Bars and restaurants started to open up here last Monday, limited to 50% capacity on the terrace, no inside seating. One place near me got shut down by the police Monday lunchtime as their terrace was fuller than the North Stand concourse at half-time.
Other places have spaced their tables out but there's little evidence of physical distancing so I'll be giving it a swerve for the foreseeable.
To make up for my self-imposed bar ban, we had a tapas night at home yesterday. Starting off with some good quality mojama (dried tuna) and glass of vermouth, before moving on to some succulent clams cooked in white wine with parsley and an indecent amount of garlic. That was followed by plate of mixed fried fish, liberally soused with lemon. All washed down with a passable bottle of cava.
A brisk stroll and a switch to wine and meat starting with Brandy-spiked chicken liver toasts; very good they were too. Then it was time for the lamb neck a la plancha. The meat, which had been marinating in yoghurt, rosemary, and garlic, was cooked in ferociously hot pan, blackening in all the right places. A splash of sherry to deglaze and done. We rounded things off with a cheeseboard - something hard, something soft, something goaty, served with some cherries and a rather nice tawny port.
Who needs bars?
Other places have spaced their tables out but there's little evidence of physical distancing so I'll be giving it a swerve for the foreseeable.
To make up for my self-imposed bar ban, we had a tapas night at home yesterday. Starting off with some good quality mojama (dried tuna) and glass of vermouth, before moving on to some succulent clams cooked in white wine with parsley and an indecent amount of garlic. That was followed by plate of mixed fried fish, liberally soused with lemon. All washed down with a passable bottle of cava.
A brisk stroll and a switch to wine and meat starting with Brandy-spiked chicken liver toasts; very good they were too. Then it was time for the lamb neck a la plancha. The meat, which had been marinating in yoghurt, rosemary, and garlic, was cooked in ferociously hot pan, blackening in all the right places. A splash of sherry to deglaze and done. We rounded things off with a cheeseboard - something hard, something soft, something goaty, served with some cherries and a rather nice tawny port.
Who needs bars?
Not one of the dishes took more than 10 minutes and we ate over the course of four hours so there was plenty of time for drinking and chat.
