Rooftop Cooking with The Four Seasons Lisbon

For my most recent trip to Lisbon, I was lucky to spend a night at the Four Seasons Hotel - Ritz Lisboa to meet the team and cook a few dishes with their executive chef, Pascal Meynard. Regarded as Lisbon’s foremost luxury hotel, situated in the very heart of the city, overlooking the Eduardo VII Park with amazing views of Lisbon from their rooftop running track (by far the best urban running track in the world IMO). It is only a 10-minute taxi or 30-minute stroll down to the old town and seafront. With a mix of Louis XVI style and art deco with wall decorations, tapestries and many art hangings throughout the hotel makes you feel like you're in an art gallery. But I’m not here for their spectacular architecture and art. I’m here for the food, and Chef Pascal is the 'artist' that I’m here to see.

Hailing from France, Pascal is the man in charge and upon arrival welcomes me warmly and tells me about the dishes we’ll be cooking. But first up, there's a spot of LUNCH! So lunch at the Four Seasons is something of an institution with locals and business types devouring a buffet from inside the Varanda Restaurant that can even be taken out onto the terrace. Now, I've done my fair share of travelling and the term ‘buffet’ never really fills me with any culinary expectation. But this was quite something offering a mix of well thought out and executed international and local cuisine. 

My personal highlights were the sushi, cold fish cuts and a bream fillet with a Provencale crust. My wife, to no surprise, will devour anything with sugar and enjoyed their mini pastel de natas and eclairs. The hotel's showpiece and a must try is their mille-feuilles (meaning a thousand leaves), all made in-house by Pastry Chef Fabian Nguyen. Paired with a glass of port while sitting in the Lisbon sunshine, it's easy to see why their lunch buffet is so popular. 

After a wake up coffee and a few more pastries (it is a buffet after all…), I headed to the rooftop to meet Chef Pascal where we cooked a dish that shouts out loud about Portuguese cuisine and produce; Seafood Cataplana!

As chef told me, “when the local produce is this good, there’s no excuse not to use it”. With onion and lots of garlic as the base with Portuguese olive oil, then roasted peppers, white wine, seafood bisque, clams, lobster, Algarve prawns, monkfish, snapper and sea bass then cooked lid closed in a cataplana for 5 minutes then garnished with coriander. The colours reminding me of the Portuguese flag, this is exactly what Portuguese cooking is all about. Simple and quick while using the freshest ingredients resulting in layers of flavour and textures. I order you to try!

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Chef Pascal's Seafood Cataplana 

Watch Executive Chef Pascal Meynard team up with Chef Andy Bates to cook a Seafood Cataplana - on the rooftop of Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. 
Talk about food with a view!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lobster, cooked & cut into thumb size pieces
• 2 large Algarve shrimps or large tiger prawns
• 50-100g monkfish
• 50-100g sea bass
• 50-100g Snapper
• 100g clams
• half a green bell peppers, roasted, peeled & thinly sliced
• half a red bell peppers, roasted, peeled & thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 gloves of garlic, crushed
• handful of coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 ripe tomatos, diced
• 50ml virgin olive oil
• 100ml white wine
• 100ml of seafood bisque
• salt

METHOD

On the bottom of the cataplana dish place the ingredients by the following order; clams, then the onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatos, monkfish, sea bass, snapper, prawns, lobster, white wine and virgin olive oil and season with salt. Close the cataplana and on a stove cook on medium heat until steam comes out from the sides of the cataplana (7-8 minutes). 

Open in front of your guests and garish with coriander. 

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Next was down to the kitchen to make a Portuguese classic sandwich called ‘Prego’. Now, I’m a BIG fan of sandwiches and I’ve long been a big fan of Bifana which are grilled pork sandwiches and the Prego is just a simple substitution using beef instead of pork. Chef Pascal took me through his take with a few twists on the classic sandwich using Bolo do Caco (muffin/scone made from sweet potato from Madeira), garlic butter, tenderloin beef steak (minute-fried), cheese, ham, thin omelette and salad then warmed through under the grill. It’s as good as it sounds. The meat cooked quickly then rested, layers of flavour and texture from the ham, cheese and omelette, freshness from the salad, the garlic butter which IMO is such an important ingredient for Pregos and Bifanas and then encased a warm sweet potato muffin like bun. WOW! I mean just look at the pic, you would wouldn’t you.

Later that evening, our excellent concierge got us a late booking at popular ‘Mini Bar’ by Jose Avillez. Once a chef at El Bulli and now returning home to make things happen in Portugals's ever growing relaxed dining scene. Very yummy yet playful, the perfect end to the day. 

The next day after a late breakfast, the hotel arranged for us to get out and see the town on one of the many tuk-tuks (ours being electric with zero emissions was a plus making it a quiet ride too). Our driver, Antonio, was the perfect guide. Being from Lisbon, he was very knowledgeable not just about the city's history but just as important to me about the bars, cafes and easy eating spots where the locals like to go. He kindly, although probably from my continuous nagging, took us for a beer and Bifana in one of his favourite spots. A nice finishing touch but to be totally expected from the warm natured people of Portugal.

Then it was back to the hotel to grab our belongings and make the quick jump back to London ;'(

Many thanks to Chef Pascal, Vasco, Diana and everyone at the Four Seasons Lisboa. I will see you very soon. 

Pork & Clams

A Portuguese classic known as 'Carne de Porco a Alentejana' and one of my favourite combinations of surf n turf.

This version is a great way to use up leftover roast pork, ideal for a midweek, quick and very tasty meal. Also, one pot cooking, which means little washing up.

I’m using pork belly because of the succulent taste and it can be cooked at a higher temperature without drying out but any cut will work. If not using pre roasted pork, cut the raw pork into dices and fry off first.

And #Yes I’m using a lot of garlic just like the Portuguese :)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 400g-500g roasted pork belly, cut into roughly 3cm cubes (large chunks)
• 150ml pale ale beer/white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 banana shallots, diced
• 300ml chicken stock
• 1kg clams, purged & cleaned

To serve:

• handful of chopped coriander
• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Method

In a large pan heat the olive oil to a high heat and fry the pork off for about 3-5 minutes until caramelized and golden. With a slotted spoon, remove from the pan and rest on a plate.

Turn down to a medium heat and add to the pan, your the shallots and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes then add the paprika and cook for a further minute.

Turn the heat up again, return the pork to the pan and add the beer or white wine. Keep at a boil and reduce by ½. Add the chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and add the clams. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes or until all the clams have opened.

Serve in the middle of the table with coriander and lemon wedges scattered over.

Ovar Cake

Ovar is a small town in north central Portugal, 30 minutes drive south from Porto. The sponge is known all over the country and it especially popular at Easter.

The resulting cake is a light, airy sponge with an almost medium rare runny centre that will keep for a few days in a sealed container in the fridge.

The best thing is that it is very easy to make with few ingredients and goes superbly with Port.

CHEF'S TIP: To speed up the mixing process, use a cake mixer with the whisk attachment is an almost mandatory tool for this recipe.

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My Ovar Cake 

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 6 egg yolks lightly beaten
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 60g plain flour

Method

In a mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until creamy. Slowly add the egg yolks and whisk for 12-15 minutes until pale and almost tripled in size to a stiff cream.

Sift in the flour and gently fold in.

Line a cake tin with buttered and then floured greaseproof paper (floured side up).

Pour batter into the tin. Bake at 180C for 16 minutes, turn the oven off and leave to cool with oven door open.

Serve with Port.

Portuguese Tortilla

A great snack that can be eaten warm after cooking or chilled for the next day, and especially great for picnics and hampers. Serve with a green salad to bulk out for a main meal.

