Drinks (serves 6)
Pink sangria
Pink is the new red, when we’re talking about sangria. If red is the traditional, white wine sangria is less common but it’s crisp, fruity and perfect for summer days. But if you want to impress, pink is the way to go.
Ingredients
rose wine - 1 L
sprite (or another brand cheap sweet clear soda) - 1 L
(frozen) strawberries or berries - 100g
mint
Cooking steps
You can’t go wrong here. Just serve the wine first in a jar, then the soda and finish it with the berries. If you’re feeling posh, add some mint. Don't forget the ice!
Serves 5
Caldo Verde
More than 500 years ago, Caldo Verde was just a lower class soup from the north of Portugal. Today, Caldo Verde is widely recognized as one of the portuguese finest traditional soups, across all social levels. According to CNN, it’s one of the best soups in the world.
Ingredients
onions - 100 g
garlic cloves - 2
potatoes - 400 g
portuguese cabbage - 250 g
portuguese chouriço - ½
Cooking steps
1. Cut the chorizo in thin slices
2. Put at least 75 slices in the oven at 120C
3. Slice the onions
4. In a big pot add olive oil. When oil is hot, sauté the onions
5. When onions are light brown add water
6. Peel and chut potatoes in small chunks and add them to the pot
5. Season with salt. Cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
6. Cut the cabbages in thin slices (as thin as you can get)
7. Grind the soup with a blender until the potatoes are completely pureed.
8. Boil the soup and add the cabbage, shredded.
9. Finish the soup with a slice of chorizo
Serves 4 - 6
Cantaloupe Gazpacho with Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
Cantaloupe/melon – 1kg
Cucumber – 1 medium
Shallots – Just a pinch
Yogurt – 200g
Olive oil – q.b.
Smoked ham – 4 to 6 slices
Mint – 50g
Preparation
GAZPACHO
1. In a blender, combine the cantaloupe, cucumber, shallots, salt, and approximately 50 ml of water. Puree until smooth. Don't use all. Save some ingredients to serve.
2. If blender is too full, transfer half of cantaloupe mixture to a large bowl and add the yogurt to the blender and puree until smooth.
3. Add the olive oil and blend until creamy and very smooth.
4. Pour into the bowl with the rest of the cantaloupe mixture and stir to combine.
5. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
6. Serve with some cantaloupe, cucumber cubes and mint (you can drizzle some balsamic vinegar)
PROSCIUTTO
1. Preheat the oven to 200º C.
2. Arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on a rack or oven tray with vegetable paper
3. Roast until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
Serves 12
Algarve style salad
More than 500 years ago, Caldo Verde was just a lower class soup from the north of Portugal. Today, Caldo Verde is widely recognized as one of the portuguese finest traditional soups, across all social levels. According to CNN, it’s one of the best soups in the world.
Ingredients
peppers - 3
purple onion - 1
cucumber - 3
tomato - 6
olive oil - q.b.
oregano - q.b.
salt - q.b.
Cooking steps
1. Cut the peppers in half and place them in the oven at 200 C (use vegetable paper on the tray).
2. Peel the cucumbers and cut them into 4 pieces vertically
3. Cut the tomatoes into half slices
4. Cut the onions in thin slices
5. Remove the peppers and peel them. Cut peppers in desire shape
6. Mix everything with oregano and olive oil
Main course (serves 4)
Bacalhau à Brás
Bacalhau (cod) à Brás comes from Mr. Brás tavern, located in Bairro Alto, the man who led it to stardome. From Lisbon, Bacalhau à Brás conquered the world, reaching Macau, Asia. In Spain, this Portuguese delicacy appears on some menus as “Revuelto de bacalao à la Portuguesa” or as “Bacalao Dorado”. Although the origin is still uncertain, it’s a typical Lisbon dish, easy to make with a surprising taste and texture.
Ingredients
onions - 100g
garlic - 2 cloves
shredded soaked cod - 600 g
shoestring potatoes - 200 g to 300g
eggs - 4 to 6
parsley
black olives - 50 g
milk - just to cover the cod
Cooking steps
1. In a small pan cook the cod with milk, never letting it boil, for 3 to 5 minutes.
2. In a large pan over saute the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves in olive oil.
3. Strain the cod and reserve the milk.
4. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a part of the cooked milk (let the milk cool to at least 65º).
