Recipes

Recipe of Beef with Broccolini Chinese Style

This dish was introduced to the West by Chinese immigrants in the 1920s. As the years passed, the recipe gained global popularity, renowned for its combination of tender beef and nutritious broccoli. The original recipe required Chinese broccoli, known as Gai Lan, which was unavailable in the West at that time and had to be replaced with Western broccoli. In our rendition of this classic recipe, we use broccolini, a cross between Western and Chinese broccoli, and high-quality Portuguese beef, called Bife da Vazia.

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:

For the beef:

  • 500 gr Bife da Vazia (beef sirloin)
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (you can substitute it by dry sherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch

For the sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 3 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For stir-frying:

  • 500 gr broccolini (or regular broccoli)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 5 very thin slices of ginger
  • 4-5 tablespoons cooking oil with a high smoke point (e.g. rice oil, light olive oil or sunflower oil)
  • 2 green onions
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Toasted sesame seeds
Continue reading “Recipe of Beef with Broccolini Chinese Style” →
Bacalhau com Grão

Recipe of Bacalhau com Grão (Codfish Salad with Chickpeas)

The history of bacalhau (salted codfish) dates back to the Vikings, who preserved freshly caught cod by drying it in cold North Sea winds. By the XVI century, Portugal embraced bacalhau as a national dish. Nowadays, this culinary icon symbolises maritime adventures, exploration and tradition, and it remains a staple during festive occasions.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:

  • 250 gr desalted bacalhau (bacalhau demolhado)
  • 200 gr cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large red onion
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup cilantro (fresh coriander)
  • 1/2 or 1 lemon to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Continue reading “Recipe of Bacalhau com Grão (Codfish Salad with Chickpeas)” →
Roll de Beringela

Recipe of Rolinhos de Beringela (Eggplant Rolls) with Requeijão

Rolinhos de Beringela are eggplant rolls with soft cheese, walnuts and cilantro. We use the famous Portuguese requeijão in this recipe – a fresh, not salted, ricotta-like cheese with a delicate flavour.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:

  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 100 gr Portuguese requeijão cheese (you can replace requeijão with ricotta)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts for the filling + 1 tablespoon walnuts for the garnish
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or crushed
  • 2-3 fresh sprigs of cilantro (coriander) leaves
Continue reading “Recipe of Rolinhos de Beringela (Eggplant Rolls) with Requeijão” →
Meringue Cookies with Chocolate

Recipe of Suspiros (Meringue Cookies) with Chocolate and Nuts

Suspiros, or Portuguese meringue cookies, are a delightful part of Portuguese cuisine. The Great Discoveries of the XV-XVI centuries brought new ingredients to Portuguese cuisine, including sugar, which revolutionised local sweets.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:

  • 2 egg whites
  • 120 gr sugar
  • 50 gr black chocolate
  • 50 gr nuts (almonds and walnuts) and dry fruits (figs, dates and apricots)
Continue reading “Recipe of Suspiros (Meringue Cookies) with Chocolate and Nuts” →
Asian cooking class by Gosto Lagos

Recipe of Vietnamese Clear Tapioca Dumplings

The birthplace of Vietnamese Clear Tapioca Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc) is Huế, the former capital of the imperial Nguyễn dynasty, renowned for its sophisticated dishes. The Bánh Bột Lọc dumplings were traditionally made by skilled artisans who carefully crafted the translucent wrappers from tapioca starch derived from cassava roots.

Ingredients for 4-5 servings:

For the dough:

  • 200 gr tapioca starch (the starch cannot be replaced by tapioca flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 125ml boiling water

For the filling:

  • 200 gr shrimps, deveined and diced
  • 200 gr pork belly, diced
  • 3 shallots, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons cane sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
Continue reading “Recipe of Vietnamese Clear Tapioca Dumplings” →

Recipe of Khao Poon Soup (Lao Laksa)

We discovered Khao Poon Soup during our first trip to Luang Prabang, famous for its blend of traditional Lao houses, stunning Buddhist monasteries, and colonial architecture left behind by the French. Khao Poon, also known as Lao Laksa, is deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of Laos. The soup is particularly popular among the Hmong people, an indigenous group living in the mountainous regions of Northern Laos.

Ingredients for 7-8 servings:

  • 1 whole organic chicken (or 1.2 kg chicken thighs)
  • 3 litres cold water
  • 2 stalks lemon grass, crushed
  • 5-6 kaffir lime leaves
  • 5-6 slices galangal
  • 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 1.5 or 2 tablespoons red curry paste (depending on your taste preferences)
  • 1 red bell pepper, skinned off and chopped
  • 2 cubes chicken bouillon
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
  • 1 cup bamboo shoots
  • 400 gr thin rice noodles (50 gr per person)
  • 1 cup shredded white cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 2 cups bean sprouts
  • Green onion, cilantro, basil, mint, red chili pepper and lime slices for garnishing
Continue reading “Recipe of Khao Poon Soup (Lao Laksa)” →