The Norfolk Branch celebrated the holiday season by experiencing the cuisine of San Sebastian, Spain. Master chef Michael Behrens prepared the culinary feast for us.
For the people from the Basque Country, food is one of the most important aspects of life to enjoy! It is sharing big plates of food around the table; it is celebrating happy occasions; it is a way of life.
The highlight of the evening was our take on the Spanish Christmas lottery. Affectionately known as "El Gordo" (The Fat One), it is one of the world's oldest and most massive lottery draws. Established in 1812, this lottery is not only a significant part of Spanish Christmas traditions, but also a major source of excitement due to its enormous prize pool. Each member has a lottery ticket and gradually, each ticket is eliminated until only one participant remains.......the winner! In our case, the winner received a bottle of Segura Viudas Brut Heredad Reserva.
The menu consisted of Pintxos of spinach and goat cheese croquette, marinated warm olives and Marcona almonds served with traditional Sangria; a sopa course of savory tomato and jambon paired with a La Conreria Priorat Tinto; a plato principal of Iberia pork with peppadew, roasted fingerling potatoes and white asparagus served with a Castillo Clavijo Rioja Gran Reserva; and a dolce course of Basque cheesecake with lemon curd and cream along with a flute of Poema Brut Cava. Deliciosa!