Members of the local Bailliage of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs were joined by confreres from the greater Lisbon area and from Germany to celebrate their traditional black-tie Christmas dinner.
The venue for this year’s celebration was O Pescador restaurant at the Pine Cliffs Resort in Albufeira. Chef Fábio Reis and his team had prepared a feast which was accompanied by wines from the Herdade do Freixo and Monte do Zambujeiro.
The amuse-bouche started with a traditional Portuguese dish, xerém, which consists of corn wheat porridge with local flavours, together with octopus patties with roasted garlic.
The meal started with chestnut and brown apple soup followed by a slow-cooked egg with foie gras, foamy cèpes and crunchy leek topping.
The fish dish was the traditional Portuguese Christmas dish of cod, in this case confit, served with black bean and kale salad. The meat course consisted of suckling pig belly with orange textures, potato soufflé and broad bean purée.
This was followed by a palate cleanser of cucumber, basil and citrus foam before the dessert dish of French toast, vanilla cream and goat’s cheese. Tea and coffee with sweetmeat brought the Christmas celebrations and gastronomic year to an end.
The convivial gathering, held in the true spirit of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, brought together professional and amateur enthusiasts who “share the same values of quality fine dining and the pleasures of the table”.
To know more about the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, contact Dr. Jean Ferran, Bailli Provincial Sud de Tage, on 966 484 367 or visit www.chainedesrotisseur.com
