Masters champion Jon Rahm brings with him a lot Spanish flavor at the Masters Club dinner for the champions next month, even before they find their seat at the table.
The cocktail will feature Gernika peppers, grown in a town in Spain's Basque Country when Rahm was growing up. There will also be gildas, which he described as an anchovy skewer with peppers and olives.
“A lot of things are not people's favorites, but it is something very common in the Basque Country,” Rahm said Tuesday during a conference call for the Masters.
The Champions Dinner, served in honor of Mr. @JonRahmOfficial. #teachers pic.twitter.com/r9oalTrFtf
– The Masters (@TheMasters) March 19, 2024
Among the appetizers is the lentil stew – “Braised Lentils” is how it appears on the official menu -, which came from his grandmother's recipe.
By the looks of it, Rahm put as much effort into the menu as he did at the Masters, where last year he outlasted Brooks Koepka on the final day to win by 4. He became Spain's fourth Masters champion, joining Seve Crossbowmen. José María Olazábal and Sergio García.
The Masters Club, also known as the Champions Dinner, dates back to 1952 when Ben Hogan hosted a dinner for past champions. The dinner is only for the Masters champions and the club president (Fred Ridley) is invited as an honorary member.
It's not unusual for international dinners to bring a local flavor – Ángel Cabrera from Argentina served black pudding, while Adam Scott served Moreton Bay chinches (lobster) – but Rahm is taking it to another level.
“I wanted to put a little bit of my heritage and my family into this dinner, which will make it even more special,” Rahm said. “It should be pretty special. And they're going to try some things that maybe they haven't seen before that are really, really tasty.”
Appetizers include acorn-fed Iberian ham and cured pork loin, known as “ibéricos.” There's also a Spanish omelet with potatoes and “Croquet de Pollo,” which he described as creamy chicken fritters with potatoes. There is also the “Chistorra con Patata”, a spicy chorizo.
And then it's time for the main course: Steak and Turbot al Pil-Pil.
Ribeye is a Basque ribeye that is seared and served already cut, with a hot griddle that allows diners to cook it at the temperature they prefer.
“Most people in northern Spain eat it half-cooked,” Rahm said. “If you go past that, you'll get a weird look just because that's who we are.”
The latter is turbot, a white fish popular in its region, served with asparagus.
And if there's room for dessert, Rahm serves “Milfeuille de Crema y Nata,” a puff pastry tart with custard and cream that was featured at Rahm's wedding.
It's not always so complicated. The first time Tiger Woods hosted the Masters Club dinner in 1998, he served cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries and milkshakes.
