Christmas is coming and this year, yes, this year finally we can celebrate it without covid restrictions. A holiday period is Catalonia is a time to meet family and close friends but also a time to remember our traditions, aromas and flavours known from early childhood, that connect us with our history. The zarzuela, the cannelloni, the seafood, the soup, the turrones…and the cava!
Even though a large part of the dining tables will be filled with the most traditional dishes, we can also bet on more innovative gastronomic suggestions such as the one that the restaurant Valls Portal 22 brings to our attention. You can use these ideas in your Christmas menu or, even better, visit this unique restaurant and taste everything in place. Located in the Valls’ old city quarter, Portal 22 presents a gourmet proposal, with a fusion cuisine where you will discover textures and flavours inspired by both local and Mediterranean cuisine (with calçot (a type of sweet onion) as the protagonist) as well as Asian, Italian, or Galician cuisine. An example of elaborate, honest, creative and elegant cuisine that pairs with cavas and still wines of Castell d’Or – ideal menu to celebrate these long-awaited holidays.
As a starter, chef Joan Castell proposes scallops with tomato pesto and parsnip. Scallops are a very versatile food and a real source of protein. A seafood delight, very appropriate at parties. We pair it with Cava Castell d’Or Brut Nature, a fresh and light cava with a persistent citrus aftertaste and toasted aromas, ideal with dishes with a salty touch like this one.
To stay in line with this delicious gastronomic proposal, Portal 22 suggests as the first course of Christmas menu Langostini rolls with kimchi mayonnaise and avocado. Prawns are a fresh and tasty dish, very typical of this period of the year. We can pair it with white wine or cava which will enhance the flavour. We opted for a fresh, organic cava that is very balanced in terms of acidity: the Castell d’Or Brut Organic cava, which has been aged in the bottle for more than 14 months and has hints of tropical aromas.
For the second course, the Portal 22 restaurant offers us a low-temperature baked suckling pig. The delicate presentation of a boneless suckling pig served with a vanilla apple will not disappoint meat lovers. Suckling pig is one of the classic Christmas dishes and even though it is a product closely linked to the Castilla-León region, it is appreciated in Catalonia as well. We opted to pair the juicy meat with a strong and structured Cossetania Reserva red wine, made of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety. The presence of tannins and a high alcohol degree combines very well with high-fat foods and allows us to better digest the heaviest meals. Therefore wines from Cabernet Sauvignon are well-known and appreciated in all parts of the world.
And for dessert – a chocolate coulant with vanilla apple. Perhaps it is not a typical Christmas dish but who can resist a true work of art of French pastry? With an irresistible contrast of chocolate textures, and a delicious change in temperature between a baked apple and a cold ice cream we will finish off with a Cava Castell d’Or Semi Sec that will perfectly accompany a dessert like this.
The wines and cavas which we propose to pair with these dishes come from the Catalan region and are made from the grapes collected by the farmers of the different cooperative cellars that are part of the Castell d’Or group. An excellent quality to enjoy during Christmas meals and to share with your beloved ones.
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