Gastronomy

Robalo de Fricassé – Chef Emídio Concha de Almeida
21 January, 2019 /

In this new year of 2019, celebrating 500 years of the first circumnavigation trip, I decided to present a fusion cuisine dish.

The dish I bring you in this edition is a mixture of loves. I live in Espinho, land of excellent fish, from Robalo to Sardines, Carapau, etc. The fresh Robalo, captured in waters like the Portuguese, has the exact fat, the perfect texture and an unmistakable flavor.

To the magnificent fish, we add saffron. Saffron is extracted from the flower stigmas of Crocus sativus and was brought to Europe by the Portuguese. It is now part of the so-called and renowned Mediterranean Cuisine.

The Fricassé sauce integrates lemon and yolks, precisely used to thicken the broth where the fish is made.

 

 

Robalo de Fricassé

4 slices of Robalo

1 chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Olive oil, as needed

Salt

Black pepper

50 ml of white wine

250 ml of water

1 egg yolk

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon of Indian saffron

Chopped parsley

 

In a pan, brown the onion and garlic, chopped in olive oil. Arrange the slices of Robalo on onion and season with salt and pepper. Add white wine and sauté for a few minutes. Add the water, stir the seasoning and cover the pan. Season for about fifteen minutes, or until the Robalo is cooked.

In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the lemon juice and the saffron. Once the Robalo is cooked, remove it from the pan and add the egg and lemon mixture to the sauce. Stir well, put the Robalo back in the pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve with mashed or baked potatoes.

Octopus Rice – Chef Emídio Concha de Almeida
10 December, 2018 / ,

And, since it’s almost Christmas…

It’s Christmas and the codfish reigns on pretty much every table. But not all! The tradition of octopus at supper has many resilient fans and an increasing number of adherents, especially in the north and border regions.

In Portugal, the octopus on the Christmas table brings the smells of the past to the grandparents and is an appeal to our gastronomic memory. It was the way our ancestors dealt with the remoteness of the sea. It wasn’t easy to get fresh products from the coast to the interior and, as the Church imposed the fasting of meat, dry octopus was always a solution, especially in the North, due to the proximity to Galicia, where the cephalopod always enjoyed an enormous reputation among our people.

Gone are the days when dry octopus was smuggled into our country, because of the protectionist measures on codfish fishing and fleets. Today, it is replaced by fresh octupus, but not with the same flavor.

Arroz de Polvo (Octopus Rice)

Ingredients

1 octopus (2 kg, aprox.)

1 cup of long-grain rice

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 onions

3 garlic cloves

3 bay leaves

1 bouquet of parsley

Salt and pepper

2 cups of the water of baking the octopus

 

Preparation

  1. Cook the octopus together with the onion in salt water. After 40 or 50 minutes, it should be cooked. When the onion is cooked, the octopus is usually also cooked. Do not forget to “scare” octopus (stick it with a fork by the head, remove it from the water and dip it again several times).
  2. In the meantime, peel the onion and the garlic and chop them; choose and wash the parsley.
  3. . In a saucepan, pour the olive oil, the onion, the garlic and the pepper. Braise without pulling too much.
  4. Add the rice and wrap it in the braised until it is translucent. Add the boiling water from the octopus, while still boiling. Bake, cover, simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until dry. In some regions, it is usually placed in a baking dish and taken to an oven to finish drying it. In the region of Trás-os-Montes, chouriço is placed in slices at the time of the braised.

Restaurante O Ernesto
18 October, 2018 / ,

Founded in 1968 by the father of the current owner, this space, where Portuguese traditional gastronomy reigns, has two large rooms and a terrace ideal for the hottest days.

The wine list is diverse and has the main regions of the country in mind. Although it serves several meat and fish dishes daily, their specialty is the octopus fillets with rice of the same.

Rua da Picaria, Nº 85
Porto

Telephone: 00351 222002600

The suggestions of Maria Miguel
20 July, 2018 / , ,

At 17 years of age, Maria Miguel already walked the runway for brands like Saint Laurent, Chanel and Isabel Marant. Her career – which she tries to reconcile with her studies – makes her travel a lot, but Porto is her home.

