In the latest episode of MasterChef Spain, the kitchens of this culinary talent show have moved to La Rioja as the setting for its popular outdoor competition.. At Vivanco we were delighted to host the filming of this episode and set up the show's kitchens next to our vineyard, a tremendously recognisable image of our land: La Rioja.
In programme 6 of "MasterChef", the contestants have had the opportunity to visit such distinctive enclaves of this region as the Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, and its natural treasures. Monastery of Suso and YusoThe Monasteries of Suso and Yuso, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and its natural treasures. Thanks to the seven rivers that run through the valleys of La Rioja, our region offers a multitude of natural landscapes that can be enjoyed in peace, comfort and relaxation.
In this beautiful journey through La Rioja, the "MasterChef" kitchens make a stop in Vivanco where both the contestants and the judges will have the chance to make a a journey through the 8,000 years of wine history through the Winery and Museum of Wine Museum of Wine Culture y enjoy the gastronomic riches of the area.And what better way to do it than cooking with some of the most characteristic products of this region!
For this, the chefs Pepe Rodríguez and Jordi Cruz have designed two menus inspired by the gastronomic tradition of La Rioja that the two teams of contestants who will compete in this outdoor competition will have to prepare.
In this sense, the blue team will cook a traditional menu signed by Pepe Rodríguez based on classic recipes from La Rioja. This menu will be served to 50 diners and will consist of the following dishes:
- Rioja-style potatoes
- Baby lamb ribs with vegetables
- Torrijas
The red team will be in charge of cooking the avant-garde menu designed by Jordi Cruz, which they will have to serve to 15 diners:
- Tupinambo Rioja style
- Lamb ribs 2.0
- Cold textures of torrija in portions
As an added difficulty to this test, the captains of both teams - Luna of the blue team and Ana of the red team - can be dismissed as long as the decision is agreed by the majority of their team.
Below we share some of the best moments during the cooking and serving of this outdoor test at Vivanco:
1. Do Rioja-style potatoes contain green pepper?
This spoon dish, so typical of La Rioja, was the first to be prepared by the blue team. The confusion came when, despite Pepe Rodríguez's instructions, the blue team decided to add green pepper to this stew.
You can see this moment at 1:19:35 of the programme.
2. Visit of the chef Ignacio Echapresto
Chef Ignacio Echapresto visits the aspirants during their cooking in the vineyards of Vivanco. A chef who has made the village of Daroca de Rioja the smallest Michelin-starred village in the world thanks to his restaurant. Venta Moncalvillo.
You can see this moment at 1:24:40 of the programme.
3. Jordi Cruz starts cooking
It seems that the red team is having trouble making the tupinambo sphericals. To prevent the diners from receiving the first dish late, Jordi Cruz decides to put on his jacket and give the contestants a hand.
You can see this moment at 1:30:56 of the programme.
4. The tasting of the dishes
Rafael Vivanco talks about the efforts of the four generations of the Vivanco family to set up the project and gives his opinion on the tupinambo a la riojana dish.
Fernando Sáenz Duarte, master ice-cream maker at the dellaSera ice-cream parlour in Logroño; Lorenzo Cañas, chef at the La Merced restaurant in Logroño and Concha Andreu, president of La Rioja, among others, also take part in the programme and comment on the dishes they have just tasted.
You can see this moment at 1:41:43 of the programme.
5. Resolution of the outdoor test
The French oak vat room at Vivanco is the place chosen by the judges to reveal the result of the outdoor test. Which team will be the winner?
You can see this moment at 1:52:15 of the programme.
To celebrate our appearance on MasterChef, we are running a sweepstakes* on Facebook y another on Instagram of a pack of 3 bottles of Vivanco Crianza + 3 bottles of Vivanco Reserva + 2 double tickets to the Museum Vivanco and the Winery. There will be a total of two winners -one winner on each social network- and you can participate until Friday 22 May.
If you still haven't seen the whole programme or if you want to enjoy "MasterChef" in La Rioja, you can watch the whole programme on the website of Radio y Televisión Española.
Here you can consult the legal terms and conditions of the draw..
