Foods to Eat in Spain - Madrid

- Besugo a la Madrileña -

Besugo a la Madrileña is a dish well associated with Madrid, which is a bit perplexing as Madrid, being far away from the coast (practically in the middle of Spain), should not really have any seafood dishes of note historically. The reason for this is because in 1739, Manuel de Herrera managed to secure a permit for the transportation of fresh fish from coastal ports (such as Santander, Vasco de Bermeo etc.) to Madrid. Even today, his legacy remains in the form of the organisation Mercamadrid, that ensures for a reliable and efficient transport network to and from Madrid.

Besugo a la Madrileña is prepared by oven baking sea bream (which is why it is also known as Besugo al Horno, the former meaning sea bream and the latter means oven) with fish stock (made from its bones), vegetables and sometimes prawns. In addition, this dish is normally covered with a light dusting of breadcrumbs and garnished with lemon slices. This dish became very popular as it was quick and easy to cook and so became a staple of the many inns of Madrid. Interestingly, this dish is also associated with Christmas, which may be because winter is the period when sea bream is most plentiful.

In terms of restaurants that currently 'specialise' in Besugo a la Madrileña, a couple come to mind. One of which is Restaurante Castilla, which has more European influenced dishes than traditional Spanish ones but nonetheless still serves a delicious sea bream. However, it is not in central Madrid so it can be a bit difficult to get to.

Another restaurant, which is within walking distance from Gran Via station is Casa Hortensia, which has food that is very much orientated around traditional, home-cooked style Spanish fare. Therefore, their Besugo a la Madrileña is definitely worth a try along with some of their other popular dishes such as \pulpo a la Gallega and Fabes con Almejas (beans with clams, which is in fact a dish from Asturias).

Finally, Casa Lucio is always a safe and dependable restaurant (and you've likely heard of them already) and they also serve Besugo a la Madrileña, however, I hesitated to mention this restaurant initially as they don't serve it throughout the year (it is mostly available in winter). So be sure to check the menu beforehand if you're going mainly for this dish to avoid disappointment. Another thing to note is that most restaurants are far more likely to call their baked sea bream Besugo al Horno than Besugo a la Madrileña, so keep an eye out for both names.