O Dinis,The Fisherman Restaurant, Carvalhal Beach (Portugal)

The best way to describe my opinion about the restaurant O Dinis is that all summer Fridays that we go to Troia, we leave Madrid with the reservation for, 640 kilometers later, tasting the best fresh fish that you can eat...
Informal, relaxed and friendly, as its owner Dinis, this is one of the perfect places to end a summer afternoon, enjoying the fabulous sunset in front of the restaurant which makes it the perfect place to enjoy a great meal with your couple...

Yes, it is true! To all this you will still have to add the best grilled fish of the region, certainly one of the best we had the opportunity eat. The sea bass is the star of this restaurant where we also had this summer the opportunity to eat these wonderful sardines... Oh and you cannot leave without tasting the awesome chocolate mousse...

To be honest I cannot find more adjectives to describe this restaurant, just that I feel at home or at a friend's house...

Thank you Dinis! See you next weekend ...

How much?
25-30 €

Where?
Carvalhal beach
7570 - 779 Carvalhal
Tel. 265 497 023

Wine of the Week: Murganheira Vintage Brut Pinot Noir 06

After a long absence, the wine of the week is back! From now on every wednesday we will post a different wine...

We normally end our summer afternoons in Troia, a paradise beach located about 1.30H from Lisbon, with its cousin from the variety of Malmsey, "Malvasia Fina", also from Murganheira Winery. A few weeks ago, we finished our vacations with this very special nectar: Murganheira Vintage Brut Pinot Noir 06. Although I am tempted, I will not risk to say that it is the best Portuguese sparkling wine, Instead I will say it is undoubtedly the best I've ever tasted! 

If you are a fan of sparkling wine or Champagne, try it, I am sure It will worth each drop...

Photo of the Week: Communication!

Troia Resort, Troia - Portugal

Today is a Special day! We start a new section on the blog, the Photo of the week! The reason why I've picked this photo for the first week could not be more connected to the objective behind this blog: to Share experiences... 

As it is widely said one image worth thousand words, so I hope this photo encourages you to start commenting and sending your inputs about the posts, the recipes, because this is really important to improve our blog...

A different Chicken Pie...

Last Tuesday we had a special event, meet our niece "Infinity". As I always prepare this pie, this time, as we are still in summer I wanted to turn it more juicy, so I prepared this chicken pie:

You will need:

For the dough - Go to the previous post

For the filling:

Smoked Pork sausage

1 onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tomatoes

1 green pepper from my kitchen garden

Chicken Breasts

olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Start preparing the dough ball as described in the previous post. While the dough rests, cut the chicken breasts into cubes, season it with salt and pepper and set aside. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic with a splash of olive oil. cut the tomatoes into cubes and add it, let it cook about 5 minutes, add the green pepper and cook another 4 minutes, finally add the chicken cubes and let it cook.

put a layer of dough, cover with a layer of sausage and then the filling, replace a new layer of sausage and cover with another layer of dough.

Bake in preheated oven at 200 º C and bake.

Tip: For a more golden color, brush with egg yolk.

Steak Tartar: Part II

If you are a follower of the blog you will surelly know steak tartar is one of the dishes I love and I would say "The one..."

This is the reason why I decided to write a new post about this gastronomy wonder. On the other hand this may be one of the less descriptive recipe as this dish shall be prepared/custumized to your or your invitees particular taste, a more intense or soft flavour, more or less spicy ...

You will need:

Beef sirloin

Dijon mustard

Cournichons

capers

shallot

parsley

egg yolk

hot sauce

Extra virgin olive oil

Worcestershire sauce

anchovy fillet

Salt & Pepper

Start by finely chop the shallot, parsley, cournichons, capers, one anchovy fillet and set aside. Then, with the help of your best knife, chop the beef. I strongly advise you to resist the temptation to buy minced beef, the texture differences will make all the difference ...

In a bowl mix: a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, one egg yolk and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, add the Worcestershire sauce and spicy and then add the previously chopped ingredients . mix well and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Finally add the meat and mix it well!

Serve with French fries and toasted bread or alternatively with a mixture of vegetables prepared in the previous post.

Roast Octopus, "Polvo à Lagareiro"

I love Octopus as apart from its superb flavours and texture, it allows you to prepare it in several different ways. A couple of months ago I posted an Octupus Salad, Today I'll tell you a Portuguese traditional dish Roast Octopus, which in Portuguese is called Polvo à Lagareiro.

You will need:
1 cooked octopus (see here how to cook the octopus)
small potatoes
Half a head of garlic
Virgin olive oil
salt

Cover the potatoes with salt and put it in the oven at 200 º C for 45 minutes in a tray. When they are roasted, clean the potatoes, give them a punch so that open, (this step is essential for the potatoes absorb the flavour of olive oil, salt and juices released by Octopus). In a tray, put the octopus, the potatoes, roughly chopped garlic and add enough olive oil to almost cover the octopus. Bake for 15 minutes.

Hope you enjoy it!

Back to Cocktails: Negroni

This cocktail was born on the twenties in Café Casoni, a meeting place of Florence aristocracy . A count called Camilo Negroni used to have a cocktail called Americano, created by Cesare Campari and made of Campari and Martini Rosso. Tired, he asked the barman, Fosco Scarselli to add gin, a drink which the count had tasted in his trips to London. It is believed that count Negroni was a happy and bohemian person as this cocktail triggers the humor... in Javier de las Muelas  Cocktails and Drinks book

This is a very easy cocktail:

In an old fashioned glass full of ice, add:

1/3 of Gin 

1/3 of Bitter Campari

1/3 of Martini Rosso

Mix with a bar spoon and add a slice of orange to finish...

Hope you enjoy it!