Ilda Vinagre is a legendary chef. In the Eighties, she opened a restaurant referred to as Bolota (acorn) in Terrugem, a small city in Alentejo. The restaurant earned her two Michelin stars, attracting gourmets from Portugal and past. After this feat, she traveled the world cooking, heading eating places within the United States and Brazil, and getting ready banquets that showcased the delicacies of Alentejo in lands as distant as China.
The excellent news is that Ilda is again in Alentejo. We met along with her on the restaurant of Herdade dos Adeans the place she oversees the kitchen. Ilda informed us about her life and her love of cooking. That lately she enjoys adorning her plates with edible flowers. And that there are 4 herbs no Alentejo chef can do with out: mint, coriander, oregano and “poejo” (pennyroyal). In the top of our dialog, she generously gave us one among her favourite octopus recipes so we might share it with our readers. Here it’s!
Country-style Octopus
Cook “al dente” the octopus in water with salt, onion, coriander, pepper and oregano. Cut it in items and grill the items in a scorching griddle with bacon and somewhat olive oil. Dress with lemon juice, lemon rind and oregano. Accompany with a candy potato puree. To make the puree, roast the candy potato with the peel on. Take the peel, mash the pulp and blend it with butter.
