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Category : BasqueStage
Category : BasqueStage
What is something native to Basque country that every chef dreams about?
No, we’re not talking fresh seafood, piquillo peppers, or txakoli. We’re talking about txokos, or gastronomic societies. As seen on TV, including on Anthony Bourdain’s famous features on Basque cuisine, gastronomic societies are essentially dining rooms and kitchens that a group of friends owns together, where they and their friends gather around to cook, talk, drink and socialize. They’ve been famed for the high level of cuisine that stems from the quietly competitive nature (i.e., my grilled monkfish is better than yours).
And the Sammic scholars for BasqueStage, Marco and Cameron, had their very own opportunity to live out this culinary fantasy in one of the most important societies around, Cofradía Vasca de Gastronomía.
Recently, they overtook the kitchen at a society housed in one of the oldest buildings in San Sebastián. With some products bought on their trip to France , the two stages cooked a feast for several locals in the gastronomic society. A plate of French cheeses to begin, a delicious duck breast with haricots verts, and an apple tart with frangipane…a classic, simple and delicious meal to inaugurate these young chef’s introduction into the local culinary scene. Can’t wait until next time!
Basque Stage, Day 1. The stage has officially begun! Tracy Chang and Athena Thickstun, the winners of the first Sammic Basque Stage scholarship, entered the kitchen at Martin Berasategui Restaurant yesterday. The restaurant, which has three Michelin stars, is located in Lasarte, where the girls share the BasqueStage apartment. The much-anticipated first day saw Tracy head to the fish station and Athena to meats. Athena and Tracy each will be chronicling their experience on their blogs, and the lowdown on the first day is coming soon!
It hasn’t even been a week since they arrived, but the girls have already had a whirlwind intro to the best that Basque Country has to offer.
They arrived on the eve of San Sebastián’s biggest festival, the Tamborrada, after 24 hours of traveling. Determined to see the famous festival firsthand, they grabbed coffee and drumsticks before hitting the streets to watch the gastronomic societies of Donosti parading all night long. Like true donostiarras, Tracy and Athena donned their very own drums.
They used their last weekend before the stage to savor some of the area’s finest offerings—its pintxos, its views, and, of course, its ham. Jamón ibérico de bellota, of course.
A trip to Azkoitia, about fifteen minutes outside of San Sebastián and Lasarte, marked the girls’ first time in the Sammic factory. Everyone was thrilled to meet the Sammic scholarship winners. There they watched aluminum being poured and mixers being fashioned in the foundry, as well as the crafting of Sammic’s very first product, the potato peeler. Check out their reactions here and here.
After a tour of the showroom, everyone headed off to enjoy some sidra, or Basque cider, in a typical cider house. There they feasted on steak, omelettes, pimentos del piquillo, bacalao (salt cod), and, of course, cider.
Off to a good start. But now the heat’s on, in the kitchen at Martin Berasategui. Good luck, girls!