Enjoy the local Market vibes.
After strolling in Alicante's more modern shopping quarter we decided to spend some time in the local market.
I don't know exactly the reason why I find Spanish markets so fascinating.
After living for almost ten years in the UK where is mostly all plastic packed (apart from local markets)
seeing tons of shiny fruit and veggies of so many different varieties makes my heart full.
An entire floor only for fish and meat counters. Close to them, you can even find shops that sell eggs or olives only. A next-level paradise if you consider that there are also some stalls where you can enjoy some authentic food cooked at the moment.
I find joy in watching elderly people with their trolleys acting as professional shoppers. I love the chats, the rituals, the noise of the brown paper bag.
I think people laugh at me taking pictures of their counter. I am sure of this.
After a walk through all the stands, we had some tapas at a bar called El Palé. Two canas each (as Spanish call a small beer) and some of the best alternative Spanish food we ever tried.
The menu is on a chalkboard on the wall and there is something for everyone. Fish options like Mejillones thai (mussels thai), tosta de sardina ahomada, aguacate y tomate seco ( bread with smoked sardine, avocado and sundried tomato) or meat ones like cecina de Leon con parmesano (smoked beef meat plus parmesan) or the tosta with roast beef, germinados y perrins and some vegetarian options too.
We follow the advice of Daniel, the owner of the bar, and we tried their famous croquetas. A bit different from the classic with jamon. One was with cecyna y puerro ( smoked beef pieces plus leek) and the other one had calcots con romesco ( calcots is a kind of green onion really popular in Cataluna with romesco sauce).
After these bechamel bonbon ( I would have eaten 200) we moved into some fish options.
We took a tapa called "nuestra version de la marinera", their seafood version of ensaladilla rusa.
On top of this, there was a sardine that Daniel smoked in front of us with rosemary. I got a few words to describe this prodigy. The flavor was unbelievable.
So much so that we decided to have also a tosta (a piece of bread) with avocado, sundried tomato and more of this sardine. I am still dreaming of it.
To finish Daniel served us a generous portion of atun marinado en soja, citros y miel (marinated tuna in soy sauce with citrus and honey) done with fresh tuna from the market.
Surely one of the best tapas lunches I had in these 5 years of visiting Spain.
It is also worth mentioning that this market, a place of joy for the many of us visiting today, had a sad story to be remembered. Take a minute to observe the metal stone placed at the entrance that honors the over 300 victims of the 1938 massacre due to the bombing by the Italian Fascist Air Force during the Spanish Civil War. Touching.
Comments