Fiona Dunlop – food & travel writer and Spain specialist – takes a voyage of Extremaduran discovery with London-based chef, José Pizarro
DESPITE living in London for the last 15 years, chef José Pizarro remains faithful to his Spanish roots. He moves at lightning speed, sharing his time between his three restaurants in London, his family village of Talaván, and his home city of #Cáceres, Spain’s Gastronomic Capital 2015. I shadowed him over a whirlwind weekend to discover his secret haunts in the World Heritage city.
At the age of 44, José has already won a string of national awards, but this particular weekend sees him presented with la tenca de oro – the golden tench – in the village where he grew up. The tench fish lives in the Almonte, a tributary of the Tejo river, which runs close to José’s village, making the perfect excuse for an annual fiesta in its honour as well as, this year, in that of José’s.
In true Spanish style, the village population of 900 has tripled, brass bands are out in force, food (yes, tench) sizzles, and drinks flow freely.
Late in the evening, the official ceremony finally allows him to publicly express his deep attachment to his origins, the village, and its inhabitants in an emotional speech. Rapturous applause and cheers leave him beaming and visibly moved, before he heads off to celebrate long into the night. Here’s a man who not only masters cooking and running a demanding business, but who also seriously knows how to party.
His mother, Isabel, 82, regales with stories of young José: ‘Oh he was always running around the countryside chasing birds and crickets, or in the village on his bike. He eats a lot, but he’s very slim – look at him!’ Her pride and affection are clear.
Despite being a successful chef, Jose never used to spend much time in the kitchen. He said: ‘As a boy in Extremadura, I wasn’t allowed there. I was a bit naughty, in fact. My father’s mother, Faustina, was a real cook – that was the only thing she ever did. Here in my mother’s house, you wake up and the house smells of churros or overcooked lentils!’
José remains loyal to local pimentón de la Vera (paprika), as well as the Vieiru brand of olive oil, lentils, Torta del Casar (sheep’s cheese so unctuous that you scoop it up with a spoon), and all dimensions of sausages and chorizo. Jars of pollen are another personal addiction, along with aromatic Extremaduran honey which he uses in salad dressings.
The next day, in Cáceres, we are taken to a hilltop just east of town to see the Sanctuario de la Virgen de la Montaña, an exquisite baroque chapel.
Religion and art are all very well for the spirit, but it is lunchtime and gastronomy calls – loudly. The time has come to enter Cáceres’ gourmet temple, the hotel-restaurant Atrio (http://restauranteatrio.com). The palacio, spectacularly converted in 2010 by the architects Tuñon + Mansilla, has 14 guest-rooms, roof-top pools, choice contemporary art (Sean Scully, Andy Warhol, Tapiés for starters) and a leafy patio. However, the focus is on one key element – the restaurant and its award-winning wine-cellar, one of the world’s best.
Fifteen heavenly dishes later, we stagger upstairs to the roof terrace to collapse on sofas beneath a cerulean sky, watch flocks of small crows ebb and flow around San Mateo’s bell-tower, contemplate the distant plains, feel the remoteness, and slowly experience the light morph into gold.
‘One hour here really means one hour,’ says José. ‘Unlike in London, here you have time.’ At last it seems José Pizarro has slowed down.
Stay with us, José – London needs you!
Win an £8,000 holiday
The Spanish Tourist Office is running a #competition offering the chance to win a holiday to Spain for two, worth up to £8,000. Entrants need simply to upload a picture, video, or words to http://discoveryourspain.uk, showing what #Spain means to them. The competition closes on December 31.
Article courtesy of SPN, the Spanish Tourist Office’s digital resource for all-things Spain - Article and photographs © Fiona Dunlop
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Picture Credit: Fiona Dunlop
