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Tapas time

At Sevilla

It is that time of the year — the weather is worth growing affection for, the attention of tourists is panning towards Delhi and one doesn’t have to fret about the heat when out on lunch. Hotels and restaurants adore the season and food f estivals get tough to bypass. Flavours from across the world are lining up in Delhi and it is no different at The Claridges. Their indoor-outdoor Mediterranean restaurant with a romantic feel, Sevilla, now brings in a Spanish culinary fiesta.

Chef Jorge Acerato from Melia Hotels and Resorts has been flown in for the 15-day festival. From the land of tapas and the flamenco comes an entire spread high on seafood and pork. Spanish cuisine retains a rustic feel, and dishes like the tapas and paella are a paean to community dining. The natural flavour of the ingredients is optimised in Spanish cooking.

The meal is flagged off with the Andulasian gazpacho — the vintage cold soup. Gazpacho has the punch of fresh tomatoes, a dash of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Coming from olive country, the abundance of the oil in dishes is taken for granted. The Spanish have a fetish for vinegar and hardly any delicacy is complete without it. To keep it cold, the gazpacho is served on ice platter. While gulping it down, the cold soup allows you to distinguish each of the ingredients — tomatoes, vinegar and olive oil. The oil gives it a zing and the gazpacho sets the mood for the fare to come.

Tapas are a way of life in Spain and the tapas platter at Sevilla gives a variety fare. From fried fillets of anchovies, wheat and chickpea tortilla, to chicken and lamb crumbed croquettes, it forms an enticing crunchy affair. Lending the range a different character are tomato and bread preparation and sausage with cheese and bread.

Extending the line of starters are artichoke hearts sautéed with tomato and cream. Take apart the layers of the artichoke to the let the stream of olive oil seep out. It is amazing how olive oil can elevate a dish and artichoke is one such example. However, the cold salad of red tuna didn’t work with me. Cold tuna with olive oil, pepper and vinegar can be a matter of cultivated taste. The main course brings in the quintessential Spanish paella. The paella or rice with vegetables is a better choice than the paella with seafood. The dish gets its name from the pan in which the rice is cooked and served and is integral to Spaniards. The rice is mightier than its counterparts here and the paella — both vegetable and seafood version — is a wholesome meal. The sheer size of the prawn in garlic, olive oil, tomato and potatoes catches you off guard. The prawns are fleshy and a few bites could make you full. For those with a fetish for pork and lamb, on offer is Iberian pork with cauliflower cream and grilled lamb chops.

Among desserts, rice flan with mango gelato is worth raising a toast to. The flan may be a cousin of caramel custard, but it works perfectly with the mango gelato. Chocolate bars are for those who have set aside the day for sinful indulgence.

A meal for one is priced at Rs.3,500 plus taxes. The festival is on till November 15.

P. ANIMA

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