Martín Berasategui loves being a perfectionist. He is a reformer that went so far as to reform himself. It is perhaps one of the aspects that best define his work: he does not shy away from this characteristic of himself, far from it. He is proliferate and eclectic, diverse and complex, and welcomes these qualities with open arms. In the last few years alone he has consecrated dozens of recipes. The number of Dishes of the Year that he has received from the Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía guide is sufficient testimony: 10, among which his caramelized mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie gras and apple and his warm vegetable marrow salad with lobster, razor-shell clams, cockles, lettuce cream and iodized yolk are here for all of posterity. If we had to choose a “primus inter pares”, this latter would certainly be the one.
Martín is now reorienting himself using his greatest success as his inspiration. The same structure is used in this dish: flat integrity in a square form. The vegetables and shellfish are replaced by autumnal meats, dove – or another type of fowl depending on what can be found in the marketplace –, with chestnuts, mushrooms, truffle vinaigrette and, of course, herbs, sprouts and flowers. The result is beautiful, immaculate, precious, with endless nuances and very refined. Curiously enough, it can cause the guest to wonder whether it is a salad in the form of a game dish they are enjoying or a meat dish with marvelously refreshing attributes. A wonderful preservation of identity and gastronomic memory.

Not to offend anyone, though it may be hard to believe (and there are many who do not want to believe it), but Ferran Adrià is capable of imagining – better yet, creating – more and better dishes than all the chefs in the world combined. We do not make this extreme statement to undermine the work of others, but simply to clarify the mental magnitude of the most visionary of all chefs, and not just at this moment in time, but throughout history. Every year he completely renovates his repertoire: more than a hundred proposals are created through the development of four or five concepts and techniques that constitute the foundation of the season’s work. From there he detracts or adds, intensifies or decreases, mixes, combines… offering distinct flavors, parings, textures, colors, shapes… unlimited possibilities. Like this gastronomic garden that opens a new world of sapid fragrances.
Ferran uses twelve to fourteen flowers in this dish – an astonishingly beautiful creation. Each flower is tasted slowly and completely separate from the others. It is a treatise on the perception of fresh aromas and perfumed flavors, and one that awakens fascinating sensations in the mind and on the palate. The guest goes from flower to flower, with the common thread of a honey and caramelized rosemary air that sweetens the experience in an ethereal, subtle way. Pistachios in different textures are hidden underneath, at the base of the plate, like an invisible surprise, more dense and with greater consistency than the rest, but also sweet and with a light bitter touch. The only conclusion is, quite simply, that it is a brilliant formula. It is hard to say whether it is a salad with a dessert flare, or a dessert served like a plate of salad, or if the symbiosis makes it impossible to discern that which goes beyond known culinary excellence.

Josean Martínez Alija demonstrates in this dish some of the qualities that have made him the best chef in Spain under 30 years old. We would even say he is the best chef in the world for his age category. In this proposal he demonstrates that it isn’t necessary to search for exotic flavors to stand out. On the contrary, he clairvoyantly chooses very typical products of the country. It is inspired by a traditional, modest dish: beans and potatoes. It preserves the identity of both ingredients – an immaculate manifestation of familiar flavors. What is markedly different are the textures: the potatoes are prepared al dente, boiled in water with an abundance of salt until the water evaporates, then served in small pieces. The beans are liquified raw, offering their juices and, later, whipped and foamy, are reinforced by a brief moment in the pan. A gelatinous cod broth, in perfect concordance with the spirit of the dish, gives it an unctuous, succulent element, particularly to the potatoes that serve also to heat the broth at assembly time. Exquisite, colorful minimalism.

This prodigious recipe visualizes the impressive philosophy and breathtaking artistic gift of Paolo Lopriore. A greater impact with such few elements could not be made. Aesthetics, sharpness, refinement and fantasy – the perpetuation of historic gastronomy! This is a daring recreation of simple macaroni, impregnated simply with extra virgin olive oil and black pepper.
The base of the dish is covered with a spoonful of pecorino, as if it were a light dusting of snow, insubstantial and delicious, which melts in the mouth without the slightest gesture. Above, the macaroni are served two ways, one cooked traditionally, dressed with a few drops of oil, and the other, filled with an emulsion of olive oil and an infusion of fresh black pepper stabilized with agar. The playful manner in which the two pastas intermingle, offering different properties of flavor, texture and color, with the allure of the cheese that emboldens the capriciousness of the dish is nothing shirt of fantastic.