Diego del Rio
Full name and name of restaurant?
Diego del Rio Restaurante El Lago, Marbella
When did you start cooking and what made you start?
I started about 12 years ago because I have always had a passion for cooking.
One tip for budding chefs?
To make sure you have passion as it is not an easy job.
Favourite recipe/dish?
Chick Pea Soup
If you were a spice/herb what would you be?
Mint
If you were put on a dessert island who would you like as company and what food?
My best friends and a leg of cured Pata Negra ham with a barrel of good aged wine.
Diego's Recipie
Small pigeon with couscous, paté and a vanilla and orange sauce.
1 small pigeon (chopped into breast x2 and legs x2)
100g couscous - cooked according to the instructions on the packet
50g cauliflower finely cut
80g pigeon livers
80g chicken livers
½ onion finely chopped
Dash of port
2 oranges juice only
White balsamic vinegar
1 vanilla pod and seeds
50g sugar
Olive oil
Sea salt
Edible flowers
100g couscous - cooked according to the instructions on the packet
50g cauliflower finely cut
80g pigeon livers
80g chicken livers
½ onion finely chopped
Dash of port
2 oranges juice only
White balsamic vinegar
1 vanilla pod and seeds
50g sugar
Olive oil
Sea salt
Edible flowers
The paté
- In a frying pan place the onion to fry in a little olive oil until soften.
- Add livers and season with salt and pepper. Fry the mixture and add the port. Bring to the boil and cook the livers.
- Remove the frying pan from the heat and place ingredients in a blender. Blend and place on a plate and cool in the fridge.
The Couscous
- Cook couscous according to the directions on the packet.
- Fry cauliflower and couscous.
The Sauce
- Place sugar in a saucepan on low heat and leave to melt and caramel slowly, be careful not to have too much colour on the caramel or it will give the sauce a bitter taste.
- Add a little vinegar and reduce by half. Add orange juice and vanilla seeds and pod and reduce by half until you have a concentrated sauce similar to syrup.
The Meat
- In a frying pan put some olive oil and fry the breast of the pigeon until the skin is crispy and turned a golden colour.
- Turn the meat and cook on other side for one minute, the meat should be pink inside. The legs however need to be cooked for longer and cooked through.
Serve
- Place paté in the middle of the plate and with the back of the spoon spread over the plate, place a spoonful of couscous on top and then the meat, the breast cut in half and the legs either side.
- Pour caramel, orange and vanilla sauce all over the dish and finish with edible flowers and sea salt.