Her passion for the city is implicit and she recently said in an interview with a Portuguese newspaper: “To me, of all cities, it is the best to live in. It has the sea, the river, has great food”.

Maria Miguel was born in Braga but lived in the Gerês area. When her father went to work in Angola, she accompanied the family and lived for seven years in the African country. She still spent a year in England but now, despite spending a lot of time in Paris, it’s in Porto that her family and friends live and here she comes back whenever she can.

The love of fashion came by chance in the life of this “tomboy”, who liked to play football and to walk in shorts. She was approached several times by representatives of models agencies but it wasn’t until the age of 14 that she decided to give it a go. After winning the L’Agence go to model contest, proposals for work began to emerge. She travelled to London and later to Paris, where she did a casting for Saint Laurent that changed her life. She has already opened two runways for the brand and worked exclusively for the prestigious Parisian brand for a full year. Despite all her success, she continues to not be dazzled by fame, keeping her tastes simple and normal for a young girl of her age.

RESTAURANT

Puro 4050: It has the best tru e pizza in the world! Largo São Domingos, 84 Porto

STROLL

Baixa do Porto:

Not only is it beautiful but you can also get a good workout in as it is full of ups and downs.

GARDEN

Parque da Cidade:

It has really cool football fields!

 

Centuries of tradition of exclusive taste – What you need to know about Port wine
18 April, 2018 / , , ,

Produced in the Douro region, it is world -famous and can be enjoyed in the most diverse occasions.

The terraces and the climate of the Douro allied to the experience gained over the centuries to create a unique wine in the world, with an aroma and unique flavours, which features a wide range of colours – ranging from (ruby to pale white, then passing to golden white) and sweetness (very sweet, sweet, semi-sweet or extra dry).

The aging process results in two different types of Port Wine. Ruby wines keep the red colour, fruity aroma and strength of a young wine. In terms of quality, they can be divided into Ruby, Reserve, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and Vintage. The wines from the best categories, especially Vintage, can be stored for several years, as they age well in the bottle.

Tawny ports are obtained by blending different matured wines by aging in casks or vats. Colours can be red-tawny, tawny or tawny light and aromas evoke dried fruit and wood, characteristics that are accentuated with age. The existing categories are: Tawny, Tawny Reserve, Tawny with age indication (10 years, 20 years, 30 years and 40 years) and Vintage. They may be consumed shortly after bottling.

Francesinha – Recipe
18 April, 2018 / ,

The inspiration came from croque-monsieur, but the sauce was invented in a Porto restaurant and the Portuguese ingredients give it a unique flavor. It is one of the typical dishes of Porto, ideal for cold days and nights. Here is a simple recipe to make when you return home and miss Porto.

Sauce:

1 Beer

1 cube of Beef stock

1 Bay Leaf

1 tablespoon margarine

1 goblet of Brandy or port wine

1 tablespoon corn starch flour

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 dl of milk

Piripiri q.b.

Method

Dissolve the flour well with the milk and add the remaining ingredients. Blend allthe ingredients together into a smooth paste. On the stove bring the ingredients to a boil until it thickens a little stirring always to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Sandwich:

4 slices of sliced bread (without crust)

2 steaks

2 sausages

2 Portuguese smoked thin sausages (linguiça)

2 slices of cheese

2 slices of ham

Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill them, grill the sausage and the linguiça too. Toast the slices of bread. In a oven-proof dish place 1 slice of bread, the steak, the Sausage cut in half, slice of ham and finally the linguiça cut in half just like the sausage. Cover with the other slice of bread and place a slice of cheese over the bread. Pour the hot sauce over the sandwich covered with cheese and place in preheated oven to melt the cheese.

Marisqueira do Porto – From freshness of seafood to a tasty Francesinha
12 November, 2017 /

The quality and the tradition of excellent service, this restaurant is well known to the people of Oporto. With high quality seafood and the “francesinhas” are two of the most appreciated specialties.

