Sigüenza en el plato
Que Sigüenza es una de las ciudades más bellas de España es indiscutible. Su castillo, su imponente catedral y su casco medieval perfectamente conservado son razones de sobra para visitarla. Pero también lo es su gastronomía.
That Sigüenza is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain is beyond doubt. Its castle, its imposing cathedral, and its perfectly preserved medieval quarter are compelling reasons to visit. But so is its gastronomy. With fewer than five thousand inhabitants and two Michelin-starred restaurants, both featuring local produce.
One, El Molino de Alcuneza, on the outskirts of town, is thanks to the excellent work of the Moreno brothers. The other, in the town center, is El Doncel, which earned the first Michelin star in the province of Guadalajara in 2018. The Pérez brothers took over the family inn and restaurant years ago from their parents and have successfully elevated it. Enrique in the kitchen and Eduardo managing the dining room and wine cellar gave the establishment a radical makeover, with a more modern approach, a challenge in a town where many visitors tend to seek more traditional dishes like migas (a breadcrumb dish) or roast lamb. They went through some difficult times, but little by little, the quality of the cuisine and improved service attracted a more discerning clientele.
Enrique Pérez is a very accomplished chef who, on the one hand, remains true to his local roots, especially to the local produce, which he treats with respect, intelligence, and excellent technique, and on the other hand, embraces the world with dishes and ingredients he has discovered on his travels, particularly in the East. He sometimes fuses both approaches with excellent results. Many products come from suppliers in towns very close to Sigüenza. The salt he uses to cure the fish comes from Saelices, the organic trout from Cifuentes, the green asparagus from Palazuelos, the green chickpeas from Riba de Santiuste, the summer truffle from Pelegrina, the roe deer and quail from the nearby mountains, the crayfish from the local rivers… Even the impressive wine cellar features a significant selection of wines from Castilla-La Mancha.
The tasting menu, with reasonable portions at each course, maintains a consistently high level of quality from start to finish, from the atascaburras tartlet or the crayfish and spider crab fritter as an appetizer to the offal and lamb sweetbread rice or the charcoal-grilled venison loin, not forgetting the trout tartare with Iberian bacon or the saffron-marinated quail. With each new season, Enrique Pérez's cuisine gets closer to earning a second Michelin star.
