Spanish Restaurant
Bellmont Spanish Restaurant serves authentic dishes from Spain made from scratch with the very best ingredients. Originally a restaurant and bakery, Bellmont Spanish Restaurant switched out its bakery for a bar. Now, there’s a great selection of wines from various Spanish regions.
The restaurant has a modern-meets-rustic Spanish atmosphere. The lamps and furniture feature sleek, straight lines, and the tables are covered with white linens. In contrast, the bar is made from weathered, dark wood with small trellis details. There are piles of chopped firewood for the oven and a large collection of wine corks, giving the modern décor a warm ambiance while maintaining a level of elegance.
Enjoy a true Spanish feast by starting with delicious tapas. Fried garbanzo beans with a fried egg and chorizo, a Manchego cheese tray, and hand-cut, imported Jamon Iberico and chorizo are the bestsellers. The paella is cooked to order and made with the finest Calasparras rice. Make sure to order it at the same time as you place your appetizer order, as it takes 25 minutes to cook.
Bellmont also hosts flamenco nights with live entertainment and talented flamenco dancers. It’s a show not to be missed.
Fideuá
2 pounds thin fideo noodles
1 pound white onions, diced in small brunoise
1 pound green lamuyo pepper, diced in small brunoise
2 ounces smashed fresh garlic
1 pound chicken breast, cut in small pieces
1 pound Ibérico pork loin, cut in small pieces
1 pound fresh Spanish sausage
8 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
2 bottles mild Spanish beer
1 gallon chicken stew
Fresh saffron (una pizca)
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Spanish sherry wine (vino de Jerez)
1.This dish is best prepared in a large paella pan.
2.Fry the fideo noodles in plenty of oil until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3.Add the garlic, onions, and green lamuyo pepper to the oil in the paella pan in intervals of 1 minute over medium heat. Continue with the chicken, pork loin, and Spanish sausage.
4.Once all the meats added are halfway cooked (approximately 12 to 14 minutes), add the Spanish beer. Stir gently and wait until the beer reaches the boiling point.
5.Add the fried fideos and start adding the warmed chicken stew, little by little, keeping the fideos loose, smooth, and tender and not stuck together or to the paella pan.
6.Add salt and white pepper to taste. The fideos are properly cooked once they start curving shapes in the paella pan. Lower the heat to the minimum to eliminate any excess of stew.
7.Let the paella pan rest for 4 to 6 minutes, then add a generous portion of Spanish sherry wine.
Serves 10-12.
Note: Seafood and peppers may be added a few minutes after the stew is added and placed atop the final dish. Recommended additions: 1/2 pound shrimp, 1 pound fresh mussels, 1 pound calamari, 2 pieces langoustine, and piquillo red peppers.
For a magical gastronomic experience, take a cooking class in the beautiful kitchen of the Biltmore Culinary Academy. This recreational cooking school is located inside the historic Biltmore Hotel and offers classes for adults and children. During the class, attendees learn by actively preparing a gourmet meal. At the end of the class, all the students sit and enjoy the dishes they cooked together along with a glass of wine.
The kitchen is a blend of industrial and designer motifs. It’s equipped with a professional stove in the center, and designer cabinets line the walls. Open walls in the kitchen are used as chalkboards, where teachers write out important instructions.
The Biltmore’s Executive Chef Dave Hackett takes the floor and lays down some ground rules of the kitchen before classes begin. You will learn important pointers, such as how to carry knives around the kitchen safely and keeping your station and floor clean to avoid slipping and accidents.
Then, it’s time to start cooking! The participants split up into groups, and each one is assigned a dish. Chef Hackett and several assistants walk around, answering questions, but the students do all the cooking. The menu is always delicious and all the recipes are creations of Chef Hackett.
Black Bean and Farro Cake
1 cup black beans, remove any stones or hard beans, soak overnight
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup farro
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Sea salt as needed
Black pepper as needed
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Spaghetti vegetables (make using a mandolin)
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium carrot, blanched and cooled
1 medium leek
1.Place the soaked black beans in a large saucepan, and cover the beans with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about an hour. Remove from heat, season with sea salt, and allow the beans to stand for about 10 minutes prior to draining. Place in a shallow pan and allow them to cool.
2.In a separate saucepan over medium heat, add about a tablespoon of olive oil, then add the farro and lightly toast, stirring constantly, until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Cover the farro with water by a couple inches and season with sea salt. Simmer on medium heat until grains have begun to pop open and are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro and place in a shallow pan. Allow them to cool.
3.Heat
