagrass species, whose grains resemble a hybrid between those of rice and those of quinoa. He assures that it has more properties than rice, and it can be irrigated with seawater.
Ángel León explains that the Mexican Seri Indians had eaten this sea grass for generations, according to a study published in the journal Science. A delegation of the Seris, indigenous people from the state of Sonora with a territory made up of a continental part and Tiburón Island, in the Gulf of California, will visit Aponiente to learn about the project.
In their scientific research they are testing in which seas of the world the plantation of this species is best developed in order to cultivate it on a larger scale. It is a plant that produces around 850 kilos per marine hectare, but they still do not have enough production in the Bahía de Cádiz natural park to be able to be served throughout the year in its exciting restaurant. Today they only have production to offer this marine cereal for a month to their diners.
Ángel León trusts, “God willing”, to be able to serve Aponiente's customers in a couple of years. But what he really longs for is to one day see this marine cereal on the supermarket shelves.
It is stated that the collaboration with chef Ángel León is no coincidence, since both his project and that of Maison Moët
In addition, the projects also have as a final goal "to grant wealth to the area where the activity of both is carried out, through the creation of employment and environmental conservation."
Speaking to Magazine, Ángel León has assured that his cuisine and champagne "are a spectacular marriage, one of those that never breaks." The chef of the sea says that they have been "lucky" to have Moët
It is, according to Ángel León, “the project that has taken us the longest, and we still have many years to go”. Now they have a 5,000 m2 orchard in the Bay of Cádiz, cultivated by themselves. And they are taking the plants to different parts of Spain, from Cantabria or Galicia to Levante, "with the idea of seeing where it is more profitable to sow the marine cereal."
The project has been presented within the framework of a selection of dishes from Aponiente's current menu, a proposal with salty and sweet maritime cuisine that, according to Ángel León, "this year even my mother, who is my most difficult client, has liked." .
The intention has been to seek a gastronomic balance between Aponiente's seafood cuisine and Moët's Grand Vintages trilogy
All this harmonized with Grand Vintage Collection de Moët champagnes
Moët Chandon Grand Vintage 2015, the 76th vintage of this champagne, is made with 44% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay and 24% Pinot Meunier. It was harvested on September 7, 2015 and fermented in stainless steel tanks with our own selected yeasts. It exhibits notes of lightly toasted bread, brioche, stone fruit, lactic creaminess and citrus (lemon yogurt). All this is rounded off with 5 grams of sugars per liter.
And it stands out for its good balance, elegance, freshness, lightness and depth thanks to a good acidity; although his best moment is yet to come. The predominance of pinot noir gives it a certain vinosity. Liveliness after 6 years of aging in rhymes. moët
The 2015 Moët Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé, the 45th edition of this product, is made from 52% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay and 21% Pinot Meunier. It shows a profusion of red fruits without being cloying. 2015 was a warm vintage with persistent drought, which led them to "become aware of climate change and its impact on the Champagne region", according to Benoît Gouez, Chef of Cave de Moët
