Portugal: The Cookbook

Thorough research and the passion of a native son elevate London chef Carreira’s debut, a terrific deep dive into food traditions that are “every bit as old, rich and colourful as that of neighbouring France and Spain... yet ha[ve] remained relatively obscure and undiscovered.” The author reveals the essence of Portuguese gastronomy, citing by region where key ingredients and each recipe are most prominent. Dishes from the north, for example, rely on almonds, chestnuts, and olive oil, while the cuisine of the south features rice, preserved fish, and sweet pastries. Everywhere, though, bread is foundational among starters, entrées, side dishes, and desserts—as seen in everything from Carreira’s bread porridges to meat and bread sausage and sweet fried eggy bread. Throughout, headnotes contain surprising nuggets of history: in a recipe for battered green beans, for instance, Carreira reveals that tempura was introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. Because authenticity is the focus, Carreira rarely offers substitutions for ingredients such as pennyroyal (a type of mint) and boned pork neck, but that hardly matters thanks to the 500-plus recipes readers can choose from—all of which are tagged with icons that indicate which is gluten- or dairy-free and vegan-/vegetarian-friendly. For home cooks eager to learn about Portugal’s foods, this is a must-have. (Apr.)