Vasco Coelho Santos
Chef Dishes
Onion Tart
Inspired by the famous tarte Tatin, the onion tart by chef Vasco Coelho Santos is also inverted but in this case, the main ingredient is caramelised onion. Another big difference is in the dough! Tarte Tatin uses pâte brisée, rich in butter, but this one does not have any butter, but matured meat fat instead. Created at Euskalduna Studio, this dish is currently on the menu at Semea by Euskalduna and occasionally appears at Studio.
Products used
Onion
If you flip through a Portuguese recipe book, you’ll find some key ingredients common to almost all of them, this being one of the more prominent ones.
White, red, Valenciana and garrafal are just some of the numerous varieties of onions, our featured product of the week. At first glance (and first bite), it may look like a shallot, but it is an onion from Vale do Sousa, a variety appreciated, above all, for its low acidity. The main product of traditional late summer fairs in Penafiel and São Bartolomeu since the old days, it is a favourite of several chefs – especially those from the north of Portugal! The ones we show here come from H2Douro. This small family business runs a “modern, efficient and sustainable”, production of vegetables, fruits, aromatics and microgreens, “both from an economic and environmental point of view”.
Regions
Oporto and North
In 200 BC, when it was called Portus Cale, the city that gave Portugal its name became the Portucalense County’s capital; Porto is the country’s second-most populous city. Classified as Cultural Heritage of Humanity, its historical centre offers endless opportunities to taste authentic northern gastronomy – from tripe to world-famous Port wine -, while enjoying a magnificent view of the Douro river.
