Another day for framing. “Menjars de la Terra” continues its gastronomic journey in the Baix Vinalopó region and made its fourth stop on Thursday at the Matola restaurant in Elche, which shares the same name with the district that hosted the culinary event yesterday. The day undoubtedly stood out with its magnificent, well-balanced menu that emphasized “local produce from the land,” as Fran Mora, manager of the Matola restaurant, put it. Its cuisine is based on “traditional, local home-cooked food”, which is faithfully reflected in the menu designed for this event.
To whet their appetite, customers had the opportunity to enjoy “Tosta de pipes i carases”, a typical tapa consisting of ñora, capellan and local tomatoes. To give some detail but always respect the product, a delicious “Red tuna tartare” was served with the addition of mollar pomegranate as a local nod, followed by “Sautéed artichokes” from the Elche garden. , with squid. The quality of the raw material is undeniable.
The magnificent “Oxtail Cannelloni”, which turned into its own dish with its pomegranate seeds and special sauce, attracted the attention of the most demanding palates. A refreshing green salad consisting of escarola, celery, olives and raw artichokes was served to complement the main course.
Fully immersed in the work, the participants enjoyed the famous “Matola Iberian neck and rice with vegetables”. Rice is at its peak in terms of both flavor and cooking. “It’s vegetable season now,” says Fran. And to sweeten the ending, the menu ended with “Jijona liquid nougat oil”, which they brought directly from the company Pablo Garrigós, with whom they constantly work.
As Fran Mora admits, “you can innovate some dishes, but people love to eat and that’s why we don’t do a lot of minimalist dishes, instead we focus on family cuisine, local cuisine.” This was clearly evident from the first to the last course of this successful menu, which prioritizes and recognizes the products of the Elche garden above all else.
The “Menjars de la Terra” initiative, organized by INFORMACIÓN in cooperation with the Provincial Council of Alicante, aims to highlight the gastronomic richness of the province and gives the opportunity to value the local product and the numerous restaurants that promote and develop it. their kitchens.
As the manager of the Matola restaurant stated, “People called, especially from out of town, who wanted to eat on this day. “I am very grateful to INFORMACIÓN for this initiative that has brought us great impact.”
A message he agrees with Caridad Martínez, Councilor for Commerce and Hospitality of the Elche City Council, who was among the diners enjoying the exquisite menu of this fourth event: «The more initiatives we take for the economic promotion of restaurants, the better. With them we provide visibility to organizations that many people don’t know about and this way they know they are there. I think all of this is always nice. Additionally, a relevant point noted by the Member of the Trade and Hospitality Council during the day was this: “One of the keys to the success of Menjars de la Terra is that the restaurants go a little outside their sphere of influence. It also provides an excuse for those coming from other provinces and therefore from other regions Restaurants that visitors probably don’t know about are introduced.
Let’s not forget that the big hero of this first week of “Menjars” is the moles pomegranate, to which Martínez devotes a few words: “It is a product with a Protected Designation of Origin, it is widespread in Elche and is a very valuable crop for us ». According to the mayor, the City Council, Elche’ He plans to increasingly value his restaurant network in all parts of the city, because “it’s not just the restaurants or bars that we have in the urban area, but also the local restaurants. The districts called “all gastronomy” have a very important place.
The restaurants, which improve themselves day by day, are ending this first week of their culinary journey with a menu that will offer a gastronomic experience full of local flavors at Las Palmeras restaurant in Crevillent on Friday. After all these unrivaled culinary highlights, it’s hard to know where and when “Menjar de la Terra” will come out on top. Entertainment.