If chouriço Portuguese not available then just use chorizo or omit the meat for a vegetarian version.

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My portuguese tortilla

Ingredients

• 300g Portuguese chouriço, cut into thin slices
• 300g waxy potatoes (Charlotte or new potatoes) par boiled, cut into thin slices
• 1 white onion, peeled, halved & thinly sliced
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 7 large eggs beaten.
• 3 tbsp olive oil for cooking

Method

In an 8” skillet/frying pan heat the olive oil to a medium heat and add the chorizo and cook off for 5 minutes to colour and release their cooking juices. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo onto a plate and rest until needed. To the pan, add the potatoes and onions and gently cook for 20mins until the potatoes are cooked and the onions are softened and translucent. Return the chorizo to the pan and mix.

Pour the onions, potatoes and sausage into a bowl and return the skillet back to the heat adding a little more oil. Season the potato mix, add the eggs, quickly stir and pour back into the skillet, flattening the mix a little to create layers in the tortilla.

Cook for around 6-8 minutes until the edges are set and centre is slightly runny. Run a spatula around the edges occasionally whilst cooking.

Place a plate upside down onto the skillet, invert onto the plate and slide cooked side up back into the skillet. Return to the heat for a further 4-6 minutes until completely set. allow to rest for 10-15 minutes and serve in the skillet or inverted onto a plate/serving board in wedges or squares.  

Food with a View in Porto, Portugal

Porto is Portugal's second largest city and arguably its most beautiful (in my opinion ;) I had never been before and arrived late afternoon with the crew to our hotel, The Yeatman. I stepped out onto the balcony, and I could see why. The Old Town lined on either side of the river Douro full of zigzagging narrow streets with medieval relics, old churches, bell towers and the iconic bridges. The Luis I Bridge with upper and lower deck crossings being my favourite was quite a sight, made even more pleasing with the sun setting.

As always with filming we were a little behind so Matt, our cameraman and Producer Sarah quickly filmed the sunset (with seconds to spare may I might add). Whilst I got to enjoy a pleasant welcome on the terrace with Marta and Frederic from the tourist board. They were very welcoming and excited to meet to me. But even more excited and eager for me to get out for dinner because they had a surprise treat for me. ‘Surprise food’ eh… I loved it already. I’m not a fussy eater, so anything I’ve not tried before is always a culinary joy for me but what I received was something I was totally unprepared for. 

The Leader of the Pack - Sarah! 

The Francesinha

We arrived at a restaurant on the banks of the River Douro in the Ribeira District, sat down and was told my order had already been taken, fair enough. I looked at the wine list but was told my meal was made to be had with beer, interesting… So then it arrived, it was called a Francesinha (Little Frenchy), and I’m so glad I had only a light lunch earlier. Originating in Porto in the 60’s it an adapted croque-monsieur for the Portuguese palate and nowadays locals will have their chosen destination with their very own favourite Francesinha. With the typical arguing about the quality of the sauce, bread and meat. It is a no holds barred sandwich. The stacking of ingredients were as follows, white bread then sliced steak, a layer of ham, sliced sausages, cheese, another layer of white bread then topped with more cheese and a fried egg. Oh and around the stacked sandwich like a castle moat was a spicy tomato and beer sauce. 

WARNING: This is not for the faint hearted.  Marta later pointed out that it’s best eaten after a big night out in the early hours of the morning to soak up the excess partying ;) My opinion, it was tasty but tough work. An overload of meat with the richness of the cheese and egg plus that gravy nearly pushed me over the edge. But for Queen and country I soldiered on and tackled the beast to the very end. For any first timers, this meal could easily be shared between two.

Sliding into a food coma, I was reminded (again, to the amusement of the crew) that we had one final piece to camera to do before bed. We took a walk or rather a waddle up the hill to Candido Dos Reis that is known for it's great nightlife. Candido Dos Reis is a vibrant area with young and old embracing the city where you can enjoy coffees and cocktails into the very early hours on a nightly basis.

The next day we were up early to shot my next recipe, my Portuguese Tortilla, on the banks of the River Douro in the grounds of the Yeatman Hotel. The town looked just as spectacular during the day and once again #FoodWithAView was doing exactly what it said on the tin.

So apart from the stunning views, amazing architecture, friendly locals and super-sized sandwiches, what else is Porto famous for? Well, PORT! 

Adrian Bridge from Taylor's

With the filming of the recipe ‘in the can’ we took a short walk to Taylor's Port Cellars and was shown around and even got to try some of the variations of Portugal's most famous fortified wine. Like much of what I've experienced in Portugal it was full of flavour with and with so much history behind it, you can see why the people of this country are so proud of their produce.

Not just to eaten with cheese, Port works perfectly with desserts so I’ve included a recipe for a classic Portuguese sponge called Ovar Cake, that will work perfectly with a chilled glass.

And that concludes my week of #FoodWithAView on Good Morning Britain. I hope you've enjoyed the videos, pictures and blogs. It's been a pleasure to be given the opportunity to be your guide and hope to see you all soon.

Take care, Andy

Food with a View in Peniche, Portugal

I am extremely grateful and lucky to given the opportunity to travel and eat my way around the world. I meet inspiring people and am constantly discovering new ingredients and cooking techniques. Filming is always on a tight schedule and often you have already moved on to a new location before you’ve even got a chance to take in and enjoy what’s around you. Peniche, however, was one of those places where we filmed lots but also got to enjoy every moment too.
Peniche is a peninsula in central Portugal, popular for it's long beaches and surf strands. It has one of the largest working traditional ports in Portugal also welcoming maritime-tourist activities throughout the year. The historic walled town centre and seaside fort are must-see destinations but it's the beach life and endless possibilities of outdoor activities that are the main pull to the town. With seafood restaurants a plenty and a strong link to fishing, which has always been one of the main sources of income of it's people. 

We arrived late evening and welcomed on arrival by Antonio and Marco, our tourist officers, who joined us for a late dinner and proudly described the region and its history. We discussed the following day's schedule and left us before informing us that breakfast was sharply at 7:30 am and to be ready to leave for 8 am on the dot. The next morning the crew and I had just about stuck to the plan and were out the hotel and on the road by 8:09 am (that's pretty good for us btw). The first stop was to the market which as with most European markets boasted a full array of fresh, seasonal and attractive produce. We were here for the fish and what a choice there was; Snappers, monkfish, hake, stone bass, sardines, horse mackerel to name a few but we were here for some Portuguese cod. And after some haggling and some fish monger theatre from the all-women team we were on our way.

Next stop we were off to the harbour and out fishing with locals for sardines that was to be our lunch. The guys fishing were all friends and family (out for the morning purely for the fun of it I might add,  all in or about to be a part fishing industry. Fishing is in their blood and with the waters offering such rich delights and especially plentiful supplies of sardines you can see why. 

After a successful haul, we said our goodbyes and caught a ride back into the harbour for our next appointment… surfing!  I didn’t manage to stand up and could barely walk the next day. But when my Producer, Sarah, offered me the chance to do it (badly) on camera I knew I had to give it a go. We rocked up to Bar do Bruno, their motto being 'Surf, Food, Music & Good People’ I knew this was going to be a great! The hospitable bar owner Bruno introduced me to Nuno from Baleal Surf Camp, who was going to be my surf teacher. He led me to the beach and promised that in just one hour, he would have me standing up and surfing. Within 20 minutes, I was surfing. For no more than 12-15 seconds, but I was standing up, steering and surfing :) Thank you, Nuno, legend! If you're in the area, please go and say hello, have some food, drink and take advantage of the awesome surf Peniche has to offer. 

