Comedias, 12 (Old Town)
Tel.: 948 21 33 46
www.patiocomedias.es
This bar is yet another to be found in the Old Town, housed in an ancient former Casa de Comedias theatre well known in the city in the 17th-19th centuries for performances by some of the best companies of the time. El Patio de las Comedias tavern was born in May 2013 with the intention to restore the locale to its former glory, this time from a gastronomic angle. This spectacular tavern run by locals Javier Mendoza and José Miguel Sagredo boasts a ceiling 11 meters high in some places and has different levels and spaces, plus an indoor balcony and vertical garden. The downstairs bar is the place to go for a wide selection of snacks, while a menu is served on the second floor from Monday to Friday featuring a selection of finely prepared traditional dishes.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
Confit jowl:
Clean the jowl and macerate for six hours in the sugar, salt and paprika mixture. After this time, wash the jowl in water and confit in sunflower oil for four hours, until tender (temperature 85º-90º). Remove the jowl from the oil, leave to cool and remove the skin.
Vermouth sauce:
Reduce the apple vinegar with sugar; add the raspberries and red currants. When well reduced, add ½ glass red vermouth. Strain and reduce further until obtaining a thick sauce.
Strawberries in Pedro Ximénez:
Make a thick caramel with brown sugar; add the strawberries sliced in half and a good dash of Pedro Ximénez (PX). Cook over a slow heat for 5 minutes.
Cheese crunch:
Grate the Roncal cheese evenly on to the greaseproof paper on a tray, cover with another sheet of paper and place a heavy oven dish on top to keep the cheese crunch flat. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC; put the tray in the oven and leave to cook at the same temperature for 2-3 minutes.
TO SERVE:
Sear the jowl on the griddle until crisp outside and moist inside. Place the potato crisps on the plate topped with a slice of griddled jowl and the warm strawberries. Decorate with the cheese crunch and trout roe and garnish the dish with a touch of vermouth sauce.