Manjada — Go Gourmet in Istria!

Wild aparagus sorbetto and olive oil powder

by Gogo on July 23, 2010

Last week we had here in Istria temperatures of over 35ºC. The heat wave was able to kill my appetite but not my curiosity. I was wondering, is it possible to make a refreshing appetizer for a dinner on a warm summer evening?

Something like gaspacho but made from an ingredient you don’t meet every day. The last package of wild asparagus foraged last spring was hanging out in my freezer and I got a crazy idea. I’ll try to make a salty sorbetto from them.

Here is what I invented after consulting recipes of similar sorbettos on the web.

Ingredients:
60 g steamed and blended wild asparagus (or green cultivated ones)
15 g egg white
7 g white wine
20 g white sugar
5 g water
2 g lemon juice
2 g salt

Make sugar syrup with water and sugar, leave it to cool down. Then mix all ingredients. You will get a thick green cream. Now it’s time to turn the liquid into ice.

I did it in a fast way by using liquid nitrogen, but no worries, you can also make it in classical way by using an ice cream maker. The advantage of liquid nitrogen is that as you pour it into the mixture, it heats up, it goes from the liquid to the gas phase, the gas evaporates and part of it gets incorporated in the sorbetto, making it fluffy and with foam-like texture. The use of liquid nitrogen to rapidly cool down the ingredients has now become a classical technique of molecular cuisine and it’s convenient way to make creamy ice cream or sorbetto in 5 minutes.

With an electric mixer on low speed continuously mix the cream while another person slowly pours the liquid nitrogen in the bowl (many thanks to my roommate who helped me, although she thought her life is in danger). Do it slowly, otherwise everything will solidify and you won’t see what are you doing due to the large amount of mist that will form (see the video below).

In about five minutes the liquid will turn into tiny ice crystals and your sorbetto is done. Here is the consistency you should get at the end.

Alternatively, put the cream in the ice cream maker and follow the instructions until the sorbetto gets desired consistence. This method takes more time, 30-40 minutes at least. The third method is to put the bowl in the freezer, and then every hour you should mix everything thoroughly with the electric mixer.

I contrasted the sorbetto with something really weird – olive oil powder. It is a solid that looks like almond chunks and it smells like olive oil. At first it is crusty in the mouth, then finally while it melts you feel the taste of olive oil. Here is how I presented the dish (the mist is from the liquid nitrogen I poured before serving it).

To make it you need to find maltodextrine powder, complex sugar derived from starch that is used as a food aditive. This stuff has amazing capability to absorb any kind of fat (up to twice of its weight) and remain dry – the powder between fingers will seem as dry as breadcrumbs. You can buy maltodextrine in a sports supplements store since it is used to make high-carb drinks for endurance training (running, cycling…), or it is added in post-workout protein shakes that are usually consumed after the weight training.

You need two part of maltodextrine and one part of some good extravirgin olive oil. I used the oil made from Buža, indigenous Istrian olive variety with exceptionally strong flower and grass aroma, subtle sweet flavor and just a bit spicy in the finish. Mix the oil and maltodextrine in a small bowl with electric mixer. Pass it through tamis to aerate it and obtain fine powder. Put the powder in a stamp of your choice and serve it with a ball of asparagus sorbetto.

Final judgment on this experiment? The sorbetto was tasty and refreshing but asparagus flavor was very mild, the bitterness was almost absent so it was hard to tell it’s made from asparagus. Next time I’ll put more of them and use only freshly picked ones because after staying two months in the freezer their flavor was too faint.

What do you think: are salty sorbettos and ice creams something you would like to try or it’s balsphemy and only sweet variants should be made?

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Jabba the Hutt’s favourite food from planet Earth

by Gogo on July 14, 2010

in Restaurants

The most famous gourmand in the whole Universe was without any doubt Jabba The Hutt. Until one day antipathetic princess Leia decided to choke him with the chain. His passion for good food was so immense that every respectable foodie should be deeply touched by the sad fact he’s no more with us. To give honor to him you should eat some food he really liked. Jabba thought the food from planet Earth really sucks, apart tiny slimy animals that live in deep waters of northeastern Atlantic. Their name is perceves (lat. Pollicipes pollicipes) and these animals are considered a supreme delicacy in Spain and Portugal. I had luck to try it at restaurant Marisqueira Rui in Silves during my last trip to Algarve in Portugal. Enjoy the photos since the rest of the text is in Croatian. It’s +35ºC in my room and I am just too lazy to translate the whole text in English.