Next was lunch and back to those sardines… 

We had heard lunch was arranged for us by the Town Mayor, who had heard we were in town and wanted to put a feast on in our honour. But being the way TV crews work we thought of it being a nice offer but we were already behind and just wanted a quick snack and to push on. However when we arrived, we quickly changed our minds. Also, I don’t think we had much of a choice either. The Mayor Antonio José Correia, who’s business cards, by the way, are tins of local sardines that he likes to give out, and yes we all received a ‘business card’ each. He's such a great guy, in fact, voted coolest Mayor in the region apparently ;) With his local friends and us (equaling 20) we sat at a long table, on the street, under canopies outside someone's home overlooking the bay. Not bad at all. With old friends treating us like their children visiting for the weekend, we feasted and talked and were made welcome beyond almost anything I’ve encountered on my travels. Our feasts included salted BBQ sardines with cucumber and raw onion, WOW! Placed on top of bread to mop up all the juices, alty, fresh and beautiful (Big Applause!) Also, meatballs, whole crab and a spicy fish broth with coriander, selection of local cheeses all washed down with local wines. The crew and I afterwards commented on what an experience we had just had and how we had nearly declined. A lesson to us all that sometimes chance encounters of brilliance happen with a willingness to commit.

After a push to get started again, we filmed our recipe on that same street where we had lunch to the delight and rather noisy new friends. Thank you, people of Peniche, Cheers!

I’ve included two recipes for you; BBQ Cod in a Coat as cooked on location in Peniche and the other, my take on those amazing BBQ Salted Sardines. 

BBQ Salted Sardines with Cucumber & Onion Salad

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My BBQ Salted Sardines with Cucumber & Onion Salad

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 sardines, depending on size
• flaked sea salt
• slices of sourdough bread

FOR CUCUMBER & ONION SALAD:

• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly in rounds 
• 1 large red onion, sliced thinly
• 300ml apple cider vinegar
• 2tsp caster sugar
• 2tsp salt
• 1tsp cumin

Method

For the salad, in a bowl mix the vinegar with sugar, salt and cumin. Add the cucumber and onion, mix and leave at room temperature for one hour. Can be made a week in advance and kept in the fridge.

Pat dry the sardines, brush with olive oil and season well with flaked salt and grill on the BBQ for 4-6 minutes depending on the size. Leaving alone and turning only once when cooking. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve the sardines on top of sourdough bread slices to absorb the juices with the cucumber and onion salad on the side.

BBQ Cod Parcels & Herb Sauce

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My BBQ Cod Parcels & Herb Sauce

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cod fillets each weighing around 150-200g each.
• 500g cooked new potatoes cut into 1cm slices
• 80g cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 20g black olives, quartered 
• 2 tsp small capers
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

FOR THE HERB SAUCE:

• Handful of basil
• Handful of parsley
• 50ml red wine vinegar
• 100ml olive oil
• water (to let down)

Method

Lay a sheet of baking paper on top of a sheet of foil both cut into about 40cmx40cm squares.

On top of the baking paper, in the middle, lay out the potato slices making a 'bed' for the cod. Place the cod fillets on top then scatter with the tomatoes, black olives, capers, shallot, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. To make the parcel, fold the top and bottom together and roll creating a seal. Then roll in the sides creating a sealed parcel.

Place on the BBQ for 8 minutes. Whilst the fish is cooking, finely chop the coriander and parsley (or blitz in a food processor), mix with the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Let down with water to a pouring consistency.

Take the ‘parcel’ off the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Open in the middle of the table, serving the herb sauce in a jug on the side. Dig in!

Grilled Fruit Kebabs with Honey glaze and Coconut & Lime Yogurt Dip

A playful take on dessert by piecing cubed fruit onto sticks and grilling on the BBQ. Towards the end of grilling brush with honey to caramelize. Serve on a large wooden board with a coconut and lime dip providing the perfect sweet and zesty dip.

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My grilled fruit kebabs with honey glaze coconut lime yogurt dip

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small Pineapple peeled, cored and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 mango de-stoned and cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 peaches de-stoned and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1/4 watermelon peeled, cored and cut into 2cm cubes
• honey for glazing

For the Yogurt dip:

• desiccated coconut
• juice and zest of one lime
• 500ml yogurt

METHOD

Peel, prep and cut all the fruit into roughly 2cm cubes. Thread the fruit onto to wooden skewers alternating pieces in any order until full but leaving enough space for a ‘handle’ at the bottom.

Grill on the BBQ for 5-6 minutes turning frequently until the fruit starts to caramelize. With a pastry brush, brush the kebabs all over with honey and cook for a further 2 minutes. Rest on serving board.

In a bowl mix the coconut, lime juice, zest and yogurt together, then transfer to a small serving bowl. Serve next to the fruit kebabs on a board or large plate.

Food with a View in Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon!

I’ve been coming to Lisbon with friends for years for an end of summer getaway. We rent a beach villa in the Aroeira area, South of the Tagus River and always spend a night or two in the city. It is one of my favourite cities with great architecture, history, food and a buzzing coffee culture. There’s so much for the foodie traveller, get into in this town and every time I’m here I find something new. The street art for me is some of my favourite in Europe and it's the next city on our tour... 

The town is also home to one of mankind's greatest inventions [that for me is right up there with fire and the wheel ;)]. It is, of course, the Portuguese Custard Tart or Pastel de Nata, covered with sugar and cinnamon, served alongside a bitter coffee or glass of port, considered the BEST breakfast or late snack that ever existed. You haven't lived until you have been to Lisbon and had one of these little gems fresh out of the oven.  A short tram ride will take you to the Pasteis de Belem Bakery where you can find exactly this! 

It's a tourist magnet but don’t be put off by the queues, they move very quickly and even have security to usher the dreaded ‘bloggers’ along if they are taking too long taking pictures. With over 200 staff baking around the clock, these guys are a well-oiled machine that know how to make custard tarts! Purchase your tarts (you have to have more than one) and grab yourself a coffee (with NO SUGAR!) and experience the perfect balance of bitter and sweet working in harmony. Guess you can tell I like them eh… Anyway moving on....

Make sure you try clams as well, they are sweetest in the world (in my opinion). Cooked in garlic with wine, Portuguese olive oil and garnished with lemon and coriander. Simple and delicious, it can be found throughout the city but my favourite so far being from Aura Restaurant by the town square. All this enjoyed with the excellent vintage tram service that operate as a handy hop on, hop off service giving you the freedom to discover the city however you chose. An obligation is the famous tram 28 route that criss-crosses the city centre, through the narrow streets, uphills and downhills, taking in Lisbon’s most iconic sites along the way.

On the day, filming the crew and I ate our way around jumping on the legendary tram 28 topping at coffee houses, eating more custard tarts and ending up on a hotel rooftop with breathtaking views of the city to film my next recipe, Grilled Fruit Kebabs with Honey Glaze and Coconut & Lime Yogurt Dip.

What a city! People, I order you to weekend away in Lisbon!

Bifana-Pork Rolls

Bifana is a dish typical from Portugal with its origins in the Alentejo region. If you have never had one, here is my tasty and simple take on these amazing handheld snacks.

A great way to impress at a BBQ or even around the television with friends for movies or sports. Shows how much of a difference it makes to marinate meat, something that we British don’t seem to do. Also toast or warm the bread through is such an important tip for a great sandwich.

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My Bifana

makes 4

Ingredients

• 400g pork loin, skin removed and cut into thin slices
• olive oil for shallow frying

For the Marinade:

• 1 heaped tsp hot smoked paprika
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 300ml white wine or pale ale
• 50ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce or piri piri sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & pepper

to serve:

• 4x bread rolls
• fried onions
• American mustard

Method:

In a container, mix together all marinade ingredients, add the pork, cover and marinade over night in the fridge. 

