They say we’ve only discovered a mere 5% of the world’s seas and oceans. In that 5% of explored waters, humanity has the good fortune of coming across some of the best treasures of the culinary world. Being from Barcelona and spending my summers (and some winters too) in the Costa Brava (Girona Province’s Coast 1 hour and a half north of Barcelona), I’ve always had a great tie to our beloved Mediterranean Sea and all the secrets it has to offer. Seafood, in my eyes, is the best and most intimate of those secrets. The one that makes the sea that bathes the coast of Catalonia so special. Among the culinary experiences that remain glued to my memory, many of them involve seafood, a view of the sea, and … rain. Many would say the best days to enjoy one of these meals is on a warm, sunny summer day, but my fondest memories with seafood as the main protagonist are on cold, rainy winter (or fall) days. It’s in that weather that I feel a greater connection to the sea and to everything it has to offer.
Talking about seafood as I am right now, it’s an obligation for me to start with the trademark of the Costa Brava region, one of the most culinary-appreciated of the Mediterranean. This is none other than the famous Gamba Roja de Palamos which translates to the Palamos Red Shrimp. This wonderful food product is a boom of complex flavor and textures if cooked appropriately. With the kilogram (2.2 pounds) oscillating from 90 to 120 euros (105 to 140 dollars), this Mediterranean treasure of intense red color is most valued when simply cooked a la plancha, which is putting a dribble of olive oil on a pan, some chopped garlic and then letting the Gamba sizzle for just a minute or two (the meat should be slightly raw). Then, add salt, and parsley, or pepper and enjoy one of the greatest seafood treasures the Mediterranean has to offer. The perfect Christmas present for me.
Cooking seafood is all about respecting the product. Respecting its flavors. Its feels. Its colors. Eating fresh Gamba de Palamos, Mediterranean Lobster, Crawfish Oysters, Anchovies… should be a lush experience in every sense. That’s why it’s always better to cook all of these goodies as least as possible (see the images below for Oysters, Crawfish, and Anchovies). They already shine on their own! Nonetheless, for a talented cook, these culinary treasures also offer an infinite number of possibilities to juggle with. One of my favorite dishes, for instance, involves cooking the Mediterranean Lobster with poached eggs, potatoes, tomato, onions, and a good fish-based sauce in a seafood stew that, when served warm and bubbling, there’s nothing better on a cold, rainy day (see the image of this dish at the end of the post). Peas, chickpeas, mushrooms, rice… are all great food products that marry with seafood well. There are many different combinations to investigate with these maritime treasures that by unleashing one’s imagination, we can not only reach a new world of pleasure but a whole universe.
The only things you have to remember are to try to work with fresh culinary products and, most importantly, always respect these treasures the sea gifts us with.
When reading your blog, I feel as if you’re actually passionate about this and look forward to writing it each week instead of feeling as if it were a chore like some other group members have had in the past. Your passion for culinary experience makes what you’re talking about so much more interesting to read about. As someone who likes seafood, but doesn’t always have the chance to eat it, I really like reading your blog to introduce myself to things I will have to try in the future.
I don’t eat seafood because everyone has a different opinion and I have always been too nervous to try it, but reading you blog encourages me to try it. I don’t know a lot about seafood obviously but 120 euros sounds very expensive it is just this or is all seafood on the expensive side?
Even though I’m vegetarian, it’s only because I was raised that way. I’m open to trying meat but I don’t like the taste of it, so I’ve had some seafood in the past. The other day I got ahi tuna in my poke bowl and it was really good!! Definitely can’t get over the fact you can see the eyes on the prawns, but again, I love how passionately you talk about it.