Casa Gasamáns – Ames, Santiago, Galicia

Although somewhat hard to find, Casa Gasamáns is one hidden Galician treasure. Only a 15 minute drive from Santiago, this enchanting rural house boasts a cozy restaurant nestled in the lovely lush grounds of a gorgeous Galician getaway. A set menu of local specialties is served daily along with a nice selection of local wines – Ribeiros and Alvarinhos.

A generous portion of boiled prawns with “salsa rosa” (a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup and cognac) made for a nice starter. Along came a generous serving of pimientos de Padrón known for being randomly spicy: some are hot and some are not. Originally from America, this type of pepper was brought to Galicia by Franciscan monks in the XVI century. These I had, being from the beginning of the season, May through September, were rather mild yet delicious!

For seconds, I had grilled squid lightly seasoned with paprika and a side of boiled potatoes simply drizzled with olive oil. The simplicity of this dish is exactly what makes it so flavorful because you can actually taste the freshly caught squid that is grilled ever so carefully to make it melt in you mouth tender. There’s nothing like fresh seafood from the north Atlantic and that is exactly what Galicia is all about! To finish my meal, I was offered a glass of a local spirit known as Orujo, a pomace brandy that is a surprisingly smooth digestif.