There is always a buzz of excitement and anticipation at El Capote’s food and wine evenings.  The regulars know the format of the evening, but it is always great to hear Ian remind us all (as if we need validation) that it is an evening of, “Great food, great wine and great company!”

Chef Lede, a very talented chef who uses techniques in molecular gastronomy made famous by chefs such as Ferran Adrià at elBulli and Heston Blumenthal at The Fat Duck, creates tantalising and imaginative dishes that play with your mind and leave you wanting more.  Each dish a work of gastronomic art – 30 identical looking covers per course is no mean feat when catering for a group of people let alone when presenting a 13 course menú degustación!

13 courses X 30 covers = 390 dishes

But for me it’s not just about the taste; it’s the theatrical performance that Lede with his assistants execute for us as they plate up; it is delicious to watch!

“Great Food, Great Wine, Great Company”

The 13 course taster menu comprised three sections all involving seasonal produce with most of the key ingredients sourced from the Campo Area.

The Menu

• Ajoblanco de Naranja
• Naranja-Bacon
• Esferas de payoyo con tostas de hierbas y polvo de ibérico
• Bollo de huevo con jamón ibérico de bellota

Snack marino

• Flash cooking de gamba blanca de huelva con yuzu y sesamo
• Carabinero con especias en su fondo marino con huevas de su americana
• Papas con choco: Raviolis de Wonton rellenos de guiso de choco, crema de patata, caviar de guisantes y aire de mar

Snack terrestre

• Falso tomate de Foie, garrapiñados y reducción de Pedro Ximenez
• Steak tartare de solomillo de ternera con anguilas ahumadas y nieve de Foie
• Homenaje al cerdo ibérico (3 dishes): Carrilleras con panceta de cerdo, caldo texturizado de jamón, migas y chicharrones aéreos

• Sopa fria de chocolate blanco, frutos rojas y granizado de mora

Where I would normally go through the menu and describe each dish, there were far to many to describe in detail – however, I have been informed by Ian that Chef Lede is going to be repeating the menu with one major change: At the Christmas Special we were treated to different Sherrys to match the food.  Not everyone’s favourite tipple!  This meant that we couldn’t quaff throughout the meals but more especially the intermissions.  So wines will be available for those of you interested in going.

My favourites were: the Bollo de huevo con jamón ibérico de bellota, Carabinero con especias en su fondo marino con huevas de su americana and el Homenaje al cerdo ibérico (3 dishes): Carrilleras con panceta de cerdo, caldo texturizado de jamón, migas y chicharrones aéreos.

In future – if I were to have the Homenaje al cerdo ibérico – I think it would be more effective to have the three constituent parts on the same plate to truly appreciate the deconstructive nature of molecular gastronomy. However I am aware of of kitchen constraints and why this was executed as so.

If anyone is tempted by any of these dishes, or if the thought of having a test tube shot appeals to you, then I recommend you get yourself down to El Capote when they next advertise as they tend to fill up places fast!