INNOVATING WITH TRADITION

When we say “mostillo ,” what are we talking about?

This concentrated must is a slow reduction of must and, being a by-product of the must, the end product will respond according to the variety or coupage that we use.

This production method dates back to times when hunger, scant possibility of provisioning and even scarcer variety of products available led ingenuity and skill to introduce a type of culinary innovation that we define as “humble food.” Over time, the change in eating habits and especially the establishment of “light” as valid and expensive as good have made the production and consumption practically disappear.

“Mostillo” provides an excellent base for both simple and complex preparation processes. We should bear in mind its numerous properties, which make it similar in nature to jelly, honey or concentrate.

The only difference is that in this case, we concentrate most of the properties of the grape in order to consume it, not only as a food product, which it is, but also as a tonic.

As far as gastronomy is concerned, it used to be common to have this “mostillo” on toast, accompanied by dairy products (curd, cheese, yoghourt), and little or nothing else.

We can consider preparing a dish in a simple manner, for example, a grilled pork steak, and adding the concentrated must directly to it at the end.

This way, the already sweet undertones of the pork can be brought out with the slight sourness of the “mostillo”.

It is also apt for use with all types of poultry, such as chicken or woodcock.

And finally, why not try a slice of fresh duck liver accompanied by grapes in warm concentrated must. This should be served separately, with the foie gras lightly pan-fried on each side and a strip of “mostillo” with grapes.