Cathay Pacific’s new Spanish-inspired inflight menu

In honour of its new four-times-weekly service from Hong Kong to Madrid, Cathay Pacific has teamed up with The Langham, Hong Kong to launch a new Spanish-inspired inflight menu for the route.

Langham, Hong Kong – a hotel home to five award-winning restaurants – is one of many partners Cathay Pacific works with to create unique in-flight dining experiences. This collaboration will see a range of authentic Spanish dishes specially designed by the hotel’s Executive Chef, Pedro Samper, available to Business Class passengers flying from Hong Kong to Madrid from June 2 until August 31, 2016.

“Piperrada” salad with Iberico ham, grilled zucchini and Idiazabal cheese

Cathay Pacific Head of Catering Aaron Claxton said, “From tasty tapas to classic soups, salads to main course, Spanish cuisine is well-known for having a beautiful blend of cultures, history and climates from different European regions. We are delighted to collaborate with The Langham, Hong Kong to offer our passengers an array of exciting Spanish delicacies. In fact, this is the first time we are serving local Spanish dishes onboard, which I believe will provide our passengers a great opportunity to savour the real tastes of Spain on their voyage to the exciting city of Madrid.”

The new menu for Cathay Pacific’s Madrid route is inspired by traditional Spanish recipes. One of the signature dishes, “Traditional braised Basque-style cod fish with clams in a salsa verde sauce”, originates from Pedro’s hometown village of San Sebastián, a coastal city and one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain. This dish is regarded as comfort food for the locals, best served during festivals and celebratory occasions.

Slow cooked organic chicken with pistachio, Spanish prune compote and Pedro Ximénez wine

In order to present an authentic Spanish taste onboard, Cathay Pacific’s Catering team has selected high quality ingredients that are particularly suited for inflight dining, according to the airline. The dish, “Slow cooked Iberico pork cheek in Tempranillo wine with black truffle potatoes”, incorporates one of the best sources of protein and grape varieties from Spain. Suitable to be served in high altitude inside an aircraft cabin, the technique of slow cooking helps to retain the ideal texture and taste of the meat for the passenger’s enjoyment in the air.

“As a Spanish native, I’m thrilled to partner with Cathay Pacific and promote not only the new route to Madrid, but the country’s cuisine as well. There are many regional cooking styles throughout Spain, all packed with flavour and character, and it’s exciting to help cultivate an authentic dining experience for our guests in the air,” said Pedro Samper.

The new route is served by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with three cabins on board - Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Flights operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.