La Corte del Mos: the two daring young men who have opened a Catalan restaurant in Palamós

PalamósWe'll hear about it. For days, the residents of Palamós have been following the construction of La Cort del Mos (Calle Mal Pas, 3), the new restaurant opened by a couple with a passion for cooking. You'll taste dishes that are hard to find anywhere else. Catalan cuisine with the mastery of techniques from those who have worked in the best restaurants in the country. With the Libro de Sent Soví as their flagship, they've designed a menu to take your hat off to. And on top of that, with very reasonable prices. "We want people who understand, people in the profession, to come and we want to set honest prices," they explain.

The story of Helena Terme Adan, 29, from Figueres, and Jeffrey Ruiz Garcia, 33, from Badalona, is that of a couple who met while working in Peralada under Paco Pérez. He is the king of savory dishes, and she is the queen of sweet dishes. But now that they have their own business, everyone does everything.

Jeffrey knew he would be a cook "since I was a kid," he says. His two grandmothers, both Andalusian, were his teachers. And then his mother, whose rice he has tried to reproduce and has never turned out so well. "I came to the conclusion that I think it's unbeatable because my mother simply cooked it." Jeffrey has worked at Fonda España, owned by Martín Berasategui, Via Veneto, which was a great school for him, El Celler de Can Roca, and finally, in Peralada, with Paco Pérez. This modest and approachable guy cooks like an angel. I wouldn't let myself miss the opportunity for anything in the world. royale Empordà duck stuffed with crayfish and its liver. It's outrageous. Suitable for people with a fine snout. The sauce is inspired by that of the royale Via Veneto, the filling at La Bodega, and Paco Pérez, the treatment of crayfish. With these masters, it's no wonder this dish is a marvel.

Another thing that both Jeffrey and Helena have done is talk to the townspeople. Neither of them is from Palamós, but they are very grateful for the welcome from the neighbors, who have helped them from the very beginning. They have also been able to talk with the town's wise grandmothers. They are the ones who insisted that there should be both sea and mountains. They explained that when they were little, they cooked at home because they were the result of exchanging chicken for crayfish or shrimp. According to them, sea and mountains are born precisely from bartering.

This restaurant has two great examples of sea and mountains. The rooster combs with espadrilles, which he has summed up as "modernity-tradition." "Punks and espadrilles," he tells me. And the crispy Catalan Iberian pig's ear sandwich stuffed with Palamós shrimp tartar. Winning combinations.

Another surprising dish is frog legs with fricassee sauce and micro-carrots from the Tramuntana garden. A delicacy he intends to always advocate for. Jeffrey says the legs will always be there, because they remind him of his grandmother, who cooked for him. He'll make them in several ways and let anyone who wants to try them. It's worth the risk if someone isn't familiar with them.

The Tree of Life and the Book of Sent Soví

The restaurant has a bar that leads directly into the kitchen, and that's where the most entertaining meal is. Right there, at the bar, they have a copy of the Libro de Sent Soví, one of the oldest known cookery books. It's 400 years old and was written in Catalan, which already demonstrates that food was already important in medieval Catalonia. That's why the menu at La Corte del Mos is full of references to this book, such as the sosenga, which they feature on the menu, or the fact that Helena makes the burning of Saint Joseph with almond water. Helena began studying political science and then took a turn. As a pastry chef, she has also worked for some of the largest establishments, such as the Motel Empordà, the Almadraba Park, and the Hermitage, with Francis Paniego. She created the French toast, which is freshly filled with cream, chocolate, or Fonteta stew.

On opening day, Clara Coll, a historian specializing in old books, and Jordi Coll, the deacon in charge of blessing the establishment with a very fine Empordà humor, participated. They were accompanied by the neighbors, who gave a painting with a tree of life on which was written "audentes fortune yuva"Fortune favors the bold. While I'm there, a shopkeeper from the street below passes by and asks for a card. He says, "No matter how little you do, you'll have work." Well, if that's the case, they don't know what awaits them.