East beats west- The cataplana experience

Cha com agua salgada, os conquistadores

 

O prato vencedor de Cha com agua salgada  Carabineiros em vapor de poejo e salicornia,contemplado com flor de sal, envolto numa cataplana

The beginning of this month saw the 3rd Cataplana experience return to the Marina in Vilamoura. The main objective was to demonstrate and encourage the potential of using this well known item of Portuguese batterie de cuisine.Throughout the four days several renowned  Portuguese chefs including Henrique Sá Pessoa and Luis Baena from Lisbon, Luis Americo from Porto and Guy Doré from Almancil competed against chefs from the East Algarve including our very own local stars Chef Marco from Cha com Agua Salgada in Manta Rota  and Catalan chef Jaime Perez  from Monte Rei Golf resort in Vila Nova Cacela. These chefs and others held demonstrations in show kitchens. Cha com Agua Salgada and Monte Rei Golf Resort brought us home two gold medals out of the eight nominations in the Gold category. 
This versatile cooking instrument can be used to make much more than just rice dishes.It can be used for steaming, smoking and even for making desserts,as the chefs demonstrated.All the chefs were seasoning their dishes with Castro Marim´s  Flor de sal, supplied by Jorge Raido of "Salmarim."As well as show kitchens there was a gourmet market with displays and items for sale including salt, Flor de sal, enchidos( Portuguese sausages) cheeses, teas, preserves and other carefully selected gourmet items.
Here´s to the East Algarve bringing back even more medals next year.