One of the Best Restaurants in the World Has a Literal Secret Sauce

El Cellar de Can Roca has cemented itself as one of the best restaurants in the world, thanks to the creative prowess of brothers Joan, Josep, and Jordi Roca. According to Joan, much of that success can be attributed to one simple sauce. 

Situated in the small town of Girona, in northern Spain, the restaurant has drawn culinary fanatics who dream of experiencing the fanciful dishes created by the team, known for intricate flavors, complex techniques, and a unique sensibility to combine ingredients that you’d be hard pressed to find paired anywhere else. And that includes Joan’s secret sauce weapon. 

Roca took the stage at the 25th San Sebastian Gastronomika festival, a leading culinary symposium that brings together some of the strongest minds in the industry. For this chat, chef Quique Dacosta and Benjamín Lana, the general manager of Vocento Gastronomía, along with Roca, sat down to discuss the importance of the red prawn in Spanish cuisine. But while this event focused on the significance of the prawn, it was a different ingredient that drew attention. To showcase the versatility of the prawn, Roca shared a few tastes with the audience, including a garum de gamba or prawn sauce. He explained that garum is an ingredient he makes from many of the different proteins in his restaurant and uses it throughout the menu, thanks to its ability to highlight the flavors of the dish without overpowering others. 

“Garum is a great way to bring out the robust flavors to a dish,” Roca said to a packed auditorium. “The saltiness and concentrated flavors highlight the different flavors without overpowering them and adds a complexity to the plate.”

Popular in Mediterranean dishes, a traditional garum combines protein with salt and water, and it’s left to ferment for two to three months. Close attention must be paid to the garum to ensure that it ferments correctly and that the flavors are able to develop their rich and robust flavor profile. 

And while this is a bit of a project for home cooks to replicate in their own kitchens, it can be done — and has been for hundreds of years. Like in Roca’s dishes, the payoff is a harmonious mix of saltiness, complex and concentrated flavors of the protein used, and umami that’s certain to elevate a dish multiple times over.