‘Inspired by Goya’

Posted on October 29, 2015

Alberto & Xavier

To coincide with The National Gallery’s unmissable new exhibition honouring arguably Spain’s greatest artist, Goya, our head chef Alberto Hernandez has created a unique menu inspired by Goya’s works, Spain’s rich, artistic heritage and the region of Zaragoza where Goya was born.

Alberto met Dr Xavier Bray, the curator of Goya: The Portraits exhibition, to discuss the inspiration behind his dishes.

Alberto explains, “I spent time researching Goya’s works to find inspiration for the menu and to gain a deeper understanding of Goya’s use of colour. I wanted to capture the real essence of the paintings by using rich ingredients and vibrant colours throughout the menu.”

Goya 1

Inspired directly by Goya’s masterpieces, Zarzuela de pescadito y mariscos, a Spanish fish and seafood stew, is based on the ‘Still Life with Golden Bream’ painting, combining bream, mussels, octopus, lobster and prawns in a traditional Spanish broth.

Goya 2

Fabada con raviolis de morcilla y tuétano, butter bean cream with black pudding and bone marrow ravioli, takes inspiration from Goya’s ‘The Colossus’ where the bold flavours of the black pudding, the centre piece of the dish, embody the striking image of a giant striding across a pastoral valley.

Goya 3

Cardos con almendras, Spanish cardos with marcona almonds, takes its visual cue from ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’. Alberto recreates the painting within the dish by placing the cardos in a circle reflecting dancers around the blind man.

Goya 4

‘The Third of May 1808’ painting sparked the idea for Encerraditos de romesco y puerro a la ceniza, smoked romesco and leek parcels; the characteristic smell of gun smoke captured as Alberto infuses the romesco and leeks, finishing the dish with charred black onions.

Available until 9 January 2016, Alberto’s menu brings art to the plate in dramatic style.  You can book your table on the About Us page.