El Portal de Echaurren is a dream. A dream belonging to a man: Francis Paniego. The dream was sown in his head long before he even knew what would become of it. It is a dream rooted in a valley with paths that lead into the essences of fresh grass and of dry leaves, and the essence of soil and tradition. And, above all, onto family.
Francis Paniego was awarded the National Gastronomic Prize as the best chef in Spain in November 2012. A year later, the Michelin Guide bestowed on El Portal del Echaurren their second star. The chef had already been the first man from La Rioja to achieve the first one. In the summer of 2014, he was branded as Ezcaray’s Favourite Son, his hometown. “One’s personal achievements aren’t completely ours”, said he during his proclamation during the local patron festivities of Saint Lawrence.
Francis’ cuisine cannot be understood without the Oja Valley, in general, nor Ezcaray in particular, for they are the inspiration, the product, and its main idiosyncrasy. From the perspective casted by decades at his post, the chef knows full well that the best rewards have occurred when he has been most involved with the valley he lives his dream. This book follows the course of that dream and the man who brewed it: the beginnings, his philosophy, the stages, his creations… It isn’t just the profile of any chef: its structure, in six parts, provides a complete and independent conception of El Portal de Echaurren. It also sheds light on how everything around Francis Paniego surrounds and complements him.
SUMMARY
ONE. THE MAN
TWO.THE MOTHER
THREE. THE SOUL
FOUR. THE SKIN
FIVE. THE GUTS
SIX. THE DREAM