The traditional Spanish Picada is one of the most essential parts of Catalan Cuisine. After grinding herbs, oils, nuts or other ingredients with a wooden pestle inside of a thick yellow and green ceramic mortar, the picada’s mission is to perfectly accent the natural flavors of the fresh produce or seafood it is complementing. As one crushes and releases those aromatic flavors in the mortar, it reminds you of the basic beauty of fresh flavors from fresh products.
Located in the back of la Boqueria market is the remarkable collection of Llorenç Petrás: baskets and baskets of gourmet mushrooms with different sizes, colors smells and flavours from all over the world. His stand at La Boqueria Market, which has earned him the nickname “wizard of mushrooms,” is one of the best of its kind in Europe.
And now that we’re entering the best season for mushrooms—at the end of summer and beginning of fall—his collection is at the height of its diversity. Petrás’s humble stall in La Boqueria Market is unique because he still sells his product in person, even though he’s made unknown fortunes selling to luxury clients in both London and Paris.
At Gourmand Breaks we frequently organize for our guests la Boqueria market private guided tours, followed by private cooking classes with our professional chef as well as tastings at all the most authentic ´foodie´ hotspots in the city!
It’s too bad Montserrat tomatoes aren’t grown widely out of Spain because they’re gorgeous specimens. As soon as you cut slices of this Catalonia-grown tomato, which looks like some giant mutating piece of produce at first, an elegant almost floral-like design falls onto the plate. Delicate ruby-colored pockets of juice stud its center and especially taste divine when sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt. As a Catalan specialty here, the Montserrat tomato often finds its way onto the platters of the area’s innovative gourmet chefs including the world-renowned Ferran Adria.
Almost exclusively produced in the Emporda region of Catalonia, the seeds for the Montserrat tomato are created by the local farmers themselves and not commercialized as of yet. Harvesting of this tomato lasts from June until early autumn, so if you want some, hurry up and come visit!
On a Secret Barcelona Gourmet Tour you will be shown around La Boqueria Market in Barcelona by a professional chef, select only the best Montserrat tomatoes and other fine local produce and then head to the kitchen to create some delicious and authentic Spanish recipes!
Since the name of this dish comes from the Catalan word escalivar, meaning “to roast over ashes or embers,” it is traditional to cook this over a real flame. If you can’t though, you can bake the traditional Spanish Escalivada in the oven with good results as well.
Ingredients for traditional Spanish Escalivada
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat the oven to 500ºF. Brush the eggplants, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes with olive oil. If using a grill, place the vegetables directly over the fire and grill, turning frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender. The variation in timing depends on the heat of the fire, and some vegetables, such as the tomatoes, may be ready before the others. If using an oven, arrange the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast, turning every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables from the grill or oven, wrap in foil and let cool for about 1 hour.
Unwrap the vegetables. Peel the eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, and peel away the outer layer of the onions. Split the bell peppers in half, discard the seeds and stems, and cut lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide. Transfer to a bowl. Trim the stems from the eggplants and core the tomatoes, and then cut them into strips of the same size as the pepper strips and add to the bowl. Trim the onions, cut into rings, and add to the bowl along with the garlic.
Add the 1/3 cup olive oil, season with salt, and toss to mix well. Serve your delicious Spanish Escalivada at room temperature.
On a Cooking Class Day Tour in Barcelona, our clients frequently prepare this dish as a first course or as an accompaniment to a main course and it always goes down a treat! The day long tour includes a visit to the city’s most talked about marketplace, La Boqueria as well as tastings at all the top ´foodie´spots in the city.