The next day remove the pork from the marinade, strain the marinade and reserve until needed. Pat the pork dry with kitchen roll. In a frying pan, heat some olive oil and fry off the pork in batches if necessary so not to overcrowd the pan for one minute on each side. Place to one side on a plate until needed.

To the same pan the pork was cooked in, add the marinade and reduce to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Adding more pepper sauce if requiring or wishing for more heat. Return the pork and juices back to the pan to coat in the sauce.

Serve in bread rolls with fried onions and American mustard.

Food with a View in Alentejo, Portugal

The Alenetjo region is the south-central part of Portugal, known for it's vast garden landscapes with olive trees, vineyards and cork plantations. We headed inland to the heart of the Alto Alentejo near the village of Vaiamonte, no more than 30 miles from the Spanish border to the Torres de Palma Wine Hotel. I’ve never been this far inland in Portugal.

A beautiful old manor house converted into a hotel with a restaurant, spa, swimming pools and, of course, excellent wine. Dating back to the 14th century, the manor house had been unused for years and then taken over in 2009, renovated and opened in 2013 as Torres de Palma Wine Hotel. It mixes traditional architecture with modern fittings and finishing, perfectly. Greeted by Filipe Beja Simões, he, made us feel very welcomed and told us the most important part of our visit was to make sure we felt at home. The Portuguese are very welcoming. Filipe then took me around the surrounding vineyards that grow the grapes for their red and white wines.  , I find noticed  an explosion of Portuguese wines in London restaurants and wine stores, and rightfully so. They have a unique flavour and made by passionate people shouting to the world know about their produce. Torres de Palma is no different as young project beginning in 2011 with wines selected for 2014, now in its second year to great response.

Next up was to meet the Lusitano horses that inhabit the grounds next to the vineyards. Originally for trekking  now used for dressage, the chosen horse of the Portuguese National Guard and exported all over the world. I’m not exactly that experienced when riding horses, but the Lusitano is known to be patient and trustworthy with ‘young bucks’ like myself ;) Thanks to the trainer Phillipa for her patience and making me ‘sit up straight and show who’s in command’.

Finally with the sun setting we made our way up to the tower with Alentejo's landscape of vineyards and rolling fields as our backdrop to film my recipe. My take on a classic Portuguese handheld snack called Bifana (pork roll) and Filipe kindly sourced us some traditional Alentejo bread rolls (thank you, Filipe!).

After a busy couple of hours we had the ‘shot in the can’ and darkness was upon us and with the stars in the sky we called it 'a wrap'. Even with the minibus packed and a 3-hour journey ahead of us,  it was until one of the crew propositioned… “shall we just stay a little longer and have dinner?” We did just that, and I highly recommend the veal and migas :)

Quick BBQ Piri Piri Chicken

A Portuguese classic and perfect for a barbecue. This is a very quick and easy take on the dish.

An example of a great tasting and sharing recipe that you can quickly be rustle without the need of marinating due to the resting process. Great served alongside grilled romaine lettuce with a yogurt dressing. Also, an excellent alternative to a roast for the summer or outdoors.

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My Quick BBQ Piri Piri Chicken

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 free-range chicken, butterflied (back bone taken out) or 4 chicken quarters

FOR THE PIRI PIRI SAUCE:

• 6-10 birds eye chills finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 50ml red wine vinegar
• 100ml olive oil
• 1 tsp flaked salt

to serve:

• fresh or grilled romaine lettuce
• yogurt dressing 

Method

In a bowl, mix all the piri piri sauce ingredients together.

Make incisions with a sharp knife all over the chicken and place over the BBQ to cook 10-12 minutes each side.

With a clean paint brush, brush the chicken with the piri piri sauce and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes each side basting occasionally.

Place the cooked chicken into a bowl or tray and pour remaining sauce over, loosely cover with foil and rest for 30 minutes. This will tenderise the chicken and as its been cut all over with a knife and will absorb any remaining juices giving perfect flavour, juiciness and spice. Cut into pieces and serve with grilled lettuce and yogurt dressing.

1. In a bowl mix all the piri piri ingredients together

2. Make incisions with a sharp knife all over the chicken, Place over the bbq and cook 10-12 minutes each side.

3. With a clean new paint brush, brush the chicken with the piri piri sauce and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes each side basting occasionally.

4. Place the cooked chicken into a bowl/container and pour remaining sauce over, loosely cover with foil and rest for 30 minutes (this will tenderise the chicken and as its been cut all over with a knife will absorb any remaining juices giving perfect flavour, juiciness and spice) cut into pieces and serve with grilled lettuce and dressing.

Food with a View in Algarve, Portugal

Early August, Good Morning Britain on ITV sent me on an adventure to some of Portugal's best destinations to film #FoodwithaView. I’ve always been very fond of the country from holidays as a child with my parents to renting a villas on the coast annually with wife and friends. It has everything that appeals to a traveller like myself. It is a short flight, great value, friendly natives, guaranteed sun, amazing beaches and, of course, THE FOOD! With iconic dishes like salt cod, piri piri chicken, garlic and clams and those famous, custard tarts. There’s not much to dislike about Portugal is there.

For my journey, I was sent to five regions around the country shooting recipes and finding out a little more about what it has to offer.

So the first stop, the Algarve...

We all know the Algarve region right? I certainly do, being born in the late 70’s I was part of the original family package holiday boom and can remember holidays in the sun spent around a hotel pool with my brother jumping off inflatable lylos whilst Mum and Dad sipped Mateus rosé (Portugal's finest ;). We very rarely left the hotel complex back then but nowadays, gulp… over 30 years later, the Algarve has so much more to offer.

Over 7 million tourists visit every year, being situated in the south of the country with guaranteed sunshine and over 140 miles of coastline, unspoilt beaches with crystal clear waters and some of Europe's best golf courses you can see why. Also, there're plenty of theme parks to visit making it perfect for a family holiday. I got involved with this (much to the enjoyment of the crew) with one of my finest pieces to camera by going down a water slide with a go-pro (when in Rome…).

But there's a lot more to the Algarve than tourism, the growing of almonds, fantastic oranges and olive groves are equally as important. If you’ve not tried Portuguese olive oil I urge you, it's some of the finest in the world and it's also home to piri piri chili. Known as peri-peri in Africa and most commonly as the bird's eye chilli, Columbus brought this fiery fruit with him to the continent and has been a staple on the Portuguese tables ever since. In fact so much so, they sailed with it on their travels whilst conquering the world. Nowadays it’s found all over Portugal along with coriander mainly due its versatility when used with poultry, pork, seafood and fish. And from the versatility of this pepper came piri piri sauce. Made as a marinade or seasoning, it differs throughout the country with its main ingredients being a combination of chillies, oil, citrus and herbs. It can even be made including alcohol and meat fat.

I’ve been discovering that Portuguese cuisine unlike their neighbours, they love chillis and are never afraid to spice up a dish. It works perfectly in hot climate served with a cold beverage which is why I’ve chosen a quick and simple take on Piri Piri Chicken. Perfect for a BBQ, especially if you’ve not had time to marinade and want more spice than your usual standard BBQ chicken fare.

Behind the scenes: On a tight schedule we arrived at Olhos De Agua and set up our #todaysoffice on the cliffs overlooking the sea. However as you can see by my last picture, we were totally unprepared for the mist that greeted us coming from the sea, making it totally unfilmable (especially if you're filming a piece based on great summer locations). We regrouped, found a nearby hotel and rescheduled to shoot again first thing in the morning just when the sun was rising. During re-shoot, in the early morning sun, again, we were hit by the mist halfway through. But as they say... the show must go on!  

