The vegetables: of humble dish to delicatessen
The high kitchen no only nourishes of exclusive products, expensive or difficult to obtain. Many times we forget us that to our around have the key ingredients to elaborate the most hit dish, the one who more surprises. Use ingredients of kilometre zero is many times a formula of success, but if you add that the vicinity is rich, very rich, in products of the earth, in this case, the vegetables of Tudela, the formula of success is more than ensured. Of this knows a lot the chef Ricardo Gil, owner of one of the most famous restaurants of Tudela, the
The huerta navarra enjoys of a horticultural tradition that has done him merecedora of international prestige. Spectacular asparaguses, peppers, cogollos, tomatoes and, of course, artichokes, have given fame to the products navarraros in the Spanish gastronomy and have carried to companies of the zone to achieve products with Denomination of Origin, of quality sinigual.
But also has involved that the same navarros have an exceptional palate to the hour to taste vegetables. This taste by the huerta added to a big experience in the “handle” of the vegetables made possible that the restaurant 33 turned into a place of pilgrimage for a lot of lovers of the vegetable.
The passion of Ricardo Gil has offered him the occasion to share grandstand with big chefs of the category of Ferran Adrià, Carme Ruscadella, Carles Gaig, Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui or Charlie Trotter in congresses and international summits of gastronomy like Madrid Fusion, BCN Avant-garde or Lives the vegetables-Bastion-Pamplona, between others. “Participate in these events is an important part of a company. The diffusion of our creations and the time feel and collect other proposals of our colleagues”, explains Gil to Interempresas.
The starts of Ricardo Gil trace back to his restaurant Treintaitrés, recognised with Sol Repsol, the business that raised when hardly it explained 20 years. His kitchen is based in the pantry of the earth, the tudelana, in a privileged enclave whose waters of the river Ebro bathe the bank.
Innovar With vegetables
The chef tudelano has invented own technicians for the handle of the vegetables and utensils never seen that allow the extraction equipment equipment of all the nuances. It works closely with Laboratories Olea to investigate in the treatment of the vegetables: the consequences of the size and the form of the container in which it produces the cooking; the advantages to use water osmotizada; utensils conceived to bake the peladuras of the vegetables whereas it does with the rest of the product; instruments that help to submerge the vegetables in the water of the cooking, reducing like this the level of oxidation; the source of heat more suitable... “With them I have learnt that when you seat that it is occurring something in the processes, have to study the reason, leave you carry by your intuition, but need that somebody confirm you these changes, and with this learn much more of the product that are working”.
In this line of innovar and spread his technician, in his participation in some days in Navarra explained that the traditional pickles no longer conserve in brine, desalados and pickles pickled, but they treat by means of other softer technicians. “It treats of the pastaurisation or long cooking, with what obtain a more natural product and less aggressive, that respects his flavour, and provides a product more crujiente of what was”.
A nose of gold
Ricardo Gil has known to elevate to this apparently humble “” prime matter to the category of delight. However, apart from by the vegetables, account in his have with several recognitions also in the world of the wine. “I was thrice champion of Navarra and finalist in the championship Nose of Gold”, apostilla the chef tudelano.
The vegetables, the stars
But, how resupplies of the prime matter? “We have of own crops and an observer that is the one who controls these crops. Of course, say that the person that does it is like my brother, could not be of another form, that understands my needs and my aims”.
A lot speaks of his menestra of vegetables. “It is a dish crashes and was a revolution the day that created , in fact the majority of the cooks navarros do it of this form”, signals the chef. No only the menestra is one of the queens of the letter of the cook, other dishes, by his demand and acceptance, form part of his letter from does already a lot of years. “The penca of chard fills up with Iberian ham and velouté of funguses with Dutch in ointment and the plates of potato confitada in oil of knuckle of ham with borages and creams of potato and borage are big classical of the menu of our establishments”.
For the manager of the establishments, conjugar the tradition and contemporaneidad can be complementary, in fact, is the concept of his kitchen: “A clean kitchen, authentic, autochthonous and with a lot of feeling”.
“To paginate it all there is not secret: work, more work and knowledge”
Ricardo Gil is cream in a family of restorers whose tradition traces back already to two generations. His first experiences in the catering were early, and to the age of 13 years, and half at stake half seriously, began his career between the stoves. It studied banking, but to the 20 years abandoned the administrative world to devote all his time and effort to the that was the familiar job and his vocation. It founded then the Restaurant 33, in Tudela, with the collaboration of María Pilar Vicente, his wife and right hand, that left the administration and the public relations to go in in the world of the catering, carrying the management of administration and also the good state of the venue.
You founded the recognised restaurant 33 of Tudela with hardly 19 years. How they were his starts?
My starts were simple when being a familiar continuation, although with 19 years created a new restaurant and I assumed his steering, always under the supervision of my parents, that were the big connoisseurs of this job.
Can say that went in by the big door in the world of the gastronomy...
Had to do intensive courses at the same time that worked and, by his place, occupied different places of responsibility in the restaurant, like sommelier, of repostería, of kitchen in all his variants, steering and management of company, etc.
Restorer and manager also of House Lac, in Saragossa, and now, of the restaurant The huerta of Tudela Green & it dwell. It can say that it is you is an authentic connoisseur of the world of the vegetables. How paginate all this activity?
Of course, to paginate all this there is not secret: it is work and more work, passion by what do and, without any doubt, knowledge and innovative technician.
Why decides to open in Madrid?
Was an idea that had does time and began to tighten me the age; or it did it already or it did not do it. Had the luck to find by the way to a big fellow, José Antonio Candau, seemed us good idea and up to now. It inaugurated on 23 March 2013, seven months ago.
Speak us of his projects of future.
My elder project right now is that my restaurant in Madrid consolidate and arrive to be so recognised and wanted to as it marries it mother, our restaurant Treintaitrés of Tudela.
