Stylish Homecoming

BORN INTO a family of good cooks, Ricardo Costa has forged an enviable career that has established the Aveiro native as one of the leaders of the new generation of Portuguese chefs. But well before he garnered his first Michelin star at Casa da Calçada in Amarante, and repeating the feat at The Yeatman, in Oporto, the following year, Ricardo Costa was the executive chef of the trendy Portal restaurant in the heart of Clerkenwell, and on Thursday, the Portuguese chef returned 'home'.

The homecoming, of course, couldn't be more fitting. Once the rising star that headed the kitchen of Portal, the modern fine dining restaurant run by António Correia for almost 10 years, Ricardo Costa greeted guests to this special event with a welcome cocktail at the bar: a Taylor's Chip Dry White Port and Tonic served with orange zest.

Media guests mingled with a mixture of regular clients and new faces, with more than 50 people – and even one vegetarian – sitting down to enjoy a five-course menu, specially designed to showcase the indigenous Portuguese product, Bísaro pork. Following a brief description of this delicious ingredient (lesser known than the Iberian black pig, porco preto, this traditional meat is low in fat, high in flavour and very sought after in gastronomic circles), general manager and son of António Correia, Leandro, emphasised the importance of the event, where chef and mentor worked side by side once again.

As now customary at TASTE PORTUGAL London events, an emphasis was also placed on the wine pairing, with guest sommelier António Lopes of Conrad Algarve introducing the selected wines with an in-depth explanation of the region, the varieties and their distinctive characteristics.

The guests' first introduction to the sumptuous ingredient came in the form of crispy cooked Bísaro pork, served with tapioca and crispy pork skin, while the second course brought a taste of the cuisine that the chef has been developing at his Michelin-starred The Yeatman, in the north of Portugal: Portuguese Game Sausage from The Yeatman and truffled egg yolk. The perfectly cooked egg yolk, cooked at precisely 68 degrees, complemented the game sausage that was wonderfully tender; a melt-in-the-mouth creation consisting of quail, royal pigeon, rabbit and venison, which provided a mildly acidic finish from the mixture of meats. This second course was paired with Principal Rosé Tête de Cuvée 2010, a remarkably elegant and complex wine produced from thePinot Noir grape in the Bairrada region of Portugal.

Another Pinot Noir, this time the Campolargo Pinot Noir Brut Rosé 2012, accompanied the third course – the Belly of Bísaro Suckling Pig with Cardinal Prawn slices and herb sprout salad.

The deliciously tender Bísaro pork was once again the star of the fourth course on the menu, this time in the form of a stew, served with caramelised pistachio and Madeira wine sauce. Here, the rib was marinated, grilled, confited and then rolled, and served with the excellent Meandro 2011 from the famous winemaking region of the Douro.

A very traditional dessert rounded up the evening, and, of course, featured the iconic Portuguese meat: Abade de Priscos pudding, made with the fat from the cured ham of the Bísaro pork, served with a citrus sorbet and paired with Barbeito Verdelho Old Reserve 10 Years Old. Finally, guests were served a petit four comprising a brandy snack with a drizzle of dark chocolate and sprinkled with pink pepper.

It was certainly an evening to remember for the guests, as one content diner emphasised: “I never knew that Portugal had such great chefs, products and wines. You find everything here in London, and it is about time that Portugal joins the scenery. A job well done, thank you guys!”.

This special event was also no less memorable for the TASTE PORTUGAL London team and the Portal family, with chef Ricardo Costa and his kitchen team receiving a warm round of applause as they entered the restaurant.

“When I started at Portal nine years ago, I introduced Bísaro on the menu, and it remains on the menu until this day. What I presented tonight is my evolution in the kitchen from the past nine years, and that is reflected in the dishes,” said the Portuguese chef. But more importantly, how does it feel to be back? “The kitchen has stayed the same, I feel at home and I have been very well-received by the people. It is always good to be back in a such a vibrant city as London. Happy days!”