Interview with Portuguese chef Zé Paulo Rocha
A country with the best food is....?
Portugal!
What Portuguese ingredient do you love the most?
Honey, especially the one my family produces, from heather (urze).
With who would you like to spend a day in the kitchen?
I would go back in time and share a kitchen with Maria de Lurdes Modesto, a legend of Portuguese culinary, who unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to meet.
Is there a dish that you feel you mastered?
My mom’s chicken gizzards.
How does a typical evening at O Velho Eurico look like?
A good evening at Eurico is caos. A good one. Adapting a quote from Joe Talbot, I usually say “we´re not working, we´re dancing!”.
What's the strangest thing that you've ever tried?
Probably kidneys or one of my brother’s (Martim) favorite sandwich fillings, cheese and nutella!
What food trend do you think is nonsense?
Melted cheese on top of cheeseburgers. Sounds sexy but doesn’t make any sense.
What's the dish that you always want to have another....and another bite?
Feijoada (bean stew) of any kind. I’m happy to wake up in the morning and eat one spoon of that as breakfast.
What are your top 3 restaurants in your home city, Lisbon?
A Tigelinha, Tasca Baldracca, Prado
Which fine dine restaurant would you recommend to try?
Which pastry shop would you recommend visiting?
Barü.Ba Pastry! My recommendation for pastels de Nata is Manteigaria. Also, I recommend trying Porto croissants. It’s made from brioche dough and glazed with sugar syrup on top.
What are your 3 favorite restaurants in Portugal?
O Camelo (Viana Do Castelo), Zé Manel dos Ossos (Coimbra), Taberna de Santo António (Porto).
Which restaurant around the world would you recommend our subscribers to visit?
Trattoria da Nennella in Naples, not specifically for the food, but the vibe and rock & roll they have.
Would you like to come to Lithuania for a pop dinner?
SURE. I aim to go everywhere where I can share what I feel about our gastronomy and how we embrace the Eurico project. Anywhere I feel welcomed, I’m pleased.
