A marriage of flavours and tastes
Diego del Río with his cured sardines tapa
VENERABLE FRENCH champagne house Taittinger and El Lago combined forces in Marbella this summer to create an exquisite tasting menu marking the Michelin-star restaurant’s 10th anniversary.
El Lago director Paco García chose four Taittinger champagnes to “wed” with the restaurant’s new menu, created by head chef Diego del Río and his team – and kindly invited a group of local press bon vivants as more than willing “guinea pigs” to taste their delicacies during a long and languid lunch.
Clovis Taittinger and Paco García
We were joined by Clovis Taittinger, deputy export director; José Luis Hernández, Marbella Town Hall’s councillor for tourism; and representatives of the winemaker’s Spanish distributors, Bodegas Chivite.
Opened on 24 July 2000, El Lago was the first restaurant to return a Michelin star to Marbella, in 2005 (subsequently followed by Calima in Hotel Don Pepe and Skina in Marbella Old Town).
The home of Taittinger in Champagne
We began with a selection of tapas:
Chicken millefeuille in brine with foie gras and caramelised apple
Salmon tartar smoked in its own roe, with a mustard and Jerez vinegar emulsion
Cured sardines with toast, tomato and salmorejo (a thick gazpacho-like soup) and roasted peppers
The champagne menu comprised:
Ajoblanco (a pine nuts-based cold coup) with quail stew
Grilled squid with baked potato and truffle mash
Fillet of red mullet with seasoned potatoes and gazpachuelo (a traditional Málaga soup)
Marinated Iberian pork with pear, celery and spring onion salad
“Artesanal” cheeses from Andalucía
“Valle de Guadalhorce” fruit platter – orange, lemon, mandarin, grapefruit and lime
And the wines:
Comtes de Champagne Taittinger Blanc de Blancs 1998
Champagne Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé
Taittinger Brut Reserve
Taittinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie