S2E5: Massaging the Octopus: Galician Cuisine & Rias Baixas with Michelin chef Pepe Solla
The Wine Thieves venture out beyond wine (but not too far) to speak with Michelin starred chef-sommelier José González-Solla (Pepe to his friends) of the renowned Casa Solla, near Pontevedra in Galicia. Once-known for its excellent, traditional, home cooking, when Solla took over from his parents he transformed the business through his inventive style of cooking that's still firmly focused on the authentic flavours of Galicia.Pepe believes that “Galicia is the best place in the world to be a chef!” thanks to the excellent quality of regional ingredients, and he lets us in on a few of his cooking secrets to get the most out of what's available. There is of course the bounty of the rías to draw from, where sweet and saltwater meet on the Spanish coast, which includes the world's best razor clams, mussels, crab and pulpo (octopus), to name but a few. But inland, Galicia also has a unique breed of pork , distinctive from the Iberian pigs prevalent in the rest of Spain, as well as local cattle and native poultry breeds, abundant produce and a wealth of local cheeses made into unique shapes such as the mushroom-shaped cheese known as Cebreiro, the creamy Arzùa-Ulloa, the golden pear-shaped of San Simón da Costa and the cheese known as Tetilla . . . . Solla was among the founders of an association called the Grupo Nove, a 100%-Galician gastronomic movement. Members include a couple dozen Galician chefs, champions of their regional cuisine and innovators in the realm, whose aim is to put Galicia firmly in the world spotlight of cuisine. Salivating? Join us as we ask chef Pepe Solla for tips on cooking at home and how best to enjoy the energetic wines of Rias Baixas.