Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Carme Ruscalleda's Sant Pau


docsconz

Recommended Posts

After a walking tour of the Bario Gotico we were picked up by our bus to head up to Sant Pol and Carme Ruscalleda’s Two Star Restaurant Sant Pau.

gallery_8158_206_1097435175.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097435223.jpg

The location was beautifully situated overlooking the sea and a train line that added nothing but atmosphere. The overall atmosphere was more of old world refinement

gallery_8158_206_1097435291.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097435336.jpg

than the urban chic of Abac, while the level of cooking appeared similar even if the styles were different. Highlights of the twelve course meal included hors d’ouvres such as Coca de verema with onion, eggplant, sardine and potato

gallery_8158_206_1097435428.jpg ,

salt cod with pureed smoked “Ganxet” beans and tomato crystals

gallery_8158_206_1097435486.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097435554.jpg ,

“Pressec de vinya rostit de tres carns”

gallery_8158_206_1097436021.jpg

bread cones filled with olive oil sorbet.

gallery_8158_206_1097436076.jpg

The main course progression; ,A Terrine of "Presseed Foie Gras and Tails" with foie, pork-tail and pistachio along with a salad of watercress, shaved pumpkin, Calvados gelee and pansies

gallery_8158_206_1097436180.jpg

Oysters heated with oliaigo, a sea-rich fish stock

gallery_8158_206_1097436279.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097436341.jpg

beautifully roasted and sweet squid stuffed with mushrooms, vegetables and little gelee cubes of squid ink,

gallery_8158_206_1097436413.jpg

Salt Cod with paprika, garlic, parsley, mushrooms and spinach (so far the best salt cod dish on the trip)

gallery_8158_206_1097437022.jpg

Two sauces were applied simultaneously to the plates for the cod in a novel way with a unique two-barrel push plunger

gallery_8158_206_1097437118.jpg

“Dry” rice of wild Pigeon with sea anemone, mushrooms and peppers

gallery_8158_206_1097437356.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097437416.jpg

and the most outstanding cheese course I have ever had. It consisted of a long plate with various pairings that needed to be eaten in particular order.

gallery_8158_206_1097437478.jpg

The opener was Barida, a creamy, raw goat’s milk cheese from the Alt Urgell along with red endive, pine nuts and lardoons. Next was Ibores, another goat cheese, this time from Caceres. This was served with a small cup of grapefruit pulp and honey. Tou Roi, a raw milk cow cheese from Sort was paired with a fig cube and drops of aged balsamic vinegar. Pata de Mulo from Leon, a raw sheep’s milk cheese from Leon, was paired with amazingly deep flavored tomato confit and basil gelee, a truly stunning combination. Lastly a perfect marriage was made with Cabrales, a goat’s milk bleu from Asturias along with a “transparency” of quince and pansies.

While no dish was less than excellent, my least favorite was “Dry Rice” of Wild Dove along with subtle sea anemones, mushrooms and peppers. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I weren’t the last one served with the scrapings of the pan. Desserts were excellent though abbreviated secondary to a need to return to Barcelona for a chocolate demonstration and tasting at Cacao Sampaka. A dessert called “Refreshing and Spicy” with parsnip, pineapple, Tabasco, kiwi and coconut,

gallery_8158_206_1097437910.jpg

Sweet corn ice cream, two chocolate sorbets, light sablee and citrics

gallery_8158_206_1097437975.jpg

and an assortment of confections

gallery_8158_206_1097438028.jpg

including salted bonbons of white chocolate and black sesame seeds and spicy bonbons of black chocolate with white sesame seeds,

Orange and almond sponge cake

gallery_8158_206_1097438077.jpg

watermelon and coconut brochettes,

gallery_8158_206_1097438171.jpg

and mint and chocolate foam

gallery_8158_206_1097439256.jpg

were amongst the highlights.

The wines included a 2003 Blanco de Rueda, verdejo from Masa; 2002 Martinet Bru, a cru from the Priorato, consisting of Garnacha, carinyano, merlot, syrah and cab. Sauvignon; Augusti Torello’ Mata Cava, and a sumptuously balanced Pedro Ximenez 1927 Sherry from Alvear.

Carme was charming.

gallery_8158_206_1097437838.jpg

We toured the kitchen

gallery_8158_206_1097439389.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097439845.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440024.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440152.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440328.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440428.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440501.jpg

and back exterior

gallery_8158_206_1097440567.jpg

gallery_8158_206_1097440626.jpg

afterwards before heading back to Barcelona for a chocolate demonstration and tasting at Cacao Sampaka and then dinner at Cinc Sentits (on my own).

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've never seen one with such a view.

Had we realized it was as open as it is during our meal, we all would have been out of our seats much more often during the meal and watching the preparations.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

As i never heard "good" things about Carmen Ruscatella this pictures were stunning! A friend of mine was there 2 years ago but as i can see she is topnotch!