Najveći proždrljivac u Svemiru bio je bez svake sumnje Jabba the Hutt. Sve dok jednog dana antipatična princeza Leia nije odlučila hladnokrvno ga zagušiti debelim lancem. Njegova strast za dobrom hranom bila je toliko velika da svakog ozbiljnog gurmana mora duboko dirnuti da Jabba više nije među nama. Odajte mu počast tako da probate hranu koju je on volio. Hranu sa planete Zemlje smatrao je odvratnom, osim jedne male ljigave životinjice koja živi u dubinama sjeveroistočnog Atlantika.

Životinjica se zove perceves (lat. Pollicipes pollicipes) a osim Jabbe jako ih vole i Španjolci i Portugalci tako da postiže vrtoglave cijene od preko 40 eura/kg. Gurwoman (koja je kao i ja nedavno posjetila Portugal ali sjeverni dio dok ja južni, Algarve) ih je vrlo slikovito opisala kao “stara kandža otpala s neke morske nemani”. Kad vam dođe tanjur izgledaju prestrašno, doslovce kao životinja s druge planete i postane vam jasno zašto ih Jabba obožava. Da nisam rođen na moru nikad se ne bih usudio ni taknuti ih.

Donesu vam ih na stol jednostavno skuhane na lešo, i tad vas obaspe miris mora pa si počnete misliti – možda to nije tako loše? Moji suputnici me gledaju sa zgražavanjem! Ne mogu vjerovati da sam ih doveo u ovu selendru Silves, pitoreskno mjesto u unutrašnjosti Algravea daleko od prenaporne turističke vreve na obalama Atlantika, samo da bi probali ova mala čudovišta. Objašnjavam im uljudno da sam čuo da je Marisqueira Rui najbolji riblji restoran u Algarveu s desetljetnom tradicijom, i neka se strpe jer da ćemo poslije naručiti nešto iz mora na što su navikli – rižot frutti di mare, ribu na žaru…

Uzimate jednog u ruke i što sad? Prvo im treba odstraniti bijelu kamenu kandžu.

U unutrašnjosti crvića otkrivate meso koje je pri rubovima bijelo a u unutrašnjosti crveno kao pedoć. Pomažući se zubima istisnete to meso u usta. Konzistencija mu je kao od kraka od lignje, a okus i miris kao kod školjaka, meni najbliže našim mušulama ili kunjkama, samo što je okus još blaži i meso je laganije. Nevjerojatan osjećaj, kao da vam je uspjelo zagristi more.

Prije percevesa kao couvert smo dobili kozice na lešo sa majonezom od češnjaka. Majoneza je savršeno pasala jer je imala puno limuna unutra.

Poslije smo naručili rižot sa plodovima mora koji je bio prepun svega, posebice rakova i ja, kao gurman vrlo otvorenih pogleda, naravno da sam uživao u ovom jelu pripremljenom na posve drugačiji način od našeg jadranskog. Pripremaju ga u glinenom loncu kojeg vam donesu na stol dok se još puši.

Ali avaj po moje suputnike! Portugalci u rižot stavljaju korijander umjesto peršina, a oni ga ne mogu podnijeti jer ih njegov miris podsjeća kao da je netko smrvio one gadne zelene bube smrdljivice unutra. Opet su skoro ostali gladni i bilo mi je tužno vidjeti ih kako prebiru po tanjuru pokušavajući odstraniti mrsku im biljku. A ja se na kraju osjećao kriv zbog mojeg gurmanskog terora nad njima. Ja otišao iz restorana prezadovoljan a oni mrklog pogleda i praznih želuca da su me htjeli linčovati.

Marisqueira Rui
Rua do Comendador 27
Silves
Portugal
Tel: +351 282 442 682

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Konoba “Fra-Kat” Premantura: Excellent fish and seafood, but beware of the owner

by Gogo on July 9, 2010

in Restaurants

In Premantura, the southernmost Istrian village, there is a nice fish & seafood restaurant with an unusual name – Fra-Kat. The food is pretty good here but don’t try to argue with the owner if you didn’t like something.

