Charcoal octopus with vindaloo sauce
Raise your hand who knows the most about Portuguese cuisine! Let's face it, we know that the cod is their flagship product, which is prepared by cream cakes that you die and little else.
Despite having her so close, Portuguese gastronomy is still a great unknown in Spain. As a result of the presentation of the Network of Portuguese Restaurants in Madrid, last March, we have delved into the characteristic flavors and smells of the Portuguese country.
Here is our ranking of the best Portuguese restaurants in the capital of Madrid. Good luck!
Spiritual cod, the star product of Tras Os Montes
** BEHIND THE MOUNTAINS ** _(Calle Senda del Infante, 28) _
Their Bacalao Dorado (scrambled farm eggs, cod and straw potatoes) is endorsed by the very Emeritus King. So much so that Jose Luis Joao Alves , owner of the premises, has confessed to us that Don Juan Carlos has dined there well seven times and on one occasion he sent his personal cook to learn how to cook dorado restaurant style After you mount
In addition to this recipe, we can taste another 24 in which the Portuguese national product is the protagonist. The most classic? The oven roasted cod (with fried onion, oil and paprika) , to the cream (based on baked potatoes, crumbled cod, gratin cream) or grilled.
Among the most innovative Codfish salad (carpaccio of cod on a tomato base, all seasoned with the house's Portuguese oil) , cod puff pastry (stuffed with creamy cod, accompanied by pepper sauce) or the cod delicacies (cod sticks in tempura with apple compote) .
For groups of 4 people or more it is possible to order the menu '7 ways to taste cod'.
After Os Montes, with the endorsement of King Emeritus himself
ATLANTIK CORNER _(Ventura de la Vega Street, 11-13) _
In Atlantik Corner the absolute protagonist is fusion or mixture, as Nuno de Noronha likes to call it, the owner of it.
The common denominator of all recipes is the Atlantic Ocean and so we find dishes, stews or spices from Portugal, Galicia and of all those regions of the globe bathed or influenced in one way or another by that ocean as Morocco, Brazil or even India, where the Portuguese navigators took the sauce Vinha d'Alhos (wine and garlic) that gave rise to Vindaloo, or China and Japan where they introduced tempura and panko.
Among its essentials, we highlight you grilled octopus with Vindaloo, cod à Brás (according to Nuno's grandmother's original recipe) and the green seafood moqueca, a recipe of Brazilian origin, whose spicy sauce in the Atlantik Corner version also contains spinach.
This restaurant has a seal Bib Gourmand, a distinction of Michelin Guide that recognizes the honesty of those proposals that are respectful of the product and with an average price not exceeding 35 euros.
'Three textures', one of the Atlantik Corner classics
THE PORTUGUESE TAVERN _(Juan Álvarez Mendizabal Street, 39) _
In La Portuguesa they welcome us to the rhythm of fado and in a very traditional atmosphere, as well as its menu, in which typical Portuguese recipes predominate, such as rice or cod dishes.
Among the latter, dorado or cod with cream are the two stars of the house, although they also deserve a special mention the bolinhos (a kind of homemade cod croquettes); while, if you prefer to savor a good rice, we recommend you order malandrinho powdered rice (with octopus) .
For pairing, you can opt for a green wine, a variety of wine from Portugal made in the Entre Douro e Minho region or something more classic, such as a Douro red wine.
Sunday dos Santos, owner of the premises, will be happy to suggest the best combination. And if you want to add a sweet touch to your banquet, do not hesitate, he orders a pastel de nata.
Malandrinho powdered rice with octopus, from La Portuguesa
** TO TASCA DO BACALHAU PORTUGUÊS ** _(Lope de Vega Street, 14) _
We moved to Neighborhood of the letters to get to know another traditional Portuguese tavern, where in addition to fado, some Portuguese pop hits of yesterday and today are played.
To whet your appetite, you can opt for the Alentejo cheese and Serra de Estrela, quite similar to the casar cake, but with a milder flavor. Among the main dishes, of course, those dedicated to the Portuguese national product stand out, such as cod with murro potato (with garlic and good oil) , à Brás, with cream or a ze do pipo (gartin with mayonnaise) .
But if you prefer to try something different as well as traditional, you can opt for grilled octopus or transmontana feijoada (bean stew, pig's ear, pork bacon, pig's foot, sausage or chorizo and ham) .
At dessert time, let yourself be surprised by the camel slime, a mousse made with eggs and condensed milk that has cookies on top and tastes like caramel.
A little piece of Portugal in the Barrio de las Letras
FRANGUS _(28 Ribera de Curtidores Street, 2nd Floor) _
The name of the place is due to its specialty, the portuguese style grilled chicken, made on a charcoal grill, which can also be ordered to take away.
“In order for it to be cooked optimally, so that the meat is roasted on the outside and tender on the inside, the chicken has to be small, and it is not cooked whole, but is instead opened at the chest and flattened so that it is flat on the inside. the grill”, he clarifies Carlos Schulz Nunes, owner of Frangus.
To enhance its special smoky flavor, we can accompany it with different homemade sauces such as lemon sauce, orange sauce, hot sauce or also well known as piri-piri, which originates from Mozambique.
At least once a month, this restaurant organizes the Fado nights, where it is possible to have dinner while enjoying a live fado performance.
Charcoal Grilled Chicken, from Frangus