What a Feast, Congratulations and thank you very much for that detailed review!

vue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The location was beautifully situated overlooking the sea and a train line that added nothing but atmosphere. The overall atmosphere was more of old world refinement

... the most outstanding cheese course I have ever had. It consisted of a long plate with various pairings that needed to be eaten in particular order.

While no dish was less than excellent, my least favorite was “Dry Rice” of Wild Dove along with subtle sea anemones, mushrooms and peppers. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I weren’t the last one served with the scrapings of the pan. Desserts were excellent though abbreviated secondary to a need to return to Barcelona for a chocolate demonstration and tasting at Cacao Sampaka. A dessert called “Refreshing and Spicy” with parsnip, pineapple, Tabasco, kiwi and coconut,

The location is terrific and the view is quite lovely especially if you're driving and forget you're right by the sea because you've gotten lost in a maze of narrow winding local streets. It was a restaurant whose appearance reminded me less of traditional Spanish restaurants or of ultramodern Spanish restaurants than it did of some Relais Gourmand in the south of France at the time. I suppose those reactions are pretty subjective anyway.

Speaking of subjective reactions, The more artculate the post and the more I sense a member appreciates food, the more I am reminded of just how subjective our appreciation is. There's no disputing taste. I'm reminded by the description of the rice dish above and that Mrs. B always says her family used to fight over the "pegao" of crust of rice that forms in the caldero. It also brings to mind the arroz plancha at Ca'Sento in Valencia where the seafood rice was cooked on a griddle until a light skin formed. It was then scraped off the griddle so the skin wrapped around the rice and the whole mass fored a quenelle shape with a skin.

At Sant Pau, a couple of years ago, we had a relatively simple lunch of three courses a la carte, although we asked them to split the four savory courses and thus each of us had a small tasting menu of four savory courses. Our one retreat from creative cooking was to order a "wet rice" with gambas as we hadn't been eating many traditional meals. It was superb. The rice was cooked in an intensely flavored broth.

I was most envious of Mrs. B's dessert of chocolate, fruit and pastry as I had chosen the cheese with pairings. I have yet to enjoy a creative cheese course very much and as well done as the one at Sant Pau was, it was no excpetion. I order them out of curiosity, but never enjoy them as much as a good selection of cheeses, or dessert. As much as enjoy most creative food, savory and dessert, I fall back on the traditional cheese plate found in the two restaurants in provincial France as my ideal.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doc,

with each an every new post it is becoming clear what an extraordinary trip that you had. thanks again for sharing such a marvellous experience. this last posting has just made me change my itinarary for the spring time...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The location was beautifully situated overlooking the sea and a train line that added nothing but atmosphere. The overall atmosphere was more of old world refinement

... the most outstanding cheese course I have ever had. It consisted of a long plate with various pairings that needed to be eaten in particular order.

While no dish was less than excellent, my least favorite was “Dry Rice” of Wild Dove along with subtle sea anemones, mushrooms and peppers. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I weren’t the last one served with the scrapings of the pan.

Speaking of subjective reactions, The more artculate the post and the more I sense a member appreciates food, the more I am reminded of just how subjective our appreciation is. There's no disputing taste. I'm reminded by the description of the rice dish above and that Mrs. B always says her family used to fight over the "pegao" of crust of rice that forms in the caldero. It also brings to mind the arroz plancha at Ca'Sento in Valencia where the seafood rice was cooked on a griddle until a light skin formed. It was then scraped off the griddle so the skin wrapped around the rice and the whole mass fored a quenelle shape with a skin.

Had the "scrapings" been the crusty rice that you described I believe I would have marvelled at my extraordinary fortune. Unfortunately it was a smaller portion with a bit less of the proteinaceous components than other platings. It was still good and on another day may have been marvellous. I think I was just feeling a bit short-changed. I don't doubt that this may have affected my view of the dish.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doc,

with each an every new post it is becoming clear what an extraordinary trip that you had.  thanks again for sharing such a marvellous experience.  this last posting has just made me change my itinarary for the spring time...

David,

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this itinerary, both before and especially after.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Magnificent, breathtaking photos and commentary.  I'm intrigued by the olive oil sorbet, how would you describe its taste and texture?

This was actually not quite as intriguing as it sounds. It had a nice rich texture, but my recollection is that it was very subtly flavored. This was not one of the standouts of the meal IMO.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I echo what Milla said. This, for whatever reason, is the most captivating and compelling post I've yet seen about your Spanish tour, Doc. The atmosphere, the creativity and artfulness of the dishes, and something about the spirit of the restaurant—it must be a reflection of the chef. What a spirit she must have: she shines. I'm smitten. I've got to get to Spain.

For those interested in web sites:

Official Sant Pau web site

Sant Pau (Relais Chateaux site)

Also: Sant Pau Japan auxiliary site is worth poking through, I think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...