Neven has a particular affinity with the Basque Country: as a young chef, he did a ‘stage’ at Arzak, the famous restaurant in San Sebastian which has held 3 Michelin stars since 1989 – the only restaurant in Spain to have had three stars for nearly 40 years.
Food Trails is Neven’s most exciting and ambitious series to date, and he relishes the chance to bring viewers to a part of the world that he loves and admires.
What Can We Expect From Neven's Food Trails?
Across the series, Neven visits his old mentor, Sr Juan Mari Arzak, tours the Marques de Riscal winery, takes a balloon trip over La Rioja’s countryside, learns how to make pinchos (the Basque equivalent of tapas), watches sheep’s milk cheese being made by hand, and sees how two of Bilbao’s famous pastries are created.
Every part of the region has its own speciality: fish in Bermeo, where Neven sees mackerel being landed and visits a tuna canning plant, pinchos in San Sebastian (which has more Michelin star restaurants per square kilometre than any other place on earth), wine in Haro, cider in Altzaga and cheese in Segura.
Also in this series Neven enjoys a boat trip past the Guggenheim Museum, a football match at Athletico Bilbao, and visits the ‘cemetery’ at the Cune bodega (winery) where penicillin grows over the bottles of wine to protect them. All the while, Neven returns to Ireland to cook dishes inspired by his travels.
Episode 1 - Bilbao
The first stop on Neven’s Basque Country food trail is Bilbao.
Here, Neven takes a look at the city’s incredible modern architecture, and of course its culinary delights. He calls in at the Manuel Angulo patisserie, where even the sweetest tooth can be satisfied.
Neven also takes a trip to Zortziko, one of Blibao’s Michelin star restaurants, and meets Chef Daniel Garcia who is renowned for his innovative approach to cooking.
Neven’s recipes this week include:
- Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
- Prune and Armagnac Tart.
Catch Neven’s Food Trails: The Basque Country on RTÉ One, Thursday the 29th of September at 7pm. And for more articles on Food, head over to RTÉ Food.
