Bep Al·lès/Sant Lluís - Talking about Dani G Mora is talking about the new Menorcan cuisine in capital letters, because he is one of its creators, and going to eat, to enjoy the gastronomy at "Sa Pedrera de es Pujol", is a whole initiation ritual to know the values, roots and creations of this new movement, already consolidated in the new Menorcan cuisine.

Dani G Mora, and his wife Núria Pendás, are not Menorcan but Asturian, but they have spent half their lives in Menorca, the native island of Daniel's mother, and that has influenced his cooking so much.

Mora began his studies in the art of cooking at the Gijón School of Hospitality, and then went on to work in different restaurants in the north to consolidate his training as a chef until, in 2003, together with Núria, who also worked in the world of tourism and catering, they bought a small and unique restaurant in the village of Torret, where its architecture of typical white houses of the island stands out.

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Sa Pedrera de es Pujol has been open since 1969, but when Daniel and Núria took it over in 2003, a total transformation of the small restaurant began, which today is one of the benchmarks, not only for gastronomic quality, but also for the design, quality and functionality of the room, spacious, bright and with exceptional customer service. In fact, Núria Pendàs was chosen as the best sommelier and head waiter in Menorca in 2015 by the Association of Gastronomic Journalists and Writers of the Balearic Islands, and Dani Mora was chosen this year as the best chef on the island by the same association of gastronomic critics.

The initiation ritual

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As we have said, going to Sa Pedrera is like entering one of the great temples of gastronomy and the new Menorcan cuisine, one of the best places to enter into the initiation ritual of the new Menorcan cuisine, of which we can assure that he is one of its creators, with a search for the traditional recipe book, adapting the old recipes of Ballester, Cavaller and small manuscripts, in addition to the family recipes of his mother, making G Mora one of the first to acquire a serious commitment to local products, with what he buys at the Carme de Maó market and small producers, and little by little he has created not only a name and a gastronomic movement, but a seal of quality that has placed the island of Menorca as one of the new references of gastronomy.

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Dani G Mora does not forget the roots of his mother's and his Menorcan grandmother's cooking, nor does he forget his Asturian origins and in Sa Pedrera the two cuisines are fused, that of his father and his mother, the cuisine of the Cantabrian Sea and that of the Mediterranean, and from this fusion comes his vogamarí (that is what sea urchin is called in Menorca and also in Alghero, the only two Catalan-speaking places where it is written and pronounced vogamarí) with egg; or dishes from his winter menu such as verdinas with clams. We will also find cod "tripe" with blood sausage and tender broad beans, or sea bass with prawns and Menorcan saffron; red tuna steak with San Luis vegetables and ginger and other creations on a menu that changes as the seasonal products change.

Sa Pedrera also offers tasting menus, these introductory menus of the new Menorcan cuisine, which do not leave you indifferent and are a true gastronomic ritual.

We opted for the 40 euro menu, wine not included; there is another more complete one for 70 euros with lobster stew.

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They started, again, our initiation (every time you go to Sa Pedrera you go back to the introductory cuisine) with a paretjal fig stuffed with homemade foie, off the menu, and then the cornetto of Mahon cheese with apricot jam, followed by a spectacular sobrasada croquette from Menorca on red pepper jam.

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Then, a true classic of their cuisine that must be tried, their stew of moray eel with moray eel meatballs and the aniseed touch of the broth, which make it unique. We continued with a pumpkin ravioli with ricotta and pesto made from pumpkin seeds. Dani also treated us to his oyster from the port of Mahon with celery and lemon sorbet with its pearl and pickles, which is one of his great haute cuisine creations.

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For the second course you can choose between meat or fish. A smoked roast beef with red wine juice, shallots and glazed carrots, or the classic skate in black butter with Menorcan cappuccino capers, sea fennel and marinated lemon, just as it was made in the old medieval recipe book.

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The desserts, also to choose from, range from a striking lemon cream with vanilla pear and almond biscuit, or a flaky pastry with baked apple filled with sweet couscous accompanied by syrup ice cream.

Pas mal pour un rituel d'initiation à la nouvelle cuisine de Minorque, et si nous le souhaitons, nous pouvons le compléter avec une autre dégustation, plus étendue, où en plus de certains des plats mentionnés, nous trouverons de l'oligua aux figues ; crevettes rouges allaitées de Minorque, vogamarí (oursin) avec œuf et ses jaunes ; Chaudière de homard de Señorito et fromage Wellington avec sauce grevi. En dessert, la pommade sorbet et une révolution de fromage Maó. Pour terminer une dégustation de pastissets, carquiñoles et bitters.

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Finesse dans les préparations, honnêteté avec le produit, la cuisine et le client, portions généreuses, présentation impeccable, une grande cave et une carte des vins, ainsi que le caractère calme, amical et accessible de Dani et Núria, font de ce rituel d'initiation un Le nouveau La cuisine minoritaire, dans l'un des temples où elle est née, est une expérience unique qui peut être répétée.