Jerte Picota Cherries Tasting Menu at Iberica
Cherries are not all the same. There are so many varieties and I have just been introduced to the Jerte Picota Cherries from Spain. They are available for only a few short weeks every summer and are in supermarkets now.
More about Jerte Picota Cherries
Jerte Picota Cherries. Spain’s most famouos cherries, are the main variety of cherry that are grown in the Jerte Valley in Extramadura, Spain. They are produced in a natural, traditional way without any extra additives which gives them a deliciously unique flavour and a high vitamin content. After careful selection, only the best cherries are chosen and hand-picked one-by-one into chestnut baskets for consumers.
Jerte Picota Cherries are a PDO product which means they have to be produced in a certain region, in this case the JerteValley which lies South-West of Madrid in the Cáceres region. This guarantees a high-quality product and protects the consumers and producers.
With their unique flavour and juiciness, they are the perfect cherry to put in your desserts, cakes, main courses and starters. They are even better eaten by themselves whilst lying in the summer sun.
Taking advantage of the abundance of cherries right now, Iberica in Victoria designed a special Cherries Tasting Menu matched with wines from small boutique wineries.
Spanish hospitality at its best, we are welcomed with a glass of cold Cava. The menu starts with a few small plates. In case you didn’t know, Iberica makes the best tapas and this is one of my favourites. Their Croquetas de Jamon is creamy and crispy and full of jamon flavour.
This unusual Picota Cherries gazpacho with soft cheese ice cream, anchovy and mint is served as a starter.
The next small plate is the green asparagus toast with Manchego, onion confit and truffle oil. So seasonal and so delicious.
Cherries and fish works, especially in thid dish, pan seared tuna with almond cream Ajoblanco and pickled Picota Cherries. One to try at home. The white wine matched with this was the Perro Verde, Verdejo DO Rueda 2015, flavours of fresh peach and cut grass.
Iberico grilled pork pluma with apple puree and Picota cherries sauce. Iberico pork served medium rare is a real treat. Super tender pork in a sweet and sour cherry sauce and apple puree.
Red Wine selected to match this course is a fine wine housed in the simplest bottle, the Sers Singular, Parraleta, DO Somontano 2015.
The sweet ending was delivered with this Picota cherries crema catalana foam…
…matched with this gorgeous dessert wine, Nectar, Pedro Ximinez, D.O. Jerez. Tasting notes: Sherry with sweet raisins, caramel, wood and dates aromas.
Iberica Victoria
56, Zig Zag,
68 Victoria St,
Westminster,
London SW1E 6SQ
EatCookExplore was a guest of Jerte Picota