Page 188 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY

The chefs had already desalted the cod and cut
it into serving-size pieces. Chef Saul poached
the fish, seasoned with garlic and dried
guindilla chili, in olive oil to release the fish’s
substantial gelatin, essential for the pil pil
sauce. While it looks creamy, it’s made only
with the olive oil. Chef Saul turned the cook-
ing pan in a circular motion to combine the
cooking oil and cod gelatine into a silky emul-
sion, with the consistency of mayonnaise. He
spooned the finished pale-green Pil Pil over
the cod, transforming the simple fish into a
luscious dish.
All of us could cook the final menu item, a
seared aged sirloin steak with red piquillo
peppers. Key to this simple dish is aged sir-
loin, a prime cut in Spain that is the equiva-
lent of rib eye in the U.S. Carlos showed us the
huge side of beef, aged two to four weeks, that
was cut to yield serving pieces for our class.
The meat is seared, and generally served
rare, but we could order medium rare if pre-
ferred. Mary prefers steaks cooked medium
but enjoyed her flavorful serving, even though

188 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023