Tom Kitchin recipes: Sardine and onion tart

There are huge Portuguese influences in Brazilian culture, which is very apparent when it comes to the local food. I tried some incredible dishes there,including salted cod fritters and salted cod pastels, so I was really looking forward to visiting Portugal itself this summer with my wife and two boys.

We stayed in a lovely villa with a wood oven and, thanks to some research, excellent recommendations and by getting to know some locals, it gave us a chance to experience the real Portugal and find lots of hidden gems. When we go on holiday we like to steer away from the tourist tracks and Michaela and I are always trying to seek out places where the locals eat – venues where we get to experience a truly authentic taste of the area.

I certainly wasn’t disappointed by either the produce or the local restaurants. We ate at a great place that came recommended by some guests at The Kitchin, called Agua Ne Boca in Salema. We had an amazing lunch there and our friends had obviously told them we were coming as the chef had my cookbook – I was blown away and it was such a compliment.

Salema is a small fishing village on the coast of the Algarve, a lovely peaceful place peppered with bars and restaurants. The seafood was wonderful and they have an abundance of locally caught produce appearing on restaurant menus just hours after it has been caught. This is the way we like to eat – as fresh as can be, straight from the land or sea.

We also visited the local markets, which gave me such a buzz. They were bustling with locals, all looking to get the freshest food of the day to take home and cook for their families. One of my favourite ingredients we discovered were percebes. When we were out and about, we saw lots of men fishing for this local delicacy, which is also known as ‘goose barnacle.’ Watching these guys at work, I was reminded of our Scottish scallop divers back home. In a similar way, the fishermen take risks to fish for percebes – a shellfish native to northern Portugal. They work in pairs, clambering on to the rocks at high tide, but have to time their work to the rhythm of the waves to avoid being picked up and slammed back against the sharp edges of the shell they are attempting to harvest.

The collecting of percebes is dangerous and, as a reflection, they are not cheap. Like all of nature’s most treasured produce, they are best cooked simply either by steaming or boiling and eaten really fresh. My wife could not bring herself to enjoy them because they look a bit like the claws of some prehistoric wild animal, but I thought they were outstanding.

Percebes weren’t the only wonderful fresh local produce we discovered. Portugal's temperate climate makes it ideal for growing fruit trees and as we explored the surrounding area, we found a number of fig trees growing tall, as well as blossoming almond trees.

Another local dish we found on lots of menus was salt cod, or salt cod brandade. I didn’t get the chance to try the brandade dish when I was in Brazil, but the fritters and pastels were incredible, and I have also tried a French take on the dish.

For that reason I was eager to try the Portuguese take on the dish, which is known locally as bacalhau. Salt cod brandade is a simple blend of cod fillet, rock salt and olive oil and it’s a dip most commonly eaten with bread. It’s very simple to try at home, but does take time to prepare. It was delicious and so popular among the locals we felt we were getting a true taste of Portugal every time we ate it.

I was looking forward to exploring the local wine, too, and it was marvellous. There are some great wines coming out of Portugal just now – lots of good varieties and many are very well priced. We have a couple of reds from the country on our menu at The Kitchin and they are always well received.

I like to experiment with dishes and new ideas after I visit a different country, so it may be I will need to try sourcing a few more for the list now we’ve sampled a true taste of Portugal’s finest.

Sardine and Onion Tart

Serves three

50g butter

2 white onions, chopped

1 tsp thyme leaves

salt and pepper

1 sheet puff pastry

3 sardines

1 tbsp olives

1 tbsp basil leaves

4-5 tomatoes, sliced

To make the onion tart

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add the butter.

Add the chopped onions and the thyme leaves then sweat gently for two to three minutes.

Add a pinch of salt and cook on a medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes until the onions have a compote consistency, then set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

Take your sheet of puff pastry and prick it with a fork. Place on a greaseproof tray, before placing another tray directly on top to stop the pastry rising.

Put in the oven and cook for ten to 12 minutes until the pastry is three-quarters cooked.

For the sardines

While the pastry is cooking, heat a non-stick frying pan and add olive oil.

Season the sardines with salt and add them to the pan then fry gently for one or two minutes on each side until cooked.

To serve

Spread the onions over the puff pastry, then gently place the sardines across the top.

Bake for another five minutes.

Garnish with the olives, basil leaves and tomatoes and serve.

Salt Cod

1.5kg rock salt

1 fillet cod

Take a tray and cover thickly with rock salt. Place the cod fillet on top and cover with more salt. Place cling film over the tray and put in the fridge. Leave for two or three days – you will begin to see a lot of liquid come out in the tray.

Drain off the liquid and leave the tray in the fridge for another week.

Once the cod feels really firm, brush the salt off and cut into the portion sizes you wish – it is best to cut the fish at this point so you get a deeper flavour. Cutting it earlier would mean the salt would be absorbed.

Portion the fish and seal it in a vacuum-packed storage bag if you have one, or in a container.

The day before you’re ready to eat the cod, take it out of the container, put in a bowl or basin and leave water to run over it for 24 hours – this process draws the salt out.

After 24 hours, remove the cod from the basin and serve.

Tom Kitchin recipes: Sardine and onion tart | Salt cod