The Chicken, the Fish and the King Crab

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Documentary

One of Spain's leading chefs sets out to defend his nation's honor on the field of culinary battle in this documentary from filmmaker Jose Luis Lopez-Linares. Jesus Almagro is a master chef who was named proclaimed Spain's finest cook in a nationwide poll in 2006, and in 2007 he's chosen to represent the country in the Bocuse d'Or, an international competition held in France which pits chefs from around the world against one another.

While Spain has never fared well in the contest, many believe Almagro is the country's best hope of finally bringing home the prize.

In the Bocuse d'Or competition, chefs are given five and a half hours to create two original dishes using certain specified ingredients; the dishes should incorporate their homeland's traditional flavors within the framework of classic French cuisine.

As Almagro and his competitors are given chicken for one dish and king crab and halibut for the other, he strives to dream up something original, creative and delicious, and during his off-hours from the test kitchen, he offers his own thoughts on the virtues on each of the featured foodstuffs (and encounters them while they're still on the hoof).

El Pollo, El Pez y El Cangrejo Real (aka The Chicken, The Fish and The King Crab) was an official selection at the 2008 Berlin Film Festival.