The Makro Center in Madrid hosted the national final of the most prestigious cooking contest, Bocuse d'Or. For four hours, the four finalists worked against the clock to come up with the required compositions.
A Technical Jury made up of Félix Noguera, Linkers chef advisor and Rubén Príncipe, professor at the Alcalá de Henares School of Hospitality and Tourism, was in charge of ensuring compliance with hygiene regulations, use of ingredients, correct preparation of cuts, use of utensils and machinery, or the recycling of containers, inside the kitchen box.
Félix Noguera, consultant chef at Linkers and Rubén Príncipe, professor at the Alcalá de Henares School of Hospitality and Tourism were the technical juries. They were in charge of ensuring compliance with hygiene standards, use of ingredients, correct cutting, use of utensils and machinery. Also from the recycling of containers, inside the kitchen box.
For its part, a Tasting Jury assessed the culinary proposals of the candidates. This jury was made up of José Veléz, national manager of Makro's hospitality clients and prestigious chefs such as José Manuel Miguel, chef of the Beat restaurant, with one Michelin star. Juan Pozuelo, chef Teatro Goya Catering and Technical Director of the Bocuse d'Academy Or Spain. Miguel Durán, chef El Reloj at Harry & Sally and Íñigo Lavado, chef and owner of the restaurant of the same name.
Two excellently prepared dishes take Carlos Julián Martínez to the final in Norway.
Thus, both courts, Technical and Tasting, ruled in favor of the candidate Carlos Julián Martínez and his assistant Adrián Cifuentes Adán. His dishes were: "Message in a Bottle" y "Everything is born on earth". The first, with fish as a base, had the requirement that it be a children's dish. For this, chef Martínez used a trompe l'oeil or visual deception. Everything from black cod with cod brandade, a Valencian titaina and a mini oyster with prawns.
The second proposal, based on meat, is called "Everything is born on earth". It is a duck terrine with mushrooms and morels, accompanied by sour bonbon, leg with white truffle and false tomato.
Carlos Julian Martinez He is Executive Chef of the Ampar Restaurant, Hotel Hospes Palau de la Mar 5*, in Valencia. He has been a finalist in the 'Cook of the Year' contest in 2018, ffinalist 2019. He also obtained the 4th position in Bocuse d'Or Spain 2019 and runner-up in Bocuse d'Or Spain 2021. He will be in charge of representing the country in the European contest in Norway in 2024.
