These little salt cod and potato croquettes are irresistible, and quintessentially Portuguese. When working in Lisbon, it was very hard to ignore the siren call of the restaurant on the corner of my road, where you could get a bag of these croquettes, crisp from the fryer, for just a couple of Euros. We would eat them on our balcony, in the fading evening light, with a cold glass of local vinho verde, says Rebecca. This is an edited extract from Lisbon by Rebecca Seal published by Hardie Grant Books $45.00 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Steven Joyce

This dish is a common sight at Portuguese restaurants, where waiters deftly carry the already flaming dish of dried chouriço (chorizo) sausage to the table, where it flickers and sizzles for a couple of minutes, effectively barbecuing it. This is an edited extract from Lisbon by Rebecca Seal published by Hardie Grant Books $45.00 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Steven Joyce

The combination of squidgy, flourless dark chocolate cake and whipped citrusy cream was a bit of a revelation when I tried these at Estrela da Bica, one baking-hot summer’s evening. I was so pleased when chef and owner Marta Marques Ribeiro agreed to let me include the recipe here. This is an edited extract from Lisbon by Rebecca Seal published by Hardie Grant Books $45.00 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Steven Joyce

I like to make quite large quantities of this and keep it in sealed, sterilised jars in the fridge, or give it as gifts at Christmas, says Rebecca. This is an edited extract from Lisbon by Rebecca Seal published by Hardie Grant Books $45.00 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Steven Joyce

These recipes are an edited extract from Lisbon by Rebecca Seal published by Hardie Grant Books $45.00 and is available in stores nationally. Photographer: © Steven Joyce