Firstly we are in Segovia, a small city 80 clicks NW of Madrid, the sun is shining, weather is fair. In the shade of a balcony a lady sells beans and lentils, and in the distance a church bells sounds.
The aqua-duct, built 2100 years ago, is pretty awesome. Our guide, Carlos, informs us that it was built entirely without 'pastry' (for a laugh, we considered wedging some croissants between the stones) of course he means paste, or mortar. The aqua-duct stretches about a kilometre, starting at the fortified walls of the old city and stretching out towards the mountain of the 'death lying woman'. What? Oh, just an old Christian legend - the mountain looks like a woman lying on her back. There is also a legend about the aqua-duct. Christians, who wanted to stake a claim on the history of the aqua-duct, conjured up the lame-est story I have ever heard. It pains me to recite it so lets just keep it to this: girl carries water daily from the mountain, devil appears, makes deal for girls soul, girl goes pleading to Virgin Mary, Virgin tricks devil.....etc Llllllaaaaaammmmmeeee-ooooooooooo
Candido's story, however, is written in stone, and captured in bronze statues too!
Candido is a bit of a legend around these parts, because he does really good cochinillos (suckling pig) so good that, many years ago, when the king of Spain was passing through, he ate Candido's pigs and was so taken by the experience that he awarded Candido a royal commendation!
Just so you know, Candido's refers to the restaurant, and three generations of chefs. They are all 'Candido'.
Candido was waiting in the door way of Candido's when we arrived for 'comida' (lunch). He took us for a tour through the multi-levelled restaurant and kitchen, where he demonstrated the exact regional technique for roasting the three week old piggies.
After watching the young chef Jose prepare 'sopa Castellano' we retired to the banquet room where we ate 'platos primera' of Morcilla (blood snag) ensalada de esparrugos, cetas (mushrooms) and soup. Our Sommelier was Candido's head somme, and he gave us a young 100% temperanillo Ribera Del Duero to wash down our grub. It was a pleasure to be waited on, as not only was he the head somme at Condido's, he was also the head of the Spanish Sommeliers Association. Calibre.
Things were progressing agreeably when two chefs appeared in the hallway, holding a large wooden tablet. They looked like they were bearing a stretcher. There was a lot of commotion, elevated chatter, and the chef leading the procession started to look a little nervous. Then Candido Senior, proudly bearing his royal sashes, led the procession into the banquet room.
As the bearers navigated the corner we saw that there were four cochinillos spread across a bed of aromatic herbs, and the whole tablet had been doused with rum and set alight, so that the pigs and herbs crackled with dancing blue flames. Heavy, hot, and flaming; you can understand the chef's unease!
Once the tablet was laid at the head of the table, Candido Sr stood over the pigs and read a decree from the king of Spain, declaring them the best pigs in the land, it was quite a long and animated speech that concluded with Candido picking up a dinner plate and chopping the pigs! Using the edge of the plate, he came down, with long sweeping arcs, upon them. Once the chopping was done he smashed the plate upon the floor; signalling the beginning of the feast. So we did, like kings.
So what's/who's the winner?
For me it's the aqua-duct, sorry Candido, but if your still roasting pigs in 2000 years then kudos to you!
Sooo.... how was the pig? did it crackle? did the meat fray into strands and rendered fat melt in your mouth? Were you thinking of us poor folk back home?
ReplyDeleteAnd did the piglets have an apple in their piggy little snouts?
I got footage o the pig, still getting round to posting it, it was good - wouldn't want to eat it every day tho, so rich!
ReplyDelete