Carmelo Bosque (Spain)
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| Carmelo Bosque is one of "The World's Most Influential, creative and important Chefs" |
His restaurant Lillas Pastia,
named after the innkeeper in Bizet's opera Carmen, is located in
Huesca, capital of the province of the same name, the northernmost of
the three provinces that make up the region of Aragon. It occupies a
salon in a beautiful, early 20th-century building in the Modernist
style, the city’s Casino. This is where Bosque devises new versions of
traditional Aragonese recipes, taking care to use only the best
ingredients and searching for new combinations. The menu offers dishes
with black truffle and black olives from the Maestrazgo mountains in the
Aragonese province of Teruel, salt cod treated with unusual ingredients
such as honey, and a new version of pollo al chilindrón (chicken with
onion, tomato and red peppers), one of Aragon’s greatest culinary
trademarks.
Bosque's career is highlighted by his interest in culinary research. In collaboration with chefs such as Raúl Ruiz and bodies such as Alcotec (Alta cocina y tecnología), the laboratory at Lillas Pastia carried out an interesting study on microfiltration of liquids, which pleasantly surprised the British chef Heston Blumenthal. This technique allows the separation of vegetable pigments and clarification of stocks, which end up as transparent liquids, with fine, pleasant textures and full of flavor. The solids separated off can be used as the basis for other preparations.
Carmelo is known as the mentor of Aragonese chefs. Many young talents have been nurtured in his kitchen, learning from his enthusiasm for careful work, his calm manner at the stove and his commitment to regional produce.
Bosque's career is highlighted by his interest in culinary research. In collaboration with chefs such as Raúl Ruiz and bodies such as Alcotec (Alta cocina y tecnología), the laboratory at Lillas Pastia carried out an interesting study on microfiltration of liquids, which pleasantly surprised the British chef Heston Blumenthal. This technique allows the separation of vegetable pigments and clarification of stocks, which end up as transparent liquids, with fine, pleasant textures and full of flavor. The solids separated off can be used as the basis for other preparations.
Carmelo is known as the mentor of Aragonese chefs. Many young talents have been nurtured in his kitchen, learning from his enthusiasm for careful work, his calm manner at the stove and his commitment to regional produce.
