Chef Jordi Vilá's monkfish suquet takes as its starting point one of the most beloved Catalan dishes. Suquet is the local fisherman’s stew, as emblematic of regional identity as bouillabaisse is in Marseille and cioppino in San Francisco. The original suquet probably incorporated whatever the fisherman couldn’t sell, along with potatoes, onions and garlic. More refined versions have a splash of brandy, often some fresh tomato, and almost always a finishing dollop of picada, a paste of fried bread, garlic and nuts stirred in at the last moment for enrichment and thickening.

In this video demonstration of Vilá’s Rape con Suquet Blanco de Patatas y Germinado de Guisante (Monkfish with Potatoes and Pea Sprouts), note how he has invigorated the classic dish by re-thinking all the traditional elements. (Flash video, 10:45)

A sense of whimsy underlies many of Vilá’s creations, such as his Bombón de Huevo con Bacon y Patata Trufada (Egg Bomb with Bacon and Truffled Potato). This dish may look like a fried egg and behave like a fried egg—runny yolk and all—but it’s no fried egg. (Flash video, 16:37)

Jordi Vilá’s relentless creativity has put him in the vanguard of modern Catalan cooks and helped secure Barcelona’s reputation as one of the most exciting dining destinations today.

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