The restaurant is situated in a quiet street, just 100 m from the main square in Premantura. A large terrace and a roofless loggia with many stone arches make the atmosphere just perfect for a romantic dinner on a hot summer evening. We took a table on the terrace from where we could enjoy a beautiful view on the Adriatic sea and the island of Lošinj on the horizon.
Ambient 9/10

Here are the dishes we took during two visits last summer, one in June and one in August.

The white bread was from local supermarket, but it tasted OK. We ordered a jar of chardonnay (Fra-Kat’s house wine) that was of very good quality, white flowers in the nose, nice fruitiness, crisp acids and tasty minerals, but unfortunately it was served too warm. Nevertheless, it is nice to see that the owner takes care in choosing his house wine. The olive oil that we found on the table was mediocre, surely not adequate to pour over delicate fish they serve here.
Details 8/10

Marinated anchovies on young rocket

The anchovies were marinated a bit too long so that the flesh has become too soft and has lost a lot of original flavor.
Price 40 kn (5.50 euro) Score 7/10

Grilled clams

The shells were big, full of flesh of fantastic taste, you could feel the fresh sea in your nose and under your tongue. I presume they were not cultivated but from the open sea. An elegant sweetish flavor that reminded me of white asparagus put me into ecstasy. Next time I come here, I’ll take this delicacy again.
Price 70 kn (9.70 euro) Score 10/10

Squid salad

Squids cooked al dente, a bit of garlic and parsley, great taste, the portion is abundant. A bit better olive oil would make this dish perfect.
Price 40 kn (5.50 euro) Score 8.5/10

Pasta (bavette) with scampi

Here is one juicy pasta with scampi freshly fished in the Kvarner bay. A classic. Such taste is impossible to achieve with frozen ones. To thicken the sauce the cook had a brilliant idea to replace breadcrumbs with smashed broccoli. Delicious! Too bad they don’t make their own fresh pasta.
Price 80 kn (11.10 euro) Score 8.5/10

Frutti di mare (seafood) risotto

For me risotto is the ultimate test of a fish restaurant. It is a difficult dish whose main secret is to use a good fish stock during the cooking of the rice. Here they passed the test with excellent grades.
Price 50 kn (6.95 euro) Score 10/10

Seafood pasta (bavette)

The best pasta at Fra-Kat, but only for two persons. On our table came a big pan full of steaming pasta with plenty of mussels, clams, some other shells, scampi and prawns. A lot of thin sauce with parsley, white wine and garlic. Simple dish with superb ingredients and minimal intervention in the kitchen. Beware of the pasta that will likely stain your clean T-shirt if you’re not careful enough.
Price 180 kn (25 euro) Score 9/10

Grilled wild dorade with steamed chard and potatoes

The flesh of the fish was tasty and had a firm consistency. It was clear it was wild dorade and not the cultivated one that is usually served in many fish restaurant along the Adriatic. A real delicacy. One was enough for two persons. Chard and steamed potatoes were excellent.
Price 117 kn (16.25 euro) Score 10/10

Everything up to now seems perfect. Then, the second time we went to Fra-Kat something not very pleasant happened at the end. Let me tell you the whole story.

For the main course instead of grilled fish we wanted to eat grilled squids, not the tiny ones “Made in Indonesia” that you usually find in the supermarket, but the big ones from the Adriatic sea whose taste is much, much better. Below is the picture of these Adriatic squids so you can see how they are usually longer than palm. They are at least two times more expensive than the imported ones and this is reflected on price in the menu.

Real Adriatic squids are longer than my palm

We kindly ask the waiter if they still have these delicious squids. November is the peak season for squids in Croatia so it’s possible in August there’s nothing left. The waiter tells us there’s no problem, we’ll get the Adriatic squids. Just to be sure, we stressed that we want to see two or three big squids on our plate, not tens of tiny ones. The waiter again said – No worries, you’ll get them!

Ten minutes later we were disappointed – on our table arrives a plate full of tiny little squids. We complain it’s not what we ordered but OK, it’s late, we’ll eat the stuff if we don’t have to pay the price of the Adriatic ones.

Few minutes later comes the owner and sits (!!!) at our table and starts his speech. He has come to explain us where we have come, that Fra-Kat is a place where they don’t take guests on a ride. He does not want to preach anything, but we don’t know what the Adriatic squids look like. In fact, what we got are the squids that were fished with a large net (koča) and that is the reason why they are so small. Nevertheless, they are from Adriatic and of course, you have to pay the full price.

