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Chef Tom’s Big Adventure: Barcelona – Seafood!

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ALLERGEN WARNING: SHELLFISH

Marisqueria (seafood place) La Peradata is a hidden little gem in Born near the Picasso. What a wild place. Queue was 45 minutes in the sun. When I finally got in, the din was three bombs.

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Made it through the door to the fresher than fresh seafood bar. Lobsters wriggling, knife wielding ladies and tourists yelling back and forth in Spanish and broken English, and customers pointing to just-caught mussels, crab, langoustine, periwinkle, calamari, octopus, razor clams, oysters, various red and white fish and even a big hunk of albacore.  The ladies wrap whatever you point to in a white paper cone and quickly weigh it. For me a large section of calamari, six huge gambas (shrimp), and a small net bag full of fresh mussels. How they will cook everything is anybody’s guess. Who cares. This is thrilling.

(sorry, the video is BIG until I learn how to compress it for easier viewing – might choke your system)
Looks like one dish comes out at a time. I remember the counter lady yelling something to me about garlic or tomato sauce when I pointed to the mussels. I said tomato and that’s what I got.  Tenderest of mussels in a warmed herby tomato sauce  and a feint, clean taste of the sea. The calamari was sliced into thin rings, quickly and lightly breaded, then flash fried. Simple wedge of lemon and some tomatoey aioli for dipping. Soft, with just enough chew. Perfectly cooked.
 
Mussels in Tomato, Garlic and Leek Sauce

Mussels in Tomato, Garlic and Leek Sauce

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Calamari

One more plate to come. Las Gambas Grandes (six large shrimp).

Ok. I am not a seafood guy. It’s not what I look for first on a menu. Most often briny flavors mix with an occasional sand grain or something as gritty and I am offput. The strong taste of the sea isn’t my favorite.
 
I am sure there is a graceful way to peel shrimp at the table but I did not know what that was. I may have raised a Spanish eyebrow and a thought of “Look at the silly American tearing that beautiful shrimp apart!”
 
They were really good though. After a couple of minutes of work, fingers covered in sauce and antennae, I was able to dip the succulent meat into a simple chimichuri butter, garlic and parsley.
 
Las Gambas!

Las Gambas!

 
All told, you get a LOT of fresh seafood, immediately cooked to order, with a beer and some bread for under 20 Euro.
 
This place I would return to and bring my friends – for the experience, as well as the food.
iFinito!

iFinito!

What are YOU guys looking at!

What are YOU guys looking at!

The post Chef Tom’s Big Adventure: Barcelona – Seafood! appeared first on Hipp Kitchen.


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