The Paniego Family: The Land of La Rioja as a Source of Inspiration

A Place with Plenty to See and Do

Ezcaray, set in the valley of the Oja river in the Sierra de la Demanda mountains, has around 2,000 inhabitants and some interesting tourist attractions. These include a ski resort and the town center with its porticoed streets and squares, churches, and grand buildings.

Traditional and Cutting-Edge Cuisine

Echaurren, located in the historic center of Ezcaray, is a gastronomic hotel with 2 very different elements to it: Echaurren Tradición, where Marisa Sánchez served traditional cuisine; and El Portal de Echaurren, the haute cuisine restaurant run by her son, Francis Paniego. The 2 establishments share a kitchen.

Great-aunt Andrea was the first chef in the family business

Her recipes and advice were passed from generation to generation, reaching Francis Paniego via his mother and grandmother. The essence of that advice was: "Good cooking takes time."

Marisa's Parents: Reluctant Heirs

"The heir to the business was a sister of my maternal grandmother. But she moved away from Ezcaray and asked my grandparents, Julia and Luis, to buy it so that it would remain in the family," explains Francis Paniego.

"Grandma Julia cooked like an angel and was the best woman in the world."

Marisa was the first head chef to receive Spain's National Gastronomy Award

In 1982, Echaurren received Spain's National Award for the Best Guesthouse Restaurant, and in 1987 she received the same award for Best Head Chef.

She is shown in the photo cooking with the presenter Elena Santonja as a visitor on the popular Spanish television program of the 1980s, "Con las manos en la masa" (Hands in the dough).

The World's Best Croquettes

There are several essential dishes on the menu at Echaurren Tradición, but the one that everyone associates with Marisa is the ham croquettes. Many people agree that they are the best they have ever tried.

Lamb's Trotters

This dish is one of the classics on the menu, described by Francis as "A delicacy; a wonderful dish."

Rioja-Style Potatoes

This dish is now known all over the world and is in great demand at Echaurren Tradición.

Going It Alone: His Own Restaurant

During the 1990s, Francis had spent time working in the kitchens of Akelarre and Arzak in San Sebastián, Les Pyrénées in France, and later Zalacaín in Madrid.

In the early 2000s, Echaurren's menu included some traditional dishes, some of Francis' mother's recipes, and some suggested by the son himself.

Around that time, people were starting to talk about the second generation of chefs. Following a conversation with his father, it was decided with the support of the whole family that Francis would lead a separate restaurant as part of Echaurren.

El Portal de Echaurren Was Born

In 2002, he opened the gastronomic restaurant El Portal de Echaurren. He knew it would be a challenge, given its location in a small town that is not a provincial capital.

Since the restaurant opened, its front-of-house and wine cellar have been run by José Félix Paniego who, after spending a few years away from the family business, returned to take part in the project led by his brother.

A Bewildering Start

"It was difficult in the beginning, there's no doubt about that. It was difficult for people to understand why we had created a second restaurant. The other kitchen was constantly busy, while we sometimes had nothing to do and had to go and help them."

The Land as a Source of Inspiration

"I started to cook with the sensations of my environment and it all fell into place."

El Portal de Echaurren's gastronomic offering is presented in 2 tasting menus. Paniego's relationship with the mountains of La Rioja is evident in both of them.

"If I'm going for a walk in the countryside and see a weed growing, I can't help thinking how I might cook with it."

The First Offal in Haute Cuisine

A frequent ingredient in the Paniego family's kitchen, offal began to appear on some of El Portal's menus from 2014.

"The menu that we call 'Entrañas' (Entrails) consists of recipes made from produce known as offal," they explain.

It includes dishes such as glazed brains resembling duck's liver, pig skin tripe, or parfait of chicken livers with artichoke shavings and bread.

Some of El Portal's Dishes

Fried dishes:
* Fried starflower leaves
* "Buñuelo Saignant" or oozing doughnuts
* Croquettes (stolen from my mother)

Appetizers inspired by the valley:
* A bite of Tondeluna
* Freshly cut grass or the taste of a high mountain meadow
* Under a blanket of dry leaves, recreating a stroll through a beech forest

A Very Special Wine List

In 2011, with the first major refurbishment of El Portal, José Félix Paniego decided to expand his offering of wines, install an air conditioning system in his wine cellar, and create a new menu with a striking feature: listing the wines by producer.

"It was then that we started to get to know many of the producers that are now on our wine list on a much more personal level. Visiting wine cellars became secondary—we were very clear that great wines come from vineyards. And I wanted to tell the stories behind the winemakers," explains José Félix.

Beyond Ezcaray

In Elciego, a town in Rioja Alavesa, Francis Paniego is an adviser to the restaurant at the Marqués de Riscal Hotel, designed by Frank Gehry. Surrounded by vineyards, guests can enjoy some of the chef's best creations, made with locally produced, seasonal ingredients.

Together with his wife, Luisa Barrachina, he also owns Tondeluna, located in the center of Logroño. The restaurant is an informal, modern space serving fresh market cuisine.

One of this children and one of his nephews are currently studying hospitality management, but he says that it is too early to know whether they will be the next generation to take over the running of Echaurren.