In the countryside, three kilometers from the Navarrese town of Estella, Mariló Montero’s parents they rode a garden at the back of his house to feed his four children. “There were tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, potatoes… and thistle. It was a rough, gigantic plant that exceeded my height as a child and that my father pulled out of the ground with the hoe. The thing that stung my hands and legs so much when He asked me to take him home, my mother managed to transform him into something extremely tender“recalls the presenter. This recipe, she acknowledges, is the only one from her mother that she continues to enjoy despite her absence. “I would say it is my favorite dish. When I cook it, awakens memories in meemotions and even his voice and his aroma. Eating thistle is an allegory of those years spent with my mother.”
© Jesús CorderoMariló does not even consider herself as ‘kitchenettes’ as she was – although she confesses that when she puts it on it comes out “really well” – and she lives in the paradox of how much she likes to eat and turn meals into great occasions, of having published about a dozen cookbooks and hardly cooking anything. “I have always eaten well, but outside the home. When I worked on TV with Jesús HermidaAt most I had a French omelet for dinner. “I ate in the bar below my house, where I had my own napkin on a table in front of the TV where I watched the news.”
“Eating thistle is an allegory of the years spent with my mother. It awakens in me memories, emotions and even her voice and her aroma”
Without so much emotion familiar like the one that involves thistle, another recipe that Mariló is proud of is sea bream with salt, a fish that she really likes. “The first time I did it I thought I was facing a titanic culinary workand it’s simpler than eating seeds. I felt great satisfaction when I saw the result. Zero merit, maximum pride,” he laughs.
Your favorites
- A sweet sin: Black licorice or milk chocolate, raisins and hazelnuts.
- Best gastro plan: Eating in Navarra with my friends at chabisque. They cook like goddesses and I enjoy their delicacies. When I go to their houses, I steal from them Piquillo peppers. They have already assumed it…
- Two healthy recipes: Pumpkin puree and second chicken.
- Favorite meal of the day: The bread.
- A place to celebrate: At my house, with my family and my friends.
© Juan and Mariana NazábalNavarre thistle
Preparation time: 60 minutes
Ingredients (for 3/4 people)
- 500 g fresh or canned thistle
- 50 g of serrano ham, cut into small cubes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- raw almonds
- extra virgin olive oil
- parsley
- salt
Elaboration
If you opt for fresh thistle, cook it first in a pot full of salted water for 20-25 minutes. It is a good idea to check it from time to time to check that it is tender without falling apart (do this by poking it with a fork). When it is ready to cook, remove the water and transfer it to a saucepan. Reserve the broth.
If you make it canned, like Mariló (never frozen, she recommends), take a frying pan and put olive oil on the base. Chop the garlic or mash it to add flavor but do not disturb when eating them. Put them over low or medium heat and also add the serrano ham cubes so that they brown. Pour a tablespoon of flour so that it is sautéed and, at that moment, add a little spoon of the thistle broth that you have reserved. Sauté everything until you obtain a slightly dense sauce, with ‘body’ (“There are people who end up spreading it with bread because it is very delicious,” says Mariló Montero).
Once the sauce is at the desired density, pour it over the cardo. Put everything to cook for about five minutesuntil the stew is reduced and thick. The thistle will soak up the flavor of the sauce. At that point, it will be ready to serve.
© Juan and Mariana NazábalSea bream in salt with fine herbs
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (for 4 people)
- 2 medium gilthead sea bream
- 100g pumpkin
- 1 zucchini
- 1 large potato
- 1 egg white
- 5 g dried fine herbs
- 1 kg of salt or virgin olive oil
Elaboration
Start by preparing the salt mixture. Add the egg white, the fine herbs and a little water to the kilo. (“This is a fabulous trick so that, when you take the bream out of the oven, the salt has become a solid layer that is very easy to remove from the fish,” says Mariló).
Preheat the oven. On a tray previously protected with paper, spread a first layer of the salt mixture that you have prepared. Place on top the golden ones and start covering them individually. Put them in the oven for approximately 12 minutes at 190ºC.
While the fish is cooking, cut the vegetables in thin strips. Salt them, flour them and shake them in the strainer to remove any excess flour. Fry them in hot oil until golden brown.
Once the sea bream are cooked, it is time to remove the ‘dome’ of salt. cut it for the edges with a knife. (“It’s a fantastic trick so that the gilthead sea bream don’t get covered in salt,” says the presenter.)
Next, clean the skin of the fish and remove the loins.
Place a couple of loins on the plate and present it with the fried vegetable sticks on the side. (“With fish, I prefer to avoid sauces, since they have a magnificent flavor in themselves,” says Mariló).