The capacity for synthesis, simplicity and purity are patent in this modern delight, expressing ancestral and modest flavors in a highly intelligent and natural manner. It would be hard to get more out of such a cheap and traditional formula. Red onion consommé, some potatoes, flattened and powerfully impregnated with oil and astonishingly flavorful low-temperature egg; everything in perfect proportions thanks to the privileged sense of good taste and balance of this new and talented chef: Sergio Bartard.

From the creative hands of Jordi Vilà we have a dish that is so colorful, so attractive, so impactive… like the ocean itself. It is also very delicate, especially when the markets allow for the complete repertoire of shellfish; an oyster, two cockles, a few barnacles, sea snails, a few pieces of seaweed and, sometimes, a spoonful of his majesty, monsieur caviar. Each element expresses its full identity without intermingling with the rest. The common thread of all these oceanic treasures is a Mediterranean broth: an exquisite, blue-tinted soup flavored with kombu seaweed. Brilliant. Genius, even. To successfully create a blue colored dish is no easy task. It’s especially brilliant (no, we wont tire of saying it) because this gastronomic milestone was created naturally, using nothing more than purple basil which, in combination with the oceanic base turns into the sea–and what an exquisite sea it is.

Josean Martínez Alija possesses a creative capacity of universal acclaim. Over time he has managed to dictate a personal style all his own, defined by essence and immaculate flavors. He is one of the few chefs alive that can be identified by merely seeing his dishes, the way he constructs them, his use of minimalism and colors… always expressing extraordinary beauty. He has a privileged mind that allows him to conceive brilliant formulas that combine imagination and perfection. His work in 2007 deserves two Dish of the Year awards, not to mention other inspired and virtuous creations. If the grilled petits pois with egg yolk, onion and vanilla excite the senses through their artistic sublimation of the raw product, the red onion and cayenne gnocchi with baby squid broth and mini zucchini reach the zenith of intangible fantasy. Without the use of meat they produce an incredible sense of purity and substance. Gelatinous gnocchi enclose clean flavors, first of onion, then the flavor of the baby squid broth and, lastly, the tempered spice of the Cayenne pepper in the aftertaste. Elements swim in the concentrated, liquid broth that expresses the quintessence of the cephalopod and a few mini zucchini decorate the simple, reflective composition, of unsurpassable exquisiteness.

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.