What comes from Botxo itself is, in reality, the potato omelette recipe that has been gaining followers over the years in The Zárate Tavern (and before at the legendary Galatea in Barakaldo). Basically, because the sexagenarian Periko Sampedro, who started making tortillas at the age of 14, we don’t see him moving to Madrid at this point in the film. With how well he is retiring in a city like Bilbao, who in his right mind was going to settle in the capital having been recognized as the author of the best tortilla in Vizcaya?
What good old Periko has done is form a team which is already making lovers of snacks, in general, and of potato omelettes in particular. We say it in plural because here there is not a single variety, but thirteen different options inside we find everything from Riojan joys to Iberian ham, cheese, chorizo or truffle, flirting with the usual ingredients of this iconic dish.
This new Madrid adventure, a true Bilbao adventure, stars some of the heavyweights of current Basque cuisine: Sergio Ortiz de Zarate (chef of Zarate Jatetxea), Beñat Ormaetxea (chef of Jauregibarria) and Ricardo Pérez (chef of Yandiola). Together they have created a tavern for txikiteo that transports you to the most authentic Euskadi and in which a good atmosphere is guaranteed.
With the first of them, which has 1 Michelin star and it is the Euskadi Gastronomy Award, we have talked about the secrets of that potato omelette that you are taking a long time to devour for €2.70 (generous pintxo) or €20 (whole). And we tell you that nothing has been left in the pipelinebasically because it is one thing to have the ingredients and quite another to be able to make a replica of this work of art.
On bread, with Aranjuez monalisa potato and Añana salt
The first thing that catches your attention is that the pintxo is supported on a small slice of bread, something quite unusual for ordinary mortals. But Ortiz de Zarate’s explanation quickly convinces us: “It is the only way to air it everywhere, it is very important to cut the cooking when appropriate. If you leave it on a plate, without cutting it, it will continue cooking and it will be too curdled when you want to cut it, and if you cut it at the right time, but leave it resting on the plate, it will not be able to air out at the bottom.
All this makes sense when you realize that there, in the Basque Country, it is common to enjoy this standing miniature haute cuisine, never sitting. That’s why the normal thing is to grab the tortilla pintxo with its bread underneath and devour it all at the same time. Your advice for this Madrid version? That you remove the piece of bread as soon as you arrive at the table and that you use it to pushbasically because it has already fulfilled its function.
Once this enigma is solved, let’s move on to the potato. “We use monalisa because it is the best for making tortillas, and we bring it from Aranjuez because kilometer zero is important to us.” Was the one chosen after many tests and we attest that your decision has been more than correct. Likewise, another non-negotiable point has to do with salt, which They bring it from Añana. It is the one they have been using since the original recipe and they do not even consider using another variety.
Once you try it, it doesn’t surprise you that, for decades, this man has caused authentic pilgrimages there where his tortilla has been present (the queues of male and female nurses that formed in a place he had near the Cruces Hospital were famous). And from what the owner tells us, right now at La Taberna de Zarate they are shipped daily around 1,200 tortilla pintxos. A phenomenon to study in hospitality schools, without a doubt.
And we know that this revolution has been replicated there where they have begun to serve his recipe: “In my group we have known him since we were kids and we started drinking in the bars, I remember that We always went to Periko’s regardless of where he was. “He has seen us grow, that’s why there is a lot of love, respect and friendship.”
Small and pasteurized eggs (by them)
In this potato omelette Size Matters, at least the one with the eggs. And our guests today are clear, they always choose the little ones: “In these eggs the proportion of yolk, with respect to the clear one, is greater. And that is precisely the proportion we look for for our omelettes.” To which he adds: “Keep in mind that we usually use 9 eggs, but there are times when we have to add a couple more yolks because we have fallen short.”
Once this is resolved, we go with something very striking that we believe is exclusive to La Tortilla de Periko. We mean that, in order to offer the greatest possible food security, have chosen to daily pasteurize the eggs they use for their preparations. “Taking advantage of the experience of the three chefs who are in this, who We have worked a lot with eggs at low temperatures for our gastronomic dishes in restaurants”.
In these cases we are talking about an egg that is already pasteurized because exceeds 63 degrees of temperature in the center of the product for more than 4 minutes, so the salmonella is neutralized. And the best thing is that we do not lose any of its benefits along the way: “Organoleptically, it is exactly the same as before pasteurization and, furthermore, we managed to extend the life of that eggwhich in itself can withstand a lot,” Sergio clarifies.
They are so satisfied with it R&D work done, which are now working on certifying it with AENOR or another association of this type. Although they are aware that This process can be extended because “it involves several control samples, bacteriological analysis, etc.”
We make a paragraph in case you still have doubts about the role that Periko plays in this project, since we think that with this it will be clearer to you: “His thing is training and quality control, which is the only job compatible with being retired. He stops by the bar at least once a week to check that the tortilla is still up to par. For me this is basic so that the quality is always the highest possible and we do not deviate.”
Although, as you can imagine, mentor of La Tortilla de Periko It was a little difficult for him, at first, to agree to the pasteurization of the eggs. But after seeing the result, he had nothing to object. What’s more, like the rest of his colleagues, he thinks that this innovation “has managed to improve the recipe because the pasteurized egg provides extra creaminess.
Periko does not live on tortilla alone
Although there is no doubt that the potato omelette is the main protagonist of this new Basque tavern in Madrid, it is important that you know that There are many other options in your letter.. From classic pintxos, such as gilda or bilbainito (based on prawn, boiled egg, mayonnaise and olive), to generous portions of croquettes, roasted txistorraasparagus from Navarra or octopus from Lekeitio.
Their bean putxeradas, made with Tolosan black beans in a putxera in the traditional way. They will be available very soon at La Tortilla de Periko (obviously at noon) and the objective is to pay a nice tribute to the mythical railway pot created by the machinists of the La Robla Railway, which They cooked their stews over low heat using the coal that they themselves transported.
The good news is that for enjoy this fantasy in the middle of 2023 You will not have to travel to Balmaseda, which is where the route of this historic train line that linked the province of León with that of Vizcaya ended. You just have to get closer to the Ibiza-Retiro areaone of the most gastronomically interesting neighborhoods in the capital, since Periko and his partners from Bilbao are now neighbors of Salino, Berlanga, Hermanos Vinagre or La Cocina de Frente, among others.
The idea is that the Madrid native (from birth or adoption), if he can forget for a second about the Madrid stew, can enjoy this very tasty recipe from the end of the 19th century whether you go alone, as a couple or accompanied by the gang. In all cases they will leave you bean casserole (accompanied by pickled piparra and cabbage) and the bowl with the meat on the table, so you can serve yourself at your own pace. This second turn or step is made up of the following sacraments: chorizo, bacon, ribs and blood sausage.
Basque cuisine: A culinary journey through a food lover’s paradise (Thematic Cuisine)
*Some prices may have changed since the last review
We are talking about an option that is especially suitable for the cold months, since, like other Basque recipes such as Vitorian stew, it stands out for its forcefulness and intense flavor. For this reason, it is best to accompany the experience with a Rioja Alavesa wine or a cider from the earthwhich does not mean that anyone who wants to innovate can opt for a marianito (prepared vermouth) or a good txakoli.
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