Neven Maguire goes on a culinary journey around Portugal, beginning in the Algarve, where goes fishing for razor clams, and also visits the Estaminé restaurant
Neven Maguire visits Lisbon, starting a busy 48 hours in the capital's oldest coffee shop Cafe a Brasileira, before cooks with renowned young chef David Vieira. He also visits chocolate and coffee shop Bettina & Niccolo Corallo, and later makes his own version of the Portuguese chocolate mousse - a dessert that is found on almost every restaurant menu in Portugal.
This week Neven visits the Alentejo region in southern Portugal. Neven’s first stop is the Ervideira Winery which has a very unusual way of producing wine. When it has been bottled, the wine is stored and aged deep underwater in the Alqueva Lake which is the largest artificial lake in the European Union. Neven meets the current Director Duarte Leal da Costa and his son Duarte Maria Alvarenga as they retrieve their ‘Water Wine’ from the bottom of the lake.
This week Neven’s food trail begins in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon where he meets chef Hugo Freitas Araújo at Solar Dos Presuntos, a restaurant renowned for its traditional local cuisine. Hugo shares his recipe for a Lobster and Bread Stew made with a “secret sauce”
Neven Maguire is back with a brand new six part series of his popular Food Trails programmes, and this year his travels take him from Faro in the South of Portugal to the Douro Valley in the North of the country.
In the final episode of Neven's Portuguese Food Trails, the popular chef travels to the Douro Valley in the North of Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage region renowned for its wine production.
Neven's food trail leads him to Centro Region of Portugal, where he begins by visiting the city of Coimbra to learn how the cities speciality pastries Crúzios are made. Neven also prepares sardines with parmesan crumb and aubergine chutney after visiting other numerous locations in the region to learn about the dishes they serve.
Neven Maguire heads to Lisbon, where he stops at one of the capital's food landmarks Pastéis de Belém, a bakery famous for its delicious handmade custard tarts.
Neven is in Madeira, touring the Blandy's Wine Lodge and tastes a variety of wine, learning how to pair it with food. At The Views Baia Hotel, he learns to make a turbot and fennel recipe, he is also given a tour of Funchal's fish market. Neven also tries a traditional Portuguese beef sandwich and cooks a mushroom and leek strudel with madeira wine sauce.
In this episode of Neven's Portuguese Food Trails, the popular chef travels to the Douro Valley in the North of Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage region renowned for its wine production.
In this final episode, Neven returns to the northern city of Porto, he taste table wines at Graham's Wine Lodge, and in Óbidos he tries a local liqueur- ginjinha. Returning to Madeira, he heads to a tropical fruit growing farm, and a farmers market where he explores rare species of fruit. On the northeastern coast, Neven tastes several types of rum. His recipe of the week is a passion fruit and key lime pie.
Neven begins his journey in Viana do Castelo, a picturesque coastal town in Northern Portugal. Here, he explores the rich bounty of the Atlantic Ocean, sampling freshly caught seafood at the Pousada Viana do Castelo where he is staying. He also travels up a mountain to the stunning Basilica de Santa Luzia, visits Dona Farinha, a traditional bakery to learn how to make a very special cake; and tastes wines from a local winery Quinta de Paços. Neven also visits Camelo restaurant where he meets chef Andrea Matos and enjoys an authentic tasting menu, followed by a trip to the village of Ponte De Lima which offers breathtaking views in the region. Neven completes this first episode by cooking two desserts – Chocolate Salami and Portuguese Custard.
Neven travels to Amares, Braga, and Barcelos in the north of Portugal, where he delves into the heart of rural Portuguese cooking. He stays at the Pousada Mosteiro de Amares, originally a 12th century Cistercian monastery and now a luxurious hotel where the chef shows him a traditional, regional recipe made with game meat sausages. In Braga, Portugal’s oldest city, Neven tries some of the famous local petiscos (tapas) at Dona Petisca, where he also learns how to make an authentic Caldo Verde soup. Still in Braga, Neven visits the contemporary Filho Da Máe restaurant which combines Portuguese and South American cuisine. Here he meets chef Julian Junqueir and tries a raw sea bass ‘Tiradito’ dish. On the outskirts of Braga, Neven visits the spectacular sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, famous for its elaborate ‘Stairway of the Five Senses’. In the city of Barcelos, Neven visits the Terra do Gallo pottery where he learns how a traditional, colourful pottery rooster is made.
Neven travels through Portugal’s central region this week, starting in the Serra da Estrela region which boasts the country’s tallest mountain range.He stays at the beautiful Serra da Estrela Pousada, where the director Teresa Silveira introduces him to the area’s ingredients and dishes. Neven tries traditional recipes with a modern twist, created by talented Chef Nelson Rolo. Next, Neven heads to Manteigas to visit Ecolã, a local factory famous for its Burel wool -100% sheep’s wool fabric of medieval origin which has always been associated with Serra da Estrela, the mountain, the shepherds and their capes. Antonio Costa of Ecolã shows Neven the process of creating the fabric and explains why it’s so important to the local community. Neven then visits Guarda Rios, a restaurant tucked away in the mountains, where he enjoys a traditional one-pot dinner, crafted from generations of expertise and made entirely from locally sourced ingredients.
Neven heads south to the Alentejo region, celebrated for its rustic cuisine and rich agricultural heritage, where he explores Borba and Estremoz.
Neven explores the coastal treasures of Alcácer do Sal and Comporta, two destinations in Alentejo offering a perfect blend of tradition and sophistication.
Neven heads to the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region in this final episode as he visits Sagres, Vila do Bispo, and Estoi.
