Matt Preston’s passion for Portuguese food has him creating inspired dishes with heat and heart. He turns the humble sardines on toast into a meal worth celebrating, whips up a chicken dish honouring the country’s history, and shines the spotlight on a famous dessert.
"Who would have thought curdled yoghurt could be so delicious? Also the way the golden slopes of the chicken thighs rise up from the pan reminds me of Gibraltar, the rock island actually named after the general." – Matt Preston
"These are probably the two most lauded pasteis de nata in the country but these ones here are so good they can save you a flight to that magical city on the Tagus,” says Matt Preston. You will need 12-hole, 80ml-capacity cupcake pans and a sugar thermometer for this recipe.
“This understated, very clean and rather soupy rice dish is like the chicken soup of coastal Portugal – comfort food at its best – but with the flexibility to welcome all manner of fish (like monkfish) and shellfish (like clams)," says Matt Preston.
"Here we’ve flipped it on its head so the bread doesn’t just soak up the sardines’ juices but also the juice of the tomatoes and the dressing," says Matt Preston.
"The closest thing to the linguado’s delicate flesh I’ve found is fancy sweet fillets of whiting which barely need to be cooked. Serve it with a simple dressing of molho cru," says Matt Preston.
This summer, pick Australian grown corn with grassy green husks for a fresh addition to your BBQ.
"Rather than the crispy fried breadcrumbs of Spain, this migas comes as a hearty bread pudding cooked using pork fat. The best versions have crispy sides like an omelette and are loaded with asparagus, as seen in the following recipe." – Matt Preston
