It is one of the contests that generates the most expectation.
The one with which Madrid Fusion has been searching for
the best Iberian ham croquette for nine editions, one of the star tapas in Spanish bars and restaurants
.
And on this occasion, the winner has come from the hands of
Juan Monteagudo, from
Ababol
, a small restaurant in Albacete
that, since last November and barely a year old, has been
awarded its first Michelin star.
After a blind tasting, in which
the béchamel has been tasted first and then the
already prepared croquette, the chef from La Mancha won a "high level" final, according to the jury.
This has been made up of professionals from the gastronomy and journalism sector such as María Castro (from Sánchez Romero Carvajal), the humorist
Carlos Latre
("great eater and croquette taster", acknowledges the artist), the journalist Pilar Salas and
the chefs Senén González, Xanty Elias and Miguel Carretero
(the man from La Mancha, the soul of Santerra, holds the title of Champions croquette obtained in 2022).
Precisely,
Monteagudo has thanked Carretero, "with whom I worked, everything he taught me
, especially with croquettes."
Juan Monteagudo, from Ababol, creator of the winning croquette.MF
With him, Juan learned "very decisive keys when making this recipe, such as the point of the béchamel, the moment in which the ham is added or the use of gelatin", the chef adds.
And how the winning bite?
Golden, coated with very fine traditional breadcrumbs and a silky, shiny béchamel made with
sheep's milk.
"In my family we have had cattle and it is the milk that we have always used."
Also, to get more flavor and lactic fat, add cream and butter.
Monteagudo is one of the young promises of La Mancha cuisine that is revolutionizing the gastronomic scene in Castilla-La Mancha with a concept
based on his native land and its products such as dry land vegetables.
In the center, Monteagudo accompanied by the rest of the finalists.MF
Juan Monteagudo (also a candidate for Revelation Chef at Madrid Fusión) beat six other finalists: Natalia Méndez, from
Casa Chuchu
(Asturias);
Víctor Conus, from
La Mesa de Conus
(Vigo);
Miguel Borreguero, from
La Ostrería
(San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria);
Ana Losada, from
Taberna Zalamero
(Madrid);
José Manuel Gallego, from
Clandestina
(Toledo) and Javier Pérez-Batallón, from
Berria Wine Bar
(Madrid).
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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