Manuel Alonso, chef at the Casa Manolo restaurant located in the town of Daimús, was declared winner of the final round of the Third Dénia Red Prawn Creative Cooking contest (III Concurso de Cocina Creativa de Gamba Roja de Dénia), organised by the Dénia Town Council Tourist Department.
Manuel Alonso triumphed in the final, which was held at the Mercat Municipal in Daimús, Alicante on the Costa Blanca, thanks to his winning recipe; ceviche de gamba de Dénia con agua de maíz y polvo de melba de sepia, a Dénia prawn ceviche with traditional ingredients including cuttlefish. Apart from the cash prize (1,000 Euros), Alonso was awarded a commemorative sculpture by the Mayor of Dénia, Ana Kringe. Joaquín Baeza Rufete, chef of the Baeza&Rufete restaurant in Alicante came second place thanks to his Dénia red prawn dish, ( gamba roja de Dénia en contrastes de mar), whilst third place was awarded to José Miguel Moreno Ruiz, head chef at Tierra, an eatery located within the Valdepalacios de Torrico hotel in Toledo, with his original fish stew-style dish with roasted Dénia prawn, suquet de gamba roja de Dénia al carbón.
Renowned chef Quique Dacosta (El Poblet) formed part of the panel, which also included Chuchita Lluch, head of the Academia de Gastronomía of the Valencian Community, journalists specialising in gastronomy, Pedro García Mocholí and Julia Pérez Lozano, as well as food critics José Carlos Capel (El País) and Xavier Agulló. During the prize-giving ceremony, José Piera from the Pegolí restaurant was also recognized for his essential role in exhibiting and preserving dishes featuring the Dénia red prawn.
Find out more about the award-winning chef’s restaurant Casa Monolo.
