Thanks to guidebooks and the very handy Wikipedia, most travellers' idea of Portuguese cuisine has been painted in a colourful if restricted image. Sure, the custardy egg tarts and sweet port wine are delicious treasures, but for Portuguese native chef Leandro Carreira, there's more to his childhood food memories than what we read about.
The former Executive Chef of the highly acclaimed Climpson's Arch, Carreira worked with Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz in Spain for three years before moving to London to join Nuno Mendes at Viajante. He has also worked alongside James Lowe at Lyle’s and Junya Yamasaki at Koya.
Known as the man who introduced London to the intricacy of Portuguese cuisine, Carreira's ultimate aim is to showcase that there is more to Portuguese food than meets the eye. We sit down with him to find out more about the flavours of his country.
The former Executive Chef of the highly acclaimed Climpson's Arch, Carreira worked with Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz in Spain for three years before moving to London to join Nuno Mendes at Viajante. He has also worked alongside James Lowe at Lyle’s and Junya Yamasaki at Koya.
Known as the man who introduced London to the intricacy of Portuguese cuisine, Carreira's ultimate aim is to showcase that there is more to Portuguese food than meets the eye. We sit down with him to find out more about the flavours of his country.
Portuguese Chef Extraordinaire Leandro Carreira
What is the basic foundation that grounds Portuguese cuisine: e.g. chilli, dried fish, fermented sauces? What type of flavours do we look for?
Asia might have its chilli padi, but what we use in Portugal is piri piri (a spicy chilli pepper). We have great access to the waters as well, so seafood is definitely a large part of what you see in Portuguese food. There's a lot of fish, from salted cod to sardines, anchovies and sea bass. We also use a lot, and I mean a lot, of garlic, and olive oil.
What is a common misconception of Portuguese food?
That it's just about custard tarts! (laughs) Portuguese food has its roots in village cooking. We do a lot of stews, sausages (blood sausage, or sausages made with bread and game), even big loaves of hard bread such as carob bread. Sausage is a Lisbon favorite.
Lately, younger chefs have also been travelling more and bringing back new skills, so there's been a shift from cooking family-style hearty food to more refined takes on traditional dishes as well.
Asia might have its chilli padi, but what we use in Portugal is piri piri (a spicy chilli pepper). We have great access to the waters as well, so seafood is definitely a large part of what you see in Portuguese food. There's a lot of fish, from salted cod to sardines, anchovies and sea bass. We also use a lot, and I mean a lot, of garlic, and olive oil.
What is a common misconception of Portuguese food?
That it's just about custard tarts! (laughs) Portuguese food has its roots in village cooking. We do a lot of stews, sausages (blood sausage, or sausages made with bread and game), even big loaves of hard bread such as carob bread. Sausage is a Lisbon favorite.
Lately, younger chefs have also been travelling more and bringing back new skills, so there's been a shift from cooking family-style hearty food to more refined takes on traditional dishes as well.
Give me an example of a modern take on a traditional Portuguese dish.
There's a dish I do called Pickled Potato Noodle with Salted Cod that is a new take on the traditional salted cod with potatoes. This is a very hearty dish, where the potatoes are usually just boiled and served with the heavily-salted fish. For my take, I wanted to present it a different way, so we pickled and julienned the potatoes so they resemble noodles. Kind of like zucchini noodles, but made from potato. The pickle juices also add a tinge of acidity to cut through the rich flavours, and the cod is serves sashimi-style, simply seasoned and marinated. It's a very light dish that really showcases the usual salted cod and potatoes in a different way.
There's a dish I do called Pickled Potato Noodle with Salted Cod that is a new take on the traditional salted cod with potatoes. This is a very hearty dish, where the potatoes are usually just boiled and served with the heavily-salted fish. For my take, I wanted to present it a different way, so we pickled and julienned the potatoes so they resemble noodles. Kind of like zucchini noodles, but made from potato. The pickle juices also add a tinge of acidity to cut through the rich flavours, and the cod is serves sashimi-style, simply seasoned and marinated. It's a very light dish that really showcases the usual salted cod and potatoes in a different way.
Name us a dish that locals would eat but most tourists wouldn't know about.
I'll have to say the Cozido à Portuguesa. It's a mixture of many boiled meats, sausages, charcuterie, along with vegetables and corn bread on one large platter. In Portugal, pigs are precious and we don't like to waste parts of it. This means you'll find things like snout, pig's feet and ears in this stew. It's the kind of dish that takes a long time to prepare, and you have it for special occasions or big family dinners — it's impossible to make it for just one person!
I'll have to say the Cozido à Portuguesa. It's a mixture of many boiled meats, sausages, charcuterie, along with vegetables and corn bread on one large platter. In Portugal, pigs are precious and we don't like to waste parts of it. This means you'll find things like snout, pig's feet and ears in this stew. It's the kind of dish that takes a long time to prepare, and you have it for special occasions or big family dinners — it's impossible to make it for just one person!