WOMAD 2015

MUD CITY with Alan & Mark 

In 2014, I was fortunate enough to be invited along to WOMAD Festival to judge the food on offer. And this year once again, Alan Fox and Mark Laurie from NCASS gave me the nod to join them again.

For those that don't know, NCASS are a trade organisation set up to assist and provide food traders and caterers with the information, systems and support to be safe, legal and most importantly, profitable business. They want their traders to succeed and have become a key part of the ever expanding street food and festival food scene. If you are interested in starting a street food business, NCASS will be there to provide you with all the knowledge you need. Check them out.

Back to the festival, WOMAD began in 1982 bringing music from around the world, performance arts and educational projects together offering for great long weekend and camping experience. This year although hit by a lot of rain on the Friday and Sunday, the show continued. Highlighting De La Soul as a personal favourite with a funk and soul backing band banging out all their hits from my teenage years plus a handful of classic 90’s hip hop covers thrown in for good measure.  With my favourite line heard being “If you're over 35 you'll know this!” 

But I was here to work so let's stick to point, FOOD ;)

NCASS and festival trader manager Lulu Cowley have been working together to ensure all the insurance, hygiene certificates and all paperwork are in order for the traders to have a problem-free weekend and do what they do best... MAKE AND SELL GREAT FOOD! 

WOMAD Radio!

The festival over the years has always had great food with some of the traders selling their wares at WOMAD for over 25 years. And with the emergence of new traders from the street food scene over the past 5-6 years becoming of a much higher quality (and rightly so) the organisers thought it about time we celebrate how this festival is becoming one of the leaders in great quality festival food. Even with just a year on from my last visit I can certainly vouch for this. With Lulu mixing a blend of older festival traders with newer traders, the offerings match the music with flavours from all over the world. NCASS and Lulu decided to recognise the food traders for their efforts with two categories of the 'Best Meal and 'Best  Snack' with a prize of £500 going to each. An extra category was added for 'People's Choice' voted by the festival goers thru twitter (or voting box) offering £500 to the winning trader and a pair of free tickets to the best food tweet using the hashtag #WomadFood.  My main task was to judge the categories of 'Best Snack' and 'Best Meal', amongst drumming up buzz with tweets and social media shout outs including an appearance on WOMAD Radio. And of course, eating and eat I certainly did. The food was so good so we decided to have shared winners in each category and here they are... 

- BEST SNACK -

Dorshi - Amazing East Asian dumplings using British produce
&
Oysters On Wheels - Pan-fried scallops and smoked salmon on toast at a festival? YES PLEASE!!

Amazing dumplings from Dorshi

Oysters On Wheels

Pan-fried scallops & smoked salmon on toast

- BEST MEAL- 

The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company - Lamb tagine of the highest order with mezes
&
The Chai Shop Organic - Organic and hearty veggie curries, chai and cakes. 

- PEOPLE'S CHOICE- 

First Class Toast - all kinds of cheese toasties served all day and night
&
Dosa Deli - yummy, clean and fresh South Indian food made by great people

Dosa Deli

Dosa & Bhaji with coconut chutney

bacon & cheese toast from First Class Toast

Many Thanks to WOMAD, Mark & Alan from NCASS, Lulu and her team and all the food traders for a great weekend. 

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Food Jam @ Enys Gardens, Cornwall

Enys House

Inside the home

Back in February my old flatmate Emma contacted me because she was thinking about putting together a food festival in Falmouth and asked if I would like to be involved? 
'Of course' was my reply.
‘What do you have in mind?

Emma and her friend Mia had found a location in the unspoilt surroundings of Enys Gardens, Penryn, Falmouth. Uninhabited for over 40 years it has recently been privately taken over by owners that would like to see it being used a little more, so why not put on a little street food festival there.

Shellfish Pig

Pork & Fennel Sausage Muffin from Angus & Mitchell 

The festival accurately named 'Food Jam' held over two days (July 11th & 12th) and was a great way of bringing together local Cornish businesses. The locals were given a taste of how the street food scene works, featuring a street food trail inviting visitors on a culinary journey thru all the street food vendors whilst also enjoying the surrounding historic gardens. Each vendor had a small plate on offer between £3 to £4 therefore encouraging guests try a bit of everything. The trail continued through the house, gardens and marquee, allowing you to enjoy live music, featured talks, food demos and sample locally crafted beer from the microbrewery, Dynamite Valley.

Mintydukkalabneh by Sea Dips Cornwall

Take a look at some of the traders below:

Chocolarder's amazing chocolate selection

Angus and Mitchell - Rasher
Bangers with a Twist 
Brew Cornwall 
Cherish Kitchen
Chimichurri Cornwall
Collier's Cornish Cheese
Cornish Food Box Company
Cornish Seaweed Co
Downright Delicious 
Dynamite Valley Brewing Co
Home - World Street Food
K B Herbs & Spices
Pea Souk Cafe 
Petals and Peas
Sea Dips Cornwall
Shellfish Pig
Slice Pizza Cornwall
Sophisticakes
Sushi Ichiban Cornwall
Zest Food Van  +++

Steak Sandwich from Chimichurri Cornwall

Yours truly had the job of comparing in the marquee for the weekend, with inspiring talks from Matt Vernon on foraging and how to skin and cook wild rabbit, Richard Musgrave from Downright Delicious on how to prep for a dinner party, Hiromi from Sushi Ichiban Cornwall on how to roll your own sushi, local seaweed talks, and bee conservation and beekeeping talks from on grounds' beekeeper Roger Dewhurst. With many activities and games offering plenty for little people to get involved and ending each day with live music from Preachin' Country, the weekend was a great success with great attendance over both days.

As always I got to eat a lot over the two days from breakfast muffins, wood-fire pizza, Argentinian-inspired steak sandwiches, brioche sliders, pad thai, and custard tarts just to name a few. And as if that wasn’t enough each evening after the festival we’d tuck into the fabulous wares from the traders. Amongst my favourite was the amazing mintydukkalabneh by Sea Dips Cornwall, a creamy, rich, yogurt dip and the equally yummy honeycomb milk chocolate from Chocolarder. 

So Congrats to Emma and Mia for putting on such a great event, well done to all traders and businesses involved!  ROLL ON, Food Jam 2016...

Emma & I 

BBQ Beef Short Ribs with Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Slaw

British summertime is here! PANIC… Everyone BBQ!!!

That seems to be the supermarket's strategy year in year out in this country, it's like end of days every weekend in the aisles with bags of briquettes crammed in every available space and deals on sausages and chicken cuts.

I’ve said for some time now that although I like BBQs, I’ve always just preferred the idea of eating good food outside. The Italians do this right with ‘al fresco’ dining. For a while, I have romanticised of 8-course lunches on white linen tables with seafood, pasta, meats and wine to match. All spread over 4-5 hours in a meadow with friends and family on a hot sunny day. Although admittedly this probably comes from watching too many Godfathers and mafia themed films.

See I find the idea of burnt sausages, chicken cuts and over/under-cooked steaks and a potato salad a little dull to be honest.
However in the past 4-5 years this has all changed over here in Blighty. The continuing popularity of North American BBQing in street food and relaxed dining scene with many small businesses emerging across the UK shows just how serious we are about cooking over coals. And with events like Grillstock (meat, music & Mayhem!) being held throughout the country showcasing not only up and running business but also awards and competitions for amateurs and enthusiasts, BBQing has now been raised to another level. I was lucky enough be invited to be a judge at the Grillstock Manchester in the 'Chefs Choice’ category and over the weekend got to hang with traders, Dr. BBQ and drinking buddy Dr. SweetSmoke.