Imagine that scene, he sat with us like he is our friend or a father, and done all that patronizing lecture to us! I should have asked him why then in all other fish restaurants I visited the Adriatic squids were always at least three times bigger? Just, after all the good stuff we have eaten that evening I didn’t want to argue with him and completely ruin the evening.

Conclusion? The food is pretty good here and you’ll be in heaven when you try the ingredients of exquisite freshness mostly provided from local fishermen, but there’s one drawback. Don’t try to argue with the owner if you didn’t like something or your evening might be of bitter taste.

Tell me, how would you behave in a similar situation?

Overall 8.9/10

Restaurant Fra & Kat
Premantura 42
52203 Medulin
phone +385 52 575 373
web http://fra-kat.co.cc

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2006 Roxanich “Merlot” – Merlot

by Gogo on June 28, 2010

in Wines

Definitely the biggest surprise in Roxanich winery. Already a sniff was enough to tell me this red differs from dominant non-fruity style of Istrian reds.

In comparison to other Mladen Rožanić’s reds (Cabernet Sauvignon and Superistrian cuvée) its main quality is stylistic simplicity and precision. It tells me that Mladen knew what wine he wants to create – a Merlot that takes the right bank of Bordeaux as inspiration. But this wine has more to offer, in fact less. Thanks to organic approach in winemaking it contains less than 20 mg/L of sulphur dioxide (SO2), a number so incredibly small that there’s no chance for a hangover the day after. Many modern enologists would say it’s not possible to preserve wine with such low concentration but the fact speaks for itself, we tried a bottle from 2006 and it was in perfect health.

Ruby red with red brown reflections. The nose is not vegetal as most Merlots from Istria and north of Italy, plenty of red flowers like rose hip and poppy flowers, cherry liqueur, notes of graphite and leather create a nice chiaroscuro feeling. Not so intense as I expected.

On the other hand in the mouth it explodes, very fruity and intense! I thought fruitiness does not exist in Istrian red wines. Now the juicy, dark fruits come in action – blueberry are clearly there, mulberry and blue plum in the background. Dry, warm, long persistence in the mouth, closes elegantly, alcohols are perfectly balanced. Tannins are still young which together with excellent acids promises a bright future of this wine. It’s impressive how this wine manages to be energetic and fun in the mouth, it has intense taste but not there are no flavors that you get bored of quickly, it constantly challenges your senses and you are eager to discover more and more.

Its tannins and makes it a perfect match with fillet steak, woodfire grilled fiorentina, rump steak tagliata with rocket and parmiggiano, mature goat or sheep cheese.
90pts

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2006 Roxanich “Malvasia Classica” – Istrian Malvasia

by Gogo on June 10, 2010

in Wines

People used to the fruitiness of modern white wines will not immediately understand this wine. But, give a glass of Malvasia Classica to an old peasant from any Istrian village and he will surely tell you: “This is real wine! Not a perfumed fruit juice like most Malvasias these days”.

Prolonged contact with the Malvasia skins (maceration) of 26 days is responsible for an intense gold yellow color. Only indigenous yeast, already present on the grapes, was used in the fermentation. Lately, these macerated wines are also called orange wines.

In the glass flows slowly. The nose is intense and complex, mysterious -uncommon aromas are waiting to be discovered. I like to get challenged right from the beginning.

Long maceration did not completely erased primary aromatics of Malvasia – acacia flowers is discretely present, but there’s no fruit at all. Rather, scents of dried mushrooms, dry hay, Mediterranean garrigue, forest floor and wet clay dominate, all intertwined with subtle ethereal components similar to varnish, natural gas, essential oils and hot chilly.

In the mouth it is more intense than in the nose. Dry, warm, full bodied, savory “umami” feeling. A certain lack of acidity takes away a bit of agility (alcohol becomes too obvious) and makes it a bit heavy to drink, especially without food. So please, drink this wine with some food and preferably in the autumn or winter. Very long persistence. Beautiful minerals create a mouthwatering and clean finish.

Do to its round mouthfeel, it is perfect with dishes that have slightly bitter nuances – grilled Adriatic fish, wild asparagus risotto or with pljukanci, artichokes alla Romana. The earth and natural gas aromas in the nose makes me think this wine would pair well with a fragrant dish of tagliatelle with black or white truffles.
88pts

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