La Casa Benigna

Tuesday

This evening I made reservations for dinner at La Casa Benigna. I had read of this place in a blog when I was researching paella recipes. I am new to paella cooking and wanted to learn as much as I could before actually trying to make one. I wanted to go to a good paella place in Madrid to sample authentic paella. The owner and chef, Norberto has actually devised his own pan, very different from the pans used for traditional paellas. His pans have a copper hew and are shallower than the traditional paellera. It is about as wide, but much shallower. It is very elegant looking and serves up delicious rice with some nice “soccarat,” or crusty “stuck on” rice at the bottom of the pan. The wide pan is brought out and placed upon a lazy susan in the center of the table. The waiter scrapes it up and serves you though eating right out of the pan with the provided wooden spoon is also allowed. Before the paella though, we were indulged in a delicious salad, a mushroom dish served with an egg gracing the top that would be blended into a soulful blend that bathed the palate in a wonderful texture and flavor. We were also served a “tortilla” or Spanish omelets with vegetables and thinly sliced grilled salmon. This was topped with an incredible sauce of pureed tomatoes and heavenly spices. This was all before the paella came out!

Our dessert was a trio of orange accented chocolate, fresh strawberry sorbet and a tenderly baked apple. We were totally surprised when the server drizzled balsamic vinegar onto the strawberry sorbet. It actually enhanced the flavor. We were even served an “après dessert,” in two tiny cups and saucers, even smaller than a demitasse cup. I thought that they may have come from a child’s play tea set, but were ceramic, filled with creamy, fudgy chocolate accompanied by two wafers and two small spoons. It didn’t take us long to figure out what we had to do to enjoy this wonderful surprise. I have not even mentioned the bread or Norberto’s own extra virgin olive oils to dip it in. His two brands are poured into small wine glasses and swirled so you can absorb the aroma and the distinctive “nose” of each one, much as you would a fine wine. One evoked a distinct tomato scent; it was the Sicilian olive oil. The other, a Spanish olive oil, had the aroma of herbs and flowers. The owner is a craftsman in all he does with his food, the interior, the ambiance. It was a very artistic presentation and delicious to partake both visually as well as gastronomically. You can search for La Casa Benigna, Madrid on google and find many references to it with reviews and more photos.