This is what I learnt, use the right equipment, use the best quality ingredients and don’t rush. The time and passion that goes into BBQ is what makes it so special with most recipes taking between 3-12 hours, low and slow (also giving lots of time to socialise ;) So with a weekend spent asking questions and happily being given answers (thank you guys). I’ve come back with a recipe that is simple but tastes great. I'm using beef short ribs that are for me the 'King of BBQ' meats and has such deep and meaty flavour. I’ve decided not ‘smoke’ them as I find it can be a little too overpowering and by marinating overnight with the dry rub I think it will add more than enough flavour. 

The slaw with the creamy blue cheese, sweet pear and crunch from the cabbage works perfectly with the dark, charcoaled ribs. I also served with homemade triple cooked chips making it a special feast. Sautéed new potatoes will work just as well if deep frying is a bit too much. Many thanks to Team Smokin' Penguin for the amazing rub, it packs so much flavour and really made the dish. Also Dr. Sweet Smoke (thanks, Al) for answering all my never ending questions.

Oh, as I got to explain my visions of ‘al fresco’ dining over a late beer or two with Dr. Sweet Smoke to which in a slight southern drawl he replied… “Andy, grow some balls and man up, boy. It's all about BBQ!" Indeed, it is :)

---

serves 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE Beef Short ribs:

• 4 large beef short ribs on the bone
• 1 cup/large handful of smoking penguins beef rub or any other BBQ dry rub
• 2/3 bottles of beer of your choice

FOR THE Pear, walnut & Blue Cheese Slaw:

• 1/2 small head of white cabbage cored & thinly sliced
• 1 pear, cored and julienned (skin on)
• 1 banana shallot or red onion, thinly slicked
• 1 handful of roughly chopped walnuts
• 100g blue cheese
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp soured cream
• 2 tbsp cider/white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt & pepper

Equipment 

• BBQ (kamado ideal)
• baking tray and wire rack (that fits into your bbq with lid on)
• tongs
• baster
• large mixing bowls

METHOD

For the Beef Short Ribs: 

The night before place the ribs into a large bowl and scatter all over with the dry rub mixture, toss a few times to combine then individually wrap each rib tightly in clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
*Don't be tempted to use olive oil as it creates an additional barrier and doesn't let the rub penetrate into the meat. 

The next day, before noon, if you want to be eating at a sensible time ;) Take the ribs out of the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.

Light your BBQ and allow the coals to come up to a high heat. Seal of the ribs, getting caramelisation and a deep brown colour all over. Remove from the grill and rest the ribs on a baking tray with the wire rack. 
Add heat defectors to the BBQ if applicable or push the coals to one side for lower temp cooking. Return the grills back and place lid back on. Using vents on top and bottom of BBQ ‘choke’ the airflow to reduce the cooking temperature to 125C or 250F.
Once the above temperature has been reached, remove the lid from the BBQ and place the baking tray with ribs on the grill. Pour the beer over and around the ribs leaving a gap between the beer and ribs on the baking tray (the steam from the beer will keep the ribs moist while cooking). Make sure not to submerge the ribs in beer and end up braising them.

Return the lid and cook for around 5 hours, topping up with beer if necessary and basting every hour. After the 5 hours, cover the tray tightly with foil and cook for a further hour, this method giving the ribs an extra injection of moisture.

Remove the foil and cook for a further hour again without basting to create a delicious BBQ ‘bark’/crunchy crust and remember to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Keep an eye on the temperature while cooking making sure you maintain low and slow.

 

For the Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese slaw:

In a small bowl mix, all the wet and dairy ingredients until well combined. Then in a large bowl combine the pear, cabbage, shallot, and parsley. Pour the wet mixture over and stir through to combine. Season with salt and pepper and top with a handful of chopped walnuts. 

Serve together on a large board with plenty of yummy beers.

*Remember timing is the key to food service. While the ribs are resting, this gives you time to clear down and mix the slaw. 

Southern-fried Chicken Liver Sliders with Chilli Slaw & Baconniase

This recipe came about from my recent travels to Abu Dhabi while in a market looking for inspiration and ingredients for my scheduled cooking demos for the next few days. I had decided earlier to make coxinhas and so when getting the chicken for the coxinhas the butcher randomly asked me if I’d want some chicken livers too.

“Well, yes!” I said. And so I decided there and then that would be the hero of the dish. Next, I went through the spice section and picked up some dry spices and herbs, garlic, oregano, and paprika to name a few. I was starting to get an idea of what was coming up… 

After I headed to the bakery where an insanely good smell drew me towards some freshly baked potato buns, delicious, sweet, fluffy and perfect for a hand-held snack. Then to the fruit and veg section, red cabbage, white cabbage, some apples and then finally a few red chillis. 

I came up with southern-fried chicken livers, cabbage, chilli and apple slaw in a mini potato bun. Yep, North American inspired but born in the middle east. Out in the U.A.E., I made it with roasted garlic and chicken fat mayonnaise (since no pork is allowed). However, now back in England I’ve changed the mayonnaise to include an ingredient that was made to go with liver, BACON! Using strained smoked bacon fat and adding the rendered crispy lardons, I make baconnaise, check it out... 

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My Southern-fried chicken liver sliders with chili slaw & baconnise 

makes 8 sliders

INGREDIENTS

• 400g chicken livers (for non-liver lovers, chicken filets will work as well)
• 300ml of plain yogurt
• 200g gram flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 mini potato buns or mini brioche rolls

For the chilli slaw:

• ¼ head cabbage, sliced thinly
• ¼ head purple cabbage, sliced thinly
• 1 banana shallot, sliced thinly
• 1 whole chilli, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (can use any chilli you like)
• a bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt

For the baconnaise:

• 100-150g pancetta or smoked bacon lardons, diced
• 150-200ml mild light olive oil
• 2 egg yolks
• juice of half a lemon
• 1tsp dijon mustard
• pepper

METHOD

First, the chicken livers will need to be marinaded. Mix, all of the dried spices together. Pour the yogurt into a large bowl and add 1 tbsp of the dried spice mixture and mix. Then add the chicken livers to the yogurt mixture and stir though. Cling film the bowl and refrigerate for 1 - 4 hours.

Add the remaining spices to the gram flour, mix and put to one side to use as your southern coating (Gram flour is gluten-free, and I prefer the taste over plain/self-raising flour). 

For the baconnaise: 
In a frying pan, heat a tbsp of olive oil and fry the bacon lardons until crispy. Strain the oil into a bowl and keep the crispy bacon separate. Allow the 'bacon oil' to cool slightly.

In a food processor, blitz the egg yolks and mustard until combined. Keep the food processor running and slowly pour in the bacon fat exactly like you would if you were making mayonnaise. When all 'bacon oil' is all used up, move on to olive oil and continue to pour until you have your desired mayonnaise consistency. You may not need to use all of the oil. Add the lemon juice and crispy bacon to the baconnaise, season with pepper and fold through. Keep to one side until needed (make in advance and will keep for up to three days in a sealed container in the fridge).

Strain the 'bacon oil' from the lardons.

Blitz 2 egg yolks and 1 tsp mustard. 

Slowly pour the oil to make your baconnaise. 

Almost there...

Add the crispy bacon lardons and juice of 1 lemon to complete your baconnaise. 

For the chili slaw:
In a bowl combine the cabbage, shallot, chili and coriander. In another bowl mix together all the remaining ingredients, the whole milk, mayonnaise, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour over the cabbage salad and toss to combine. Clingfilm and place to one side until needed or in the fridge (can be made in advance and will keep for three days in a sealed container in the fridge. But I like to keep the dressing and salad separate until right before serving, as it keeps the salad crunchy and fresh).

