The world of mornings immortalized on social media seems to bow down to sliced avocado and bowls of açaí. A scenario that makes it deeply honest, almost subversive, to sit down for breakfast, even more so if you’re in the mood for a hearty meal, with a knife and fork.
When it comes to these lavish breakfasts, Catalan chef Iván Valero has a lot to say, and he has brought the Catalan tradition of the “esmorzar de forquilla” to Seville at La Carmela.
What are knife-and-fork breakfasts?
A little context. The Catalan morning tradition—the chef at Ivantxu Espacio Bistronómico and La Carmela is a native of Badalona—embraces, like many others, a sort of hearty mid-morning meal, if you will, that invites you to wash it down with a beer or a glass of wine.
As Albert Molins, author of *Esmorzar de forquilla*, puts it in his Substack:
This is what Iván Valero’s concept at La Carmela is all about: breakfasts with the aroma of charcoal, featuring magnificent breads and dishes designed to make you pause, savor, and dip into soups.
Iván interprets the Catalan tradition and crafts a highly enticing menu that should be featured in breakfast guides, a practice now enjoyed far beyond the Catalan regions.
Hearty breakfasts and artisan breads at La Carmela
Valero champions the ritual of the fork-and-knife breakfast and, to accompany it, offers a selection of artisanal breads baked right here in-house.
Sourdough loaves, rye bread, or molletes that are the result of months of research, testing, and perfecting doughs and recipes. You can try them during breakfast service as well as at the restaurant’s lunch and dinner service.
- Charcoal-baked loaf.
- Rye bread with walnuts and raisins.
- Spelt, grains, and seeds.
- Ciabatta with sun-dried tomatoes and oregano.
From butifarra to eggs and potatoes
Early-morning hedonism far removed from the fast-food counter. La Carmela honors stews, fresh ingredients, and the crispiness of bread slathered with garlic, tomato, oil, and salt.
His breakfasts range from the classic Catalan charcoal-grilled butifarra with beans and aioli, to tripe with chickpeas and compango, to the hearty artisanal txistorra from Beasain.
But it doesn’t stop there; he manages to elevate simple fried eggs with potatoes (yes, you can have them first thing in the morning), perfectly cured pancetta with mushrooms, or shredded beef in its own juices.
At the same time, there’s also room for rustic elegance: a cut of domestic beef or a lamb stew.
Iván Valero manages to shake up the standard breakfast—and the pretentious one too—and integrates Catalan cuisine into this Seville that sometimes forgets that the morning can be the setting for a major gastronomic event.
