The appearance of a cake, the texture of a pudding, the intense taste of a fish dish: the Arzak's “redfish cake” has entered the homes of thousands of foodies, confirming the role of haute cuisine in defining global food customs.
The dish
A kind of moist pudding, creamy in the center and golden on the outside, which at first glance could easily look like a homemade cake. This is what “redfish cake (Kabrarroca)” looks like, which helped write the history of world gastronomy in the fertile forge of the Arzak, awarded 3 Michelin stars since 1989. A legendary recipe no longer on paper, but jealously guarded in a secret case containing the sheet typed on the family's Olivetti: we are talking about the first preparation associated with Basque haute cuisine, elaborated in 1971 and perfected with an old-fashioned maniacality. The inspiration came from the dish at the bar (now a restaurant) l'Astelena, Juan Mari Arzak tells El Paìs, of which his daughters Elena and Marta were fond to the point of claiming it as a snack during visits to the San Martín and La Brecha markets with their dad.
The chef therefore asked the owners about the process and saw room for progressive improvement. He added liquid cream to even out the texture and made the star of the mixture a little-known fish species, although one with particularly tasty meat for the daily scorpaciones of shrimp (hence the filet's reddish tone). “Redfish has numerous bones; however, these can be easily removed following cooking, so it has been a huge success as the main ingredient in pudding. A success that still surprises us today," the fine dining veteran explains in the book Ten Hours with Juan Mari Arzak (La Fábrica), by EL PAÍS journalist Jesús Ruiz Mantilla. The classic version of Astelena, made since 1960, included cod and was “sponsored” by Arzak himself for his colleagues to try; suffice it to say that admirers include Ferran Adrià.
Today, the pie can be ordered in the restaurant that originally conceived it, where it systematically records record sales. Not only that: it has achieved such widespread popularity that it is reproduced by housewives halfway across Spain, can be found in the supermarket ready-made, and leaps to the forefront of catering evergreens at ceremonies. Amazing, how the avant-garde can meet accessibility halfway.
The recipe for redfish cake
For the cake
- Half a pound of raw redfish, headless
- 8 eggs
- ¼ liter liquid cream
- ¼ liter of tomato sauce
- 1 carrot
- 1 leek
- parsley
- salt
- pepper
For the mayonnaise sauce
- One liter of peanut oil
- Two whole eggs
- One tablespoon of sherry vinegar
- Salt
Cake preparation
Cook the redfish with leek, carrot and salt. When tender enough to remove the bones, remove them along with the skin. Reduce the filet to a fine pulp by shredding it.
Separately beat the eggs (yolks and egg whites) until they form a frittata and immediately add the cream, tomato sauce and fish set aside.
Pour into a rectangular mold with 1.5-liter capacity, previously greased with butter and breadcrumbs.
Bake in a bain-marie in the oven (temperature: 225ºC) for an hour and a quarter.
Once cold, unmold and serve the cupcake with mayonnaise.
Preparing the mayonnaise
Shell and pour the eggs into a suitable container with the vinegar and a little salt.
Beat and add the oil a little at a time to emulsify.
This will result in a mayonnaise that is whiter than normal.