Pre-heat a deep fat fryer to 180C.  Pour the seasoned flour into a tray, take the marinaded chicken livers from the bowl and individually place into the flour. With your hands press and pack the flour around each liver creating a coating. Carefully place the breaded chicken livers into the flyer basket and dip into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes with a lid on.

ATTENTION: Liver can spit and pop when fried. Use a lid as a precaution to avoid any issues.  

Lastly, to assemble your burger (if you can get your hands on mini potato buns, DO IT!), cut in half and toast on a hot pan. On the bottom bun spread some baconnaise, then add the southern-fried chicken livers, followed by a heaped spoonful of the slaw and then top with the other half of the bun.

Upside-down Rhubarb & Ginger Cake

Back once again with the rhubarb beats... This very simple recipe will keep for a few days and work a treat as an afternoon cake, but even better as a hot dessert fresh out the oven served with lots of clotted cream ;)

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My Upside-down Rhubarb & Ginger Cake

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 500g rhubarb
• 50g sugar
• 8tbsp finely chopped stem ginger
• 8tbsp ginger syrup from the jar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp ground ginger
• 175g soft light brown sugar
• 175g softened butter
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C or gas mark 4. Grease a deep 8-inch round cake tin, line the base with greaseproof paper. 

Chop the rhubarb into 2cm chunks, place into a baking tray cover with the sugar and bake for 8-10 minutes or until softened. Fill the tin with the rhubarb (lay as flat as possible) and half of the chopped ginger, then spoon half of the ginger syrup over the top.  

Sift the flour, baking powder and ground ginger into a mixing bowl. Stir in the soft brown sugar and butter, then add the eggs and beat together for 1-2 minutes until level and creamy. Carefully spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the surface. 

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely. Add the reserved chopped ginger to the top of the rhubarb and drizzle over the remaining ginger syprup. 

San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain

I first visited this gem of a town in 2006 and have been back on an almost yearly basis since. From trips including weekend breaks, work trips, my 30th, my parent's 60th birthdays, a 40th and even a very civilised stag do thrown in for good measure and most recently this past month. For me, it's one of the greatest food cities on earth. I'd like to think I'm the only person that knows about it and only I have the knowledge of where to go and what to eat but alas, it's just not so. See lots of us have been and If you like your food or work in the industry then you've probably have been and have had a taste of how great this town is (for those of you that haven't been. GO, just book it!). So I thought it was about time I shared some of my favourite places of where to eat whenever I'm in town. 

Group selfie ;)

Peak times in San Sebastián are between May and October and it can get very busy on the weekends so flying out mid to late April or late October for me is the best time to go. It's just starting to get busy or slowing down with mainly locals out, you can get a table/perch within 10 minutes or less in every bar, car hire and accommodation are at a better rate and flights can be nearly half price. The only thing you will be missing out on is a bit of summer sun.

We (the wife and friend's Matt and Carolina) booked our flights a month before flying from Stansted Airport to Bilbao with Easyjet (£48 return), and had arranged to a hire car at the airport (£6 per day) and our accommodation being a two bedroom apartment in the Old Town from Airbnb. Make sure to grab yourself acoomodation in the Old Town or nearby to keep it all within walking distance and personally I feel an apartment gives you a little more freedom especially if you plan to do any cooking as we did and it can work out more than half the price of a hotel room.

The drive to San Sebastián takes about 90 minutes with a toll on the way or a non-toll drive taking around 2 and half hours. A secured parking can be found around town for €12-€20 a night. There is also a bus you can catch directly from Bilbao airport to San Sebastián for €15 each way but with four of us in tow it actually worked out the same price to hire a car including parking and petrol for four days as it was to get 8 single fares on the bus.

Volcano of black pudding, apple and sultanas at Hidalgo 56

WHERE TO EAT?

Most pintxo bars are to be found in the Old Town, but never dismiss the Centre and Gros (new town) as many a delight can be found there too (I highly recommend the volcano of black pudding from Hidalgo 56. The 'lava' is an egg yolk on the top ;). An essential guidebook to take which can also can be purchased at many of the bars is 'The Pintxo Trail' which lists each bar's 'hero' dish and is a really helpful guide especially if it is your first visit. Most bars are self-service with cold offerings, picking your own pintxos, eating and then paying with an 'honesty policy' of how many you devoured off the bar. Although these tasty treats look like a 'little picker's dream' all layered in neat rows, taking up the entire space of the bar, screaming different colours and amazing flavours at you, the trick is to order hot pintxos from the menus chalked on the walls and this is when the food really steps up a gear. With hot offerings such as octopus, veal cheeks, pigs ears, hake cheeks, salt cod, foie gras, morcilla (black pudding), baby squid and offal... it's a foodie's utopia. Pintxos will generally cost you around €1-3 each. 

The Indurain at Bodega Donostiarra (tinned white tuna, salted anchovy, guindilla peppers, slice of onion, olive on a bed of olive oil)

Griddled foie gras at Izkiña

Before we begin, this isn't so much of a guide to San Sebastián but more like my 'Perfect Night Out in San Sebastián'. A gluttonous eating and drinking journey, one meal spread across five bars which are all based in the Old Town with no more than 2-5 minutes walk between each (obviously many of you who have been will have different views but this is not about you, this is my perfect meal ;). I hope you find the idea of this as appealing as it was to us, on the walk/waddle back to the apartment we all concurred that this was the most epic of meal adventures we had ever embarked on. And just so you know, be prepared to stand. Apart from the first meal we happily stood up for all the courses resting on high tables or bars. And leave your manners behind and follow Basque tradition, once finished with your napkin, raise into the air and throw it to the ground or under the bar. 

So let's begin... As always my first stop upon arriving is La Cepa, I think this may have been the first bar I ever came to in San Sebastián and there are many other bars like it but it will always be my first port of call, the staff are really friendly, food is great and they have the traveller's god-send, free wi-fi so a great place to check in after traveling. As a tradition I always kick off with a large plate of Jamon de Bellota, (acorn-fed pure breed Iberico ham) the flavour is rich and complex and a real delicacy paired with a plate of manchego cheese. The buttery texture of the manchego working so well with the ham. All rounded of with a chilled bottle of rioja to wash it all down. Ham, cheese and wine BOOM... What a start!

The pintxos bar at La Cepa (look at those jamóns!) - photo by @afickledream_

Jamón de Bellota, bread and 2 glasses of rioja at La Cepa

Next, it's onto Bar Borda Berri and it's all about extremely intense slow cooked dishes using Basque and international flavours and technics. I can vouch for this and they certainly do not disappoint creating tasting dishes like the famous 'crunchy' pig's ear, pork rib kebab, cod tripe, melt in your mouth veal cheeks, mushroom risotto, squid ink ravioli and the most tender octopus I have ever tasted all served on little plates seasoned perfectly with sauces, garnishes and the most flavoursome of local olive oils. The pig's ear is one of the best dishes I've tasted and Matt with who we travelled with returned on a daily basis just for this dish. I believe we ordered one of each and supped half pints of local beer all poured with that perfect European frothy head. The place has attitude in the coolest of ways, rock-n-roll cuisine if you know what I mean. To the owners; Iñaki Gulin & Marc Clua, I salute you both. WOW!

