The L’Escapada restaurant has been the winner of the tasting competition of the Cod Days. The establishment was the most highly rated by the jury thanks to the ‘Horta i calma’ dish, which was composed of cod on thin cream of leeks, vegetable textures and aromatic crunch. The second prize has been for Can Manelwith a Irish coffee based meal cod brandy with samfaina; while the third he took it away Japomexfor which they have presented a piece of cod cooked at a low temperature with miso and black garlic and chipotle mousseline. Up to 22 restaurateurs from Andorra la Vella have participated in this event which was celebrated today in the Congress Center.
The Consul Major of Andorra la Vella, Sergi Gonzálezha celebrated the recovery of the Codfish Daysa gastronomic event that has returned after a hiatus of more than ten years. Gonzalez highlighted the enthusiasm with which the sector has received this initiative. In fact, the consul has assured that there have been “many nerves on the stove” before the contest is held.
The politician has remarked that the recovery from these days is framed within the ‘Cook the future of Andorra la Vella’ projectwhich seeks to promote restoration in the parish. “Very happy to recover this tradition of cod, which is a traditional dish from Andorra la Vella“, he affirmed.
The consul has stated that the cod has one strong historical link with Andorra. He explained that, in one time when communications were limitedthis salty product became one of the main options for consuming fishthanks to its long preservation. “It was, I think, the star product,” he said Gonzalez. “Think about twenty years ago there were four specialty stores from cod in Andorra la Vella and it was a dish very incorporated into everyday life,” added the consul.
Gonzalez has also done memory of the old dayswhich were no longer celebrated in 2013. “I remember as a child, it was the thing to say, in the Plaza del Poble and the Plaça de les Arcadesthere were weekends where all the restaurants would sit down and cook cod dishes“, he explained. As he detailed, the desire to recover them born from the joint work with him restaurant sectorwith the aim of to strengthen the local gastronomic fabric and to create a collective.
The leader of the parish has emphasized the importance of create synergies between professionals. “I think we have one restoration in Andorra la Vella very powerful and now with these actions we are creating a collective,” he said.
The cod is a product widely used in the portuguese cuisine. Lately, the Lusitanian community is declining in the country. Asked if the event was designed with this factor in mind, Gonzalez replied that it was not done with this intention, but left the door open to the fact that the initiative could also serve to reconnect with this community and strengthen its cultural bond through gastronomy. “We hadn’t thought about it, but I think it’s welcome if we can return with pleasure, with this experience, that the Portuguese community has these memories and we can make others Portuguese restaurateurs they can present themselves”, commented the consul.
