THE day before Seville again showed how unbeatable the Spanish are at football two master chefs from that country joined forces in Manchester to demonstrate its culinary supremacy.
We, who were lucky enough to be at Iberica Spinningfields, say a big thank you to local blogger Bacon on the Beech who first suggested to the chain’s exec chef Nacho Manzano that he organise a series of ‘Nacho & Friends’ events.
This inaugural one was with superstar Quique Dacosta, who holds three Michelin stars for his ‘Quique Dacosta' restaurant in Denia and one Michelin star at ‘El Poblet' in Valencia, with his eponymous restaurant named 39th in the Top 100 Restaurants in the World. Nacho himself is not short of a star or two – three, in fact, across his two establishments in Northern Spain, ‘Casa Marciel' (two) and ‘La Salgar’ (one).
The sell-out eight course menu the pair cooked for the Iberica dinner came from these restaurants and more casual side projects Vuelve Carolina and Mercatbar (Quique) and Gloria Casa de Comidas.(Nacho). Wines, sherries and lots of delectable Asturian cider were paired appropriately. The cost? An amazing £60 a head for some extraordinary treats – especially the earthy ‘black food’ Ashes Rice (main picture) from Quique, who is a acknowledged as pre-eminent in all things rice.
“The seed for the creation of this rice dish was precisely the image etched in my mind of rice fields following the harvest. Once the plants have dried, the stalks are then burnt and used as fertiliser for the next crop. But it is the smell of the burning fields with their particular aroma of toasted rice and its mild fragrance, as well as the appearance of the field, which led me to this starting point and this creation.”
Believe us, it's not one to try at home, involving and onion, leek and horn of plenty mushroom base, two stocks (duck and gelatinous meat), shaved mock truffle, crispy truffled rice powder, truffle juice rock, truffled rice and woodcock livers. It does make you want to save up and get down to El Poblet.
Nacho’s dishes: sea urchins, served with cream, aromatic spices and yoghurt; soft shell crab; hake salad with hollandaise sauce and dried eggs; roasted apple with rosemary cream and cloud of cider.
Quique’s dishes; crushed tomatoes; lemon fish; cherry gazpacho with prawns; ashes rice. A take on the gazpacho will remain on the menu at Iberica throughout May and June.
Iberica’s busy events calendar continues with a La Calla-Albert Adria and De Muller Vermouth Tasting on Monday, May 23 from 6pm. “If you love tinned food and want to discover the traditions behind Spanish vermouths, join De Muller enologist Jordi Benito and La Cala food expert Alvaro Montero and discover the amazing world behind vermouth & gourmet Spanish seafood.” To reserve a space at Manchester email [email protected]
Iberica, 14-15 The Avenue, Spinningfields, M3 3HF. 0161 358 1350.