Borda Berri's squid ink ravioli - photo by @afickledream_

Borda Berri's crispy pig ear with tximitxurri sauce

Borda Berri's Iberian pork rib kebab

Borda Berri's roasted octopus

For the third course and having to peel ourselves away from Borda Berri! We head to Ganbara, who are known to have one of the most varied and mouth-watering menus in the town. Famous and in high demand for their baked spider crab tartlet (A must!). They have a restaurant out back and it's always busy packed with locals with an oven in one of the corners adding even more drama to the bar. As we muscle our way through the crowds we found a corner on the bar and stumbled upon a mountain of seasonal mushrooms. We looked at the barman and gave him a look of 'we'll have some of that please' he nodded knowingly, wrote something down and poured us theatrically from a height some local white wine called txakoli. A couple of minutes later our dish arrived and it's a purist's dream. A plate of sliced and fried wild mushrooms perfectly seasoned garnished only with an egg yolk. Simple and brilliant!

Wild mushrooms & egg yolk at Ganbara

So now for mains and Bar Néstor was where we were to head. Established in 1980 and famous for their potato tortilla where only two large ones are made a day at 12:00pm and 8:00pm and they sell quickly so best to get there early. It's a fairly limited menu and in no way is that a bad thing. I recommended trying two dishes, their aged steak and heirloom tomato salad. We managed 'luckily' to grab a table, standing on the street directly by the serving hatch. We mentioned steak and before we knew it our friendly barman had thrust a platter full of Cote de Boeuf in front of us. All aged, dark with perfect marbling. We chose, well, the biggest one of course and ordered the tomato salad and gernika peppers for sides with a belting big bottle of rioja thrown in for good measure. A lot of chat and a second rioja later, through the hatch a sizzling skillet of sliced steak and bone appeared. Perfectly cooked and swimming in its cooking juices. We hastily ordered more bread so nothing would be lost. The sides were on par too, tomato salad being simply chopped tomatoes in quarters soaked in extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt only (For you non-tomato fans, salt really does change how a tomato tastes folks, try it) and the gernika green peppers sautéed and salted (differing from padrón peppers with the Russian roulette of sweet and spicy, gernika are always sweet and a little longer in appearance too). It's probably the first time I've ever had a steak without chips or mash. But don't fear, I got me carbs from that extra bread we ordered to mop up all those juices remember. Rustic cooking with big earthy flavours we couldn't have been happier. I remember one of us saying when finishing our last mouthful and placing knives and forks down 'that was quite something eh?!' It couldn't have been put better. A big nod to the owners; Tito, Nestor and staff who are extremely friendly and are part of what makes this place so great and why people keep coming back.

Aged beef rib chop, tomato salad and gernika green peppers from Bar Nestor 

And for the last hurrah... Dessert! The girls had declared they were 'too full for pudding' but I knew we had some room in us and there was only one place to go, La Viña. Run by Santi Rivera this traditional bar offers traditional Basque fare like croquettes, classic fish soup and clams in green sauce. The Russian salad is a favourite and the cheese and anchovy cone (looking like a mini flake 99 with the cheese as the ice cream piped into a cone and a whole anchovy as the flake) is a fun and tasty bite. But most people are here for one thing, the tarta de queso or baked cheesecake. A well-guarded secret that they will never give out "we don't give out the recipe" is said with an almost 'how many times do I have to say...' It's an utterly dreamy, no biscuit/crunchy base,  just a baked filling, I'll try to describe... From the outside in you start with a burnt crust, then the filling starts with a little soufflé like around the edges and then into a super smooth set middle. And the taste is sweet, creamy with a touch of sourness to it. But what makes it even better is that it perfectly matches with Pedro Ximénez, just ask them and they will know what to give you. The two together are insanely good with the sweetness from the wine against the cheese. Our journey was now complete, JOB DONE! On the walk back to the apartment I couldn't stop thinking about the taste and texture of that cheesecake and it continued into my sleep, so much so that I dragged the wife there early doors for a cheesecake breakfast. But to be fair she hardly put up much of a fight. FYI as it was too early a glass of wine you'll be pleased to know it worked just as well with coffee.

La Viña's tarta de queso 

La Viña's cheese and anchovy cone

 

To recap my 'perfect meal' in San Sebastián's pintxo bars are... 

La Cepa - plate of Iberico jamon & Manchego Cheese with bottle of rioja

Bar Bordi Berri - Crunchy pigs ear, octopus, pork rib, sweetbread ravioli (just order everything)

Ganbara - Fried seasonal mushrooms and egg yolk

Bar Nestor - Aged beef rib chop, tomato salad and gernika green peppers (eat on the street if possible ;)

La Viña - Baked cheescake with dessert wine

 

WHAT TO DRINK?

A slightly sparkling Basque white wine called txakoli – this is a light and dry wine that goes hand in hand with most pintxos. When txakoli is poured, the bottle is held from a height creating an impressive two-foot stream into a tall glass. This helps to aerate the wine, creating more bubbles. Other choices include rioja or 1/2 pint beers, they will ask if you want a full pint (probably asked because I am British) but I would recommend sticking with the halves, while a glass of wine or beer will set you back a mere €1.5 - €3.

Craft Beer too? I was lucky to find Basque Brewing Project. I'm never one to say no to a local independent brew and this hoppy little IPA is a winner. A few bars stock it the fridge so watch out for it. 

Gin and tonics. Served in those ginormous gold fish bowl type glasses with a tiny bit of tonic to go with your gin ;) A must for all G&T lovers. 

 

OTHER.

Other than eating and drinking, make sure to walk about and explore the streets or even take a walk on either of the beaches. In fact, you might need to as be aware that nearly all the pintxos bars shut between 3-7 leaving you choices of either finding a bar and drinking through until everything opens again or sightseeing or taking a deserved siesta yourself. You can even try some surfing at San Sebastian's Zurriola Beach which offers courses for beginners and also holds national and international championships, attracting surfers from all over the world. But back to food again and a must to try is La Brexta Market situated in Old Town.

Matt & I smiling in the fish market - photo by @afickledream_

La Brexta's fish market - photo by @afickledream_

Our feast from Mercado La Brexta

-Whole Baked Sole with lemon, garlic & paprika potatoes 

-Hake Glands in Garlic Butter

-Chorizo in Red Wine

-Mackerel Tartare

-White Asparagus with Anchovy Mayo

It is an underground cave filled with chef and foodie delights split into three sections; fish, meat and delicatessen. The fish section is especially beautiful and eye opening with offerings of monkish, hake, sole, snapper, roes, cheeks, salt cod and just about every type of shellfish and mussel you can imagine all laid out in ‘shop window’ esq displays worthy of an award. The markets perfect for you to stock up on cured meats, cheeses, wine and other countless goodies from the region. There’s even a well-known supermarket down there which is really handy to pick up on staples for the weekend. Upstairs and outside is where local traders sell fruit and veg with many proudly claiming that it was picked that morning from their own gardens. It's impossible not to be inspired by the produce available, the region is so fertile that you can’t help but want to cook with it. We spent about two hours walking around tasting and asking questions before finally filling our bags and heading back to the apartment to prepare a feast all cooked with usual sparse rented accommodation utensils of 1 baking tray, 1 chopping board, 2 saucepans, 1 frying pan and 2 very blunt knives.

SIDE TRIP TO GETARIA.

Between San Sebastian and Bilbao, I cannot recommend highly enough the fishing port of Gretinia. I make an obligatory stop there for Sunday lunch on every visit for what we have come to refer to as ‘Basque Fish and Chips'. See down by the harbour in this little port town are about 4-5 restaurants that all specialise in whole fish (usually turbot and monkfish) cooked over coals outside on asadores. They arrive directly from the boats, placed over the coals, then whisked to the kitchen where they are quickly filleted and seasoned with dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and fried garlic. I always order a side of chips to complete the dish and a bottle of local txakoli. The fish is cooked to perfection and eating outside with friends next to the sea is never a bad thing is it.

Monkfish

Turbot