4 minute read
Out of Our Comfort Zones & Into Málaga
by ELYSE GLICKMAN
“Don’t expect pinxtos,” announces Chef Armando Ferman, as he leads our market tour through the streets of Málaga, Spain, during the maiden voyage of Celebrity Beyond. “Málaga gastronomy is large portions and big flavor.”
This alerts our group of 15 foodies that the tour will center on market shopping and cooking rather than tasting our way through different eateries as we did on a Bilbao tour earlier in the week. In Bilbao, I had been interested in seeing what changed since my first visit in 2004. I found the city more touristy but the pinxtos – Spain’s version of hors d’oeuvre-style snacks – were as heavenly as I remembered. Now that I am in Málaga, I am ready to be surprised.
As Chef Ferman leads our group purposefully down Calle Larios, he talks about his journey from Veracruz, Mexico, to “terrestrial” restaurants in Italy, Cambodia, and Northern California, and now aboard Celebrity Cruises. Prior to becoming our chef and guide, he worked with Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud devising a globetrotting menu for Celebrity’s Le Voyage. The hardcore home cooks among us ask what he learned. “You must be able to adapt,” he responds. “You can find a wonderful tomato in an Italian market that works perfectly with a given recipe but, in Caribbean markets, you may not be able to find the same tomato. You’ll need to make adjustments, and you can’t take anything for granted. You must develop your palate and even your eye to find the right ingredients.”
Whether he’s curating a one-off dinner, cooking for his family, or bringing Boulud’s vision to life, he says tackling the unfamiliar forces him to push some of his own boundaries as a chef and an eater. “Let’s see what we find,” he says, shifting to tour guide mode, as we walk into the market. He’s on the hunt for the best sea bass fillets and garlic for pan frying, Pata Negra Iberico ham, pork loin for roasting, eggs for the dessert, olives and almonds for the appetizers, and produce at the peak of freshness.
The stroll is a master class in provisions shopping and the chef is in his element negotiating with vendors and explaining what to look for when inspecting almonds, vegetables, olives, and dried and fresh fruit. He encourages us to taste samples to understand why one type will work better in a recipe than another. Next, we head down a narrow street to the Juan de Dios Barba grocery to purchase the bacalo (salted cod) for our Ensalada Málagueña. Although there are other seafood vendors at Atarazanas, he tells us this is the best place for bacalo, noting that “one sometimes must go out of one’s way to get a recipe right.”
After lunch at Los Patios de Beatas, Chef Ferman makes his final purchases – white and red wine to pair with our dinner courses – which are every bit the family-style experience he described. The unfamiliar but pleasing platters of pork, seabass, and eggy custard remind us that we too should go beyond our comfort zones to truly appreciate the whole of Spanish gastronomy.
Call now to book a cruise with chef-led shore excursions today.
Ensalada Málagueña
10½ oz bacalao (salt cod), cut into pieces
2 - 3 hard-boiled eggs
3 - 4 oranges peeled, pitted and cut into segments
3 medium potatoes
1 medium tomato
1 medium-large onion, cut into julienne strips
Extra virgin olive oil
½ medium green onion
Sea salt, pepper, fresh parsley
A handful of olives and/or green pepper
Place the cleaned potatoes in a saucepan, add water until covered. Bring to a boil.
Lower the fire to medium and cook for about 30 minutes. Cut into bite-size cubes.
In a small saucepan, cover eggs with water and boil for 10 minutes.
Cut cod into pieces, place in separate pan, cover with water, and heat on high until just before the water starts to boil.
Turn off the heat and let cod rest in the water for 10 minutes. Then, drain and set aside on a plate.
Place potatoes and citrus segments in a bowl. If the segments are too big, cut them in half.
Add the cod, onions, peeled-and-quartered eggs, and whole olives to the bowl.
Finish with a olive oil and seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or store it in the refrigerator.
