Pedrito Sánchez, Nino Redruello, Rafa Peña and Iván Domínguez held a dinner with a thousand hands and ways, but with a global sense of belonging to the collective of the kitchen of common sense. Andoni Luis Aduriz and his restaurant in San Sebastian, Topa, acted as hosts. “We have a present and a future”, Aduriz said.

In the report “The Heterodox and Post-Bistronomic. Coooking using your wrist”, which was broadcast yesterday at San Sebastian Gastronomika - Euskadi Basque Country, Jordi Vilà (Alkimia, Barcelona) acknowledged that he is part of a group that cooks that are always on the move, “cooking with their wrists”, referring to the fact that they are always behind the stove, for example, checking times or changing them as the product requires. 

This group that Gastronomika has unearthed, is a disparate group of restaurateurs who, "like me, although in another sense, are moving away from the classic, expected standards and cooking the way they want, people have chosen a different path". These are the words of Andoni Luis Aduriz, the host, with the permission of Jordi Bross (chef at Topa), of the dinner that a few of the members of this recently established group held last night at Aduriz's restaurant in San Sebastian. There were ten different gastronomic courses, in which origins and “a lot of understanding” were exchanged. Never before, Aduriz continued, “has so much quality been on show. We are not talking about a future, but about an incredible present made up of chefs who have known the sweetness of haute cuisine but who have opted for different personal projects”.

He looked like a trainer encouraging his disciples, who went out on the field to win. They spoke through their dishes. Pedro Sánchez (Bagá*, Jaén) started, with his classic prawns with pickled partridge; this was followed by semi-cured sea bream with almonds and an ink made by Nino Redruello (Fismuler, Madrid) and pickled foie gras with leek made by Rafa Peña (Gresca, Barcelona). They were not all there yet. Jordi Bross himself was still to come, showing Topa's love for South America with a taco of corn and millet, ‘huitlacoche’ (corn smut) and truffle, and Iván Domínguez (NaDo, La Coruña), who took the Atlantic to San Sebastian with his stewed ‘fabas de Lourenzá’ (broad beans), but without clams, and Atlantic mackerel, spinach and consommé of entrails. 

Earlier, Pedrito Sánchez had once again shown off his dish of beetroot, with plums and rose vinegar, a dish he had explained to the congress audience a few hours earlier in his presentation, and Rafa Peña had done the same with his tongue on a piece of French toast soaked in broth with comté cheese.

In a dinner paired with San Pellegrino water, Jaén Selección olive oil and cheeses from Tenerife, Redruello brought it to a close with his famous Fismuler cheesecake. During the day that was coming to an end, Hilario Arbelaitz had taken part at Gastronomika. His cheesecake continues to lead without discussion, commented journalist Carlos Maribona, “but this one is on the right track”.

Sánchez, Redruello, Peña and Domínguez. “Four phenomenal chefs that augur well for the future”, remarked the President of Vocento's Gastronomy Division, Benjamín Lana. They are the heterodox of Spanish cooking, “the spiritual children of Adrià”, agreed Xavier Agulló and Ignacio Medina, chefs who are always on the move using their wrists and common sense. “Long live divergence” remarked the doyen of Mugaritz. They are blessed.