False risotto of vegetables and beet yolk

2007 was, without a doubt, a year of glory for Pedro Subijana, one in which he created a vast number of important dishes -transcendental even- that will stand the test of time, distinguished by their elegance, harmony… and by his refinement and wisdom. There are those dishes which are more essential, like the gelatinous baby squid and onion rings over a beautiful, delicate cuajada of Parmigiano-reggiano with lyophilized ink sauce from the squid–a reinvention of an illustrious recipe in accordance with our times. Or dishes that are more complex, such as the bean salad with a succulent cut of grilled boar, red pepper crumbs and a fragile, liquid sphere of egg–a stunning composition deserving of the Academy Award for best vegetable dish. In either extreme, or somewhere in between, we find other compositions that could easily deserve the Dish of the Year, like the integral red mullet with fusili and different sauces, but if we had to choose one on pure brilliance it would have to be the false risotto of vegetables with beet yolk. It has been presented throughout this year with various products. For example, brunoise of beans, carrot, cauliflower, chard and asparagus, cooked al dente, each one thickened with their own liquefied form and with a delightful adornment of an egg yolk, seasoned in the Carlo Cracco style and covered with a colorful beet jelly. To leave no doubts, this is the most daring vision of a vegetable dish seen in recent times, captured with utter beauty and a heavy dose of modesty. Nonetheless, we remain almost convinced that because of the simplicity of the components, it won’t enjoy a very long life. That’s just the way things are.