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The Roca brothers’ bistro, located in Girona, has established itself as one of the best restaurants in the world thanks to its interpretation of haute cuisine through innovative reinventions of traditional Catalan recipes.
Behind the creativity, extravagance and success of Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca’s El Celler de Can Roca lies a simple sauce that would change everything. One that Joan Roca took to the stage at the 25th edition of San Sebastián Gastronomika, a benchmark culinary symposium that brought together some of the most brilliant minds in the sector, such as chefs Quique Dacosta and Benjamín Lana.
There, beyond focusing on the importance of red prawns in Spanish cuisine, Roca shared a key element in his creations: garum de gamba or prawn sauce. He then explained that garum is an ingredient that he makes from many of the different proteins in his restaurant and he uses it throughout the menu, thanks to its ability to highlight the flavours of the dish without overshadowing others.
Garum is a fermented fish-based sauce that originated in Greece and Sumer, became popular in ancient Rome and is now being revisited by the world’s top chefs.
Garum is a great way to bring out the robust flavours of a dish,’ Roca told the huge audience. ‘The saltiness and concentrated flavours bring out the different flavours without overpowering them and adds a complexity to the dish’.
