Paulo Morais
Chef Dishes
Sea urchin sushi wrapped in nori
Beneath its spiky shell lies the edible part of the sea urchin. Its reproductive organs, called gonads, constitute only 20% of its body, but they are its most appreciated part. Those roes take centre stage in the “Sea urchin sushi wrapped in nori“ by chef Paulo Morais. A delicacy part of Kanazawa‘s menu.
Products used
Wild Green Asparagus
They can be found all over the country, but it is in Trás-os-Montes and Alentejo that the most delicious ones can be found.
Sentinels of spring, wild asparagus begin to emerge after the rains and the mild days that herald the season of renewal. “The most delicate of vegetables,“ as Grimod de la Reynière called it, enjoys the company of vines and olive trees, so it is near them that the wild asparagus are usually found. Mostly dark green in colour, but with some violet specimens, it is a tender, fleshy, crunchy and acidic vegetable, that tastes better the more rare it is cooked. From the same family as onions and leeks, it exists in more than 300 species, of which only 20 are edible. They can be found all over the country, but it is in Trás-os-Montes and Alentejo that the most delicious ones can be found.
Photo © Revista de Vinhos
Sea urchin
A spoonful of the ocean: perhaps this is the best synthesis of what it is to taste a sea urchin.
A marine invertebrate related to the starfish; it hides in rocks and feeds on algae and small invertebrates. Juicy, fresh and with an intense flavour of the sea, it is a delicacy appreciated worldwide: from Japan where it is called “uni“ to France in the famous “oursinades“, and Ericeira, the village baptised in its honour. Ericeira is a derivation of “ouriceira“ (a place where there are many sea urchins). It can have many tones – from purplish to brown – and, ideally, it should be consumed raw and alive; it can also be steamed, baked or added to rice or soups. And even if you don‘t enjoy seeing it on a plate, you‘d still prefer to eat it rather than step on it!
Regions
Lisbon
Kissed by the Tagus that reflects its ample light, it hides a thousand and one charms on seven hills. The sound of the trams, the clamour of the markets, the river lapping on its bank, and the trilling of the Portuguese guitar. The Portuguese pavements’ intricate designs, the arabesques on the Manueline façades, the churches’ bell towers, and the houses perched on the castle’s hillside. Exotic, cosmopolitan, classic, and modern; few cities are as worldly as Lisbon.
