The day after our disappointing meal at Akelarre, we headed into a remote area of the Basque Country just south of the Durango mountain pass. The destination was the highly acclaimed Asador Etxebarri. Just managing to squeeze into this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list at #50, Etxebarri specializes in grilling. After Akelarre’s flashy dishes failed to deliver interesting flavors, I was hoping Etxebarri’s straight forward approach to cooking would help me better understand Basque cuisine and more importantly offer a tasty meal. In the end, it thankfully did.
At Etxebarri, it’s all about the grill and grilling taken to the highest level of execution. In their pursuit of excellence, Etxebarri makes their own charcoal on premises. The side of the building houses the different woods they use to make charcoal.
Before eating at Etxebarri, I thought I had an idea of what types of flavors their grill and charcoal might impart on their food. I’ve had various grilled and smoked foods in the past and used those experiences to calibrate my expectations. However, the the grill and charcoal at Etxebarri influenced the flavor of each dish in a way I’d never experienced.
Beet Juice
The meal started out with a simple beet juice. It tasted like…beet juice. I would later realize that this was a perfect example of one of the things Etxebarri is all about. Taking a simple ingredient and preparing it simply in a way that showcases and celebrates it.
Homemade Chorizo
I’d heard great things about the homemade chistorra at Etxebarri, but sadly it wasn’t on the a la carte or tasting menu. Instead, we opted to add the homemade chorizo as a supplement to the tasting menu. The chorizo was decent, but by it wasn’t memorable.
Salt-Cured Anchovies on Grilled Bread
This being the first dish on the tasting menu, it was a nice introduction to what I’ll call “the Etxebarri flavor.” I knew I was tasting something new in the bread, but it wasn’t until a couple dishes later that I finally understood what exactly that was.
Oyster
Next was a grilled oyster with a citrus foam (if I recall correctly) and seaweed. The oyster was very meaty and there was a subtle yet distinct crispness to the flavor. This was the same flavor that piqued my interest in the grilled bread.
Palamos Prawns
Palamos prawns are regarded as some of the best prawns in the world. Caught off the Costa Brava, their meat is intensely sweet and their head juices are briny yet clean and not muddled. You can actually taste the ocean when you suck these heads which can’t be said for the majority of crustacean heads I’ve devoured. However, I did find the heads of the prawns we had in Madrid noticeably brinier and tasting more of the sea.
That’s not to say I enjoyed the ones in Madrid better. The ones at Etxebarri were taken to another level thanks to the Etxebarri flavor which was more pronounced in this dish compared to the previous two. By being able to elevate an already pristine product to new heights by simply grilling it made me realize how special Etxebarri is.
The Etxebarri Flavor
That little something of flavor that I’d been thinking about for the past 2 dishes finally clicked in my brain and I felt pretty dumb for not realizing it sooner. That flavor that had progressed from nuanced in the bread to assertive in the prawns was from the grill and the charcoals. How could something so simple, so rudimentary, so primal provide such a complex flavor and aroma?
Smokey without the darkness. Crisp and clean. Light and refreshing. These were the words that ran through my head when I made the connection between the new flavor I was experiencing. When you think about something being grilled and having a smoky flavor, rarely are those mental flavors light, clean, and refreshing. Another word, well acronym, that came to mind was YMCA. For reasons I can’t explain, that magnificent Etxebarri flavor reminded me of how an over-chlorinated YMCA swimming pool smells like in the best way possible. I think that thought was triggered because both things are clean. Perhaps I’m totally wrong, but I was happy to have made some type of memory reference with the food even if it was unintentional.
Sea Cucumber
Out of all the dishes, none had more of that intense Etxebarri flavor from the grill and charcoals than the sea cucumber. It wasn’t too surprising since the sea cucumber was essentially grilled directly on the coals. The sea cucumbers are placed in a shallow wire basket such that the sides of the flesh are flush with the basket walls. Then, the basket is placed directly onto the coals.
I’ve had sea cucumber before, but only at a Chinese seafood restaurant. Typically it’s gelatinous, mushy, and fairly tasteless. Etxebarri’s rendition was anything but. The flesh was meaty and sweet, almost like a scallop. Served over white beans and a vinaigrette, the dish as a whole may have been my favorite of the meal along with the prawns.
Tomato with White Tuna
This was a very refreshing dish as the tomato was plump, juicy, and incredibly sweet. The tuna was lightly grilled. Simple ingredients prepared simply and when combined in a logical manner make for great eat.
Hake Kokotxas
The Basque people love their kokotxas. We had disappointing faux kokotxas the night before at Akelarre, and in Madrid we had them pil-pil style. Like most everything at Etxebarri, these kokotxas came simply grilled. No fuss, no muss. Fatty, gelatinous, and with that great Etxebarri flavor. It was interesting to note that the English menu referred to kokotxas as “tongues.”
Red Sea Bream
The sea bream was brought to the table whole and portioned out tableside. Thankfully they asked us if we wanted to keep the head and we of course said “si.” The fish was very tender and moist and served with the same olive oil and parsley “sauce” that came with the kokotxas. It also came with fried garlic and what I discovered to be hot peppers.
Beef Chop
Known as chuleta, this was Galician beef and supposed to be some of the best in Spain. The huge chop was to be split amongst 3 out of the 4 of us as my mom opted not to eat it. Sure, it finished with a pretty beefy flavor, but what beef doesn’t when you cook it rare? I don’t mind rare, but this beef was so hard to chew. My jaw eventually started to get tired and quickly lost interest as the flavor didn’t warrant the amount of chewing involved. Perhaps the Basque people or Spaniards enjoy chewy beef? This was a huge letdown as I’d heard so many great things about chuleta. Even if I had zero expectations of it, it would still be a big disappointment.
The only saving grace of this dish was the amazing char on the outside of the beef and the excellent grilled vegetables that accompanied it.
Baby Squid with Ink
We had many iterations of chipirones in Spain and this one wasn’t much different. Tender, sweet, and of course that Etxebarri flavor. Since my mom opted out of the beef, she was served a single baby squid which everyone found pretty funny and ridiculous that a single baby squid would be served as her final protein. We guessed this was done because the chuleta was probably a serving for 4 and the single baby squid was served as a courtesy. Why they didn’t give us a beef portion for 3 and my mom more baby squid was confusing because we told them ahead of time that she would like to substitute something for the beef. Not that big of a deal, though, as the total amount of food left us too full to go out for pintxos that night.
Reduced Milk Ice Cream
Despite the seemingly plain and simple menu listing, this ice cream was the bomb. The milk used to make the ice cream is smoked, and you can definitely taste it in the ice cream. It was like no ice cream I’d ever eaten. Combined with the tart and sweet fruit sauce, this ice cream was very memorable.
Roasted Apple with Sheep’s Cheese Ice Cream
Not to be outdone by the smoked ice cream was the sheep’s cheese ice cream paired with a roasted apple infused with that Etxebarri flavor. Delightfully tart, it reminded me of cream cheese ice cream that I’ve had before. That tartness was well balanced by the sweet roasted apple. This was yet another very memorable dish.
View from One of the Dinning Room Windows
View from the Parking Lot
Horses Across the Street
Cows Down the Road
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