El Molino de Alcuneza: Alcuneza's Mill

Went to a very nice Hotel Rural [bed & breakfast] last weekend - El Molino de Alcuneza (warning - music).   Well, not just breakfast but dinner too since they have a fantastic kitchen/chef who presents quality cuisine.

The first thing is to show you part of the floor of the salon.

That's a stream that runs under the building and the glass floor that lets you watch trout swim by.

Had a great dinner - which consisted of:

• Octopus
• Goat's cheese salad
• Turbot or Rabbit as a main course
• Chocolate mousse

The octopus was set on a couple of slices of cooked potato and swirled around with a pimiento flavoured olive oil and some balsamic.  Very Galacian style; although instead of being just cut up octopus is was somehow chopped and molded.  A good presentation and super tender.

Here's the goat cheese salad.  That's a dried fruit (apricot?) on top of the cheese and the rucula [rocket] had slices of lightly smoked duck breast on top and some walnuts (a classic addition to goat's cheese).  Sauced with some honey dressing.  Good combinations.

The rabbit - roasted.  With fried pineapple under it.  That was a surprise - and a pleasant one. 

Oops - I seem to be missing a picture of the Rodaballo [Turbot].  It was very good, and good-looking, too.

The salt & pepper shakers were reminiscent of New York's twin towers.

Dessert: A sort of chocolate mousse, banana ice cream, another chocolate ice cream and a decorative chocolate cookie - all on a piece of sponge cake.

A great success.  For the kitchen this is a dream of a set-up.  Fixed menu, only two choices for the main course.  They change it daily so the chef gets to be creative and the seating is limited to advance reservations only and between the hours of 9:15 and 10:15 [p.m.], thus the kitchen knows exactly how much work they have each night and the "rush" is only an hour long.  Mostly it's hotel guests and the occasional neighbour or visitor.  Maybe up to eight tables en evening. 

Worth the visit (about an hour and a half outside of Madrid).