Marisqueira do Porto is one of the oldest seafood restaurants in the city. Formerly known as Gambamar, this restaurant has changed its name, but not its characteristic, maintaining the quality in the service and top quality sea products.

Located in Campo Alegre area, halfway between Baixa and Boavista, Marisqueira do Porto is the perfect place for savoring traditional Portuguese gastronomy.

 

The seafood, cold or hot, is the specialty of this house that takes pride in freshness and quality to ensure the satisfaction of its customers. The traditional “francesinha”(typical dish from Northern Portugal) is equally tasty and ideal for substantial meals.

In addition to the aforementioned dishes, the menu includes the premium mixed grilled seafood, codfish with broa (Portuguese cornbread), seafood rice, grilled entrecôte, amongst others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rua do Campo Alegre, 110

Porto

Phone: 00351 226 097 014

info@marisqueiradoporto.pt

Free private parking

Hours: Monday to Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Closed on Sundays

Guarany
14 March, 2017 /

Inaugurated in 1933, the Guarany is one of the mythical spaces of the city. Located on Avenida dos Aliados, it is the ideal place for a sophisticated meal at any time of the day.

Guarany emerged in the golden era of the Porto cafés, when these were places of socializing and gathering, but also a meeting place for businessmen. The relief panel is a representation the Guarany tribe, which refers to the very name of the cafe.

In 2003 the space was restored, with a further two panels added by the painter Graça Morais, called “The Lords of the Amazon”.

Thanks to its privileged location and the quality of its service, it is a must-visit place for an exquisite breakfast, lunch or dinner

Avenida dos Aliados, 85/89, Porto

Open every day from 9 a.m. to midnight

Phone: (351) 223 321 272

Codfish a la Gomes de Sá
14 March, 2017 /

A dish invented in Porto

The dish has the name of its inventor and the fame of this delicacy of Porto has already crossed borders.

The codfish recipe of Gomes de Sá was invented by José Luís Gomes de Sá Júnior, (1851-1926), a cod merchant who had a warehouse on Rua do Muro dos Bacalhoeiro in Ribeira, Porto. He sold it to a friend, who was a cook at the Lisbonense Restaurant, on the Travessa dos Congregados. Since then the popularity of this dish has not stopped growing and is part of the menu of several restaurants in the city.

According to the original recipe, the cod should be flaked, previously softened in milk for about an hour and a half to 2 hours. Then it should be cooked with olive oil, garlic and onion and accompanied with black olives, parsley and boiled eggs.

The fame of this dish has reached other countries. In Brazil, it is known as “Bacalhau à Porto”. In 1988,in order to honor the creator of this delicacy, the Consul of Brazil in Porto had a plate placed on the wall of the house where Gomes Sa was born, at Rua do Muro dos Bacalhoeiros.

Where to eat: Abadia Restaurant, Adega São Nicolau, Porto.COMe.

Francesinha
2 March, 2017 /

The inspiration came from croque-monsieur, but the sauce was invented in a Porto restaurant and the Portuguese ingredients give it a unique flavor. It is one of the typical dishes of Porto, ideal for cold days and nights. Here is a simple recipe to make when you return home and miss Porto.

Sauce:

1 Beer

1 cube of Beef stock

1 Bay Leaf

1 tablespoon margarine

1 goblet of Brandy or port wine

1 tablespoon corn starch flour

2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 dl of milk

Piripiri q.b.

Method

Dissolve the flour well with the milk and add the remaining ingredients. Blend allthe ingredients together into a smooth paste. On the stove bring the ingredients to a boil until it thickens a little stirring always to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Sandwich:

4 slices of sliced bread (without crust)

2 steaks

2 sausages

2 Portuguese smoked thin sausages (linguiça)

2 slices of cheese

2 slices of ham

Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill them, grill the sausage and the linguiça too. Toast the slices of bread. In a oven-proof dish place 1 slice of bread, the steak, the Sausage cut in half, slice of ham and finally the linguiça cut in half just like the sausage. Cover with the other slice of bread and place a slice of cheese over the bread. Pour the hot sauce over the sandwich covered with cheese and place in preheated oven to melt the cheese.