Mas Pi
Where? Mas Pi (Verges, Spain) Map Menu
When? Sunday January 2, 2022
Who? Marc
Food Style? Traditional Catalan
I’m back at a traditional Catalan house for a weekday lunch. The specials are different during the week because they cater more to locals and the workers who aren’t on holiday during this time of year. They have a prix fixe for €12.50 and that’s a full three course meal with bread and a glass of wine. Amazing! Certain dishes have an additional cost, but this is of no concern to me, I'm here for the experience.
Entree #1
Cargols de la Iaia Maruja: Grandma Maruja's Snails
Snails, while made famous in France, are also very common in Catalan cuisine so I’m going to find out how they compare to escargot. They’re smaller but sweeter, and cooked with oil and iberico ham instead of butter. I love that saltiness of the ham and it mellows out nicely with the creamy garlic spread and tomato sauce. I’m happily eating all the sauce with the fresh home baked bread.
Entree #2
Calçots a la Brasa amb Salsa Romesco: Grilled calçots with romesco sauce
Calçots are a type of green onion local to the area. Here, they have been barbequed beautifully with that wonderful smokey char to bring out the sweetness. To eat, you dip it in the house-made romesco sauce and then act like you’re sword swallowing. This is one of Catalonia’s most celebrated dishes, and they even have a special name for when people gather just to eat this: calçotada.
Mains #1
Arròs Negre: Black rice
Rich and creamy, the prawn taste is so prominent and appetising. I’m really impressed by how much flavour they’ve packed into the rice.
Mains #2
Confit d’Anec 5 Aglans: Duck confit with five acorns
I’m not sure if I'm supposed to have five literal acorns on my plate, or whether the elements on the plate are supposed to represent acorns, but the duck is cooked perfectly and the sauce has that wonderful sweetness from the prunes. It’s well balanced with the pearl onions. I’m gnawing the flesh off the bones like a savage but I absolutely do not want to waste any of that delicious meat.
Dessert #1
Pastís Casolà de la Louissa: Louissa's homemade cake
I have no idea what this is but it’s the house speciality, so I’ve ordered it. Marc asks what it is but refuses to translate it for me so I’m going to be surprised. It’s a sponge cake base with cold baked fruits like apple, peach and rhubarb.
Dessert #2
Flam d’Ou amb Nata: egg flan with whipped cream
Marc wants a panna cotta but I convince him to have something actually Catalan and not Italian so he’s gracefully changed his order. It’s a lot more solid than flan you’d find in the US but the sweetness of the caramel sauce is superb.
I’m a lot more controlled after this meal than yesterday because I didn’t drink as much wine, but also I think the wine is weaker so that people don’t get too sloshed before returning to work. I’m very full and satisfied, this meal was top notch.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:35pm on Tuesday January 18, 2022 :: 0 comments :: 