Pablo González Conejero vindicates and evolves the Murcian canning industry

Fear is at the origin of food conservation. The fear of the immediate future, the uncertainty of the days to come, the insecurity caused by wars and famines… in short, the fear of shortages, the lack of daily sustenance. And as on so many occasions in the kitchen of the society of abundance, these preserves have lost their original character of survival and have fully entered the world of haute cuisine.

The mind of Pablo González Conejero does not rest. The chef at Cabaña Buenavista (2 Michelin stars) has always been clear that what anyone who comes to his house is looking for is not to eat well. That, like the value in the military, he is supposed to. He seeks a global experience that appeals not only to the senses but also to feelings and memory. And his gaze has settled on the products of an industry that for more than two centuries has contributed significantly to the development of the Region of Murcia: it preserves it.

«Canning has not had an evolution throughout history. The big industry disappeared and small family businesses remain. And it gave us to think how they would have evolved. That is one of the starting points of his presentation in the Gastronomic Region of Murcia. The other is that “those of us who work behind the bars do not take full advantage of this product, which in Spain is of the highest quality. We put a can of mussels on a plate, with some chopsticks and that’s it, “says the cook. Thus, Pablo González and his team have decided to tell a story based on these two concepts and incorporate it into the host of experiences that a client lives when he walks through the doors of Cabaña Buenavista.

And so, a can of marinated bonito becomes a tuna neck from which a broth is extracted that spherifies turning it into caviar that is served on a sheet of cauliflower cream; some dead olives end up in some false olives made with the traditional dressing that ends up being served with white savory garlic and a granita of pickled peppers; a canned artichoke ends up being some gnocchi that is served on the plate with mini grilled artichokes, broth from a rice and bean stew, the rice from the stew itself, and slices of ‘matá’ onion, and the typical cheese preserved in jars of oil becomes a fake cheese made from summer blood sausage with its juice, an emulsion of capers and a few drops of the typical Almagro aubergine dressing. Local history evolved towards haute cuisine, local products and recipes and the always irrepressible imagination of the most awarded chef in the Region, compressed into a 45-minute presentation