5. Add the cod and half of the shoestring potatoes to the pan and mix well. Let the potatoes soften a little.
6. Add the eggs to the cod and mix before the eggs are cooked.
7. Add the rest of the shoestring potatoes and olives.
8. Finish with parsley and a bit of olive oil.
Main vegan (serves 4 to 6)
Leek à Brás
There are many vegan versions of Bacalhau à Brás. This recipe was developed especially for this cooking class, because it is easy to learn and replicate later at home. However, during the class, some innovations and variations might occur!
Ingredients
onions - 100 g
garlic - 2 cloves
shoestring potatoes - 200 g
soy cream - 400 ml
leeks - 2
parsley
black olives - 50 g
turmeric - 10 g
beer yeast - 20 g
Cooking steps
1. In a large pan sauté the chopped onions, leeks and garlic cloves in olive oil.
2. In a bowl, lightly mix the soy cream with beer yeast and turmeric.
3. Add the soy cream to the pan.
4. Reduce cream and add half of the shoestring potatoes to the skillet. Let the potatoes soften a little.
5. Add the rest of the shoestring potatoes and olives.
6. Finish with parsley.
Serves 25
Pasteis de Nata
Puff pastry and sugar syrup
Ingredients
SUGAR SYRUP:
sugar - 300g
Water - 150g
lemon peel - 4 slices
Cinnamon stick - 2
Cooking steps
1. In a pan mix all the ingredients and let it boil WITHOUT stirring. Let the syrup reach 107C.
2. After reaching 107C put the syrup aside and let it cool.
CUSTARD TARTS:
- Open the puff pastry into the mold and fill it with ¾ of cream
- Put in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes at 250C or more if your oven reaches even higher temperatures!
Egg custard
Ingredients
Corn starch - 30 g
Flour - 30 g
Milk - 500 ml
Egg yolks - 6
Egg - 1
Cooking steps
1. Dissolve the flour and starch with a bit of cold milk until you reach a cream without lumps. Mix the remaining milk and bring to boil (stirring ALWAYS).
2. After it starts boiling, let the cream boil for 2 minutes, ALWAYS stirring until thicken.
3. Add the sugar syrup to the cream slowly, mixing with the whisk to avoid lumps.
4. Let the cream cool for 10 minutes.
5. In a bowl mix the egg yolks and the egg.
6. After the 10 minutes have passed, add the mixed “eggs” into the cream and whisk (really well) with the whisker to incorporate everything.
Dessert (serves 6)
Farófias - Cloudy eggs
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the appearance since it results in an unusual quality dessert. Fortunately, there is a new generation of chefs giving this dessert its due importance.
Ingredients
sugar - 175g
milk - enough to cook the cloudy eggs
lemon peel - 1
Cinnamon powder
eggs - 4
Cooking steps
1. Separate the yolks from the whites.
2. Beat the egg whites until they are firm. Keep beating, add 50 g of sugar (make icing sugar if there's time) until a firm mixture is obtained.
3. Heat milk with the remaining sugar and lemon peel.
4. Reduce heat when milk boils.
5. Cook a big spoon of the egg whites mixture in the milk.
5. Cook for 30 seconds and turn around for another 30 seconds.
6. Remove the cloudy eggs.
Topping:
1. Cool the milk in which the farófias were cooked.
2. Add the cornstarch dissolved in a little milk.
3. Mix in the beaten yolks.
4. Cook the mix, stirring constantly to cook the yolks and thicken a little.
5. Add a little more sugar if necessary.
Dessert (serves 6)
Azorean pineapple carpaccio
In the Azores, the local pineapple can be eaten with blood sausage as a starter or with mint as dessert.
Ingredients
pineapple - 1
lime peel - 1
mint - 100g
pomegranate or red fruit - 1
pineapple jam - q.b.
Ginger - 100g
Sugar - q.b.
Yogurt/sorbet - q.b.
Cooking steps
1. Boil water, ginger and mint to make a concentrated marinade.
2. As soon as it's ready, cool it with ice and at the chill blaster.
3. Cut the pineapple in half, remove the hard center and, with a sharp knife, slice it so thin it's almost transparent.
3. Place ⅔ thin slices in marinade for 30 minutes.
4. Place the other slices in the oven or fried them with a bit of olive oil.
5. Remove the slices from marinade and reduce marinade with some sugar to make a syrup.
6. Plate with a spoon of Greek yogurt, jam, pomegranate, finely chopped mint leaves, lime zest and finalize it like a master with the mint syrup