Portugal is the least explored corner of Western Europe, except maybe for its Algarve coastline. There is a beautiful scenery and wonderful food and wine to discover, all far away from the masses. The Ribatejo region in particular has a lot going for it.
The Ribatejo stretches along both sides of the Tejo (Tagus) rive, north of Lisbon. It is a land of rolling hills and wide plains – this is Portugal’s agricultural heartland with olive groves, paddy fields, extensive vineyards. The region is also known for its vegetables and fruits, producing, amongst other things, tasty irregular shaped tomatoes, beans of various shapes and hues.
There are fascinating beautiful historic towns like Tomar, Santarem and Constancia. Life in this authentic region is unspoiled and unhurried, there are no crowds.
There are several very good restaurants, where the restaurateurs take pride in serving dishes like cabritinho no forno (baby kid from the oven), perdiz de escabeche (partridge escabeche), or leitão assado (roasted suckling pig).
The necessary accompaniments to any Ribatejo meal are its wines. There are bold reds made of local grapes such as Trincadeira and Castelão, which are sometimes blended with international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. White wines vary from easygoing to complex, with Fernão Pires and Arinto as favoured white wine grapes.
In Ribatejo, as in other Portuguese regions, great wines are now being made. It is not surprising that wine critic Eric Asimov wrote in The New York Times in October 2005: 'For the next big thing in wine, look to Portugal'.
Top
You will be staying at Casa da Alcacova in the heart of the beatiful and historic city of Santarem, one hours drive from Lisbon.
Casa da Alcacova is a 17th century manor house, lovingly transformed by its current owners into an intimate and luxururious hotel. The manor house has a central but quiet location, next to the castle walls. There are eight rooms, each of which is tastefully furnished and equipped with air conditioning.
The property has spacious gardens and terraces, with spectacular views over the countryside. The gardens also contain the remarkable remnants of a roman temple, which are situated next to the large swimming pool.
Top
Below is an outline of the gastronomic holiday which we are proposing.
However, we can also tailor-make gastronomic holidays according to your specific wishes, should that be of interest. For example, maybe you would prefer to have more wine tastings and not as many cooking lessons? Should there be more time for playing golf or horse riding? Do you have a preference for a specific Portuguese region?
If so, please contact us and we will arrange a personal gastronomic experience bespoke to your individual requirements.
Day 1 (Thursday):
Guests arrive at Casa da Alcacova during the morning or afternoon
Late afternoon cooking class which focuses on modern Portuguese cooking starts at 18.00. It will be taught by Chef Luis Miravent in the kitchen of his renowned local restaurant Pao & Vinho, a 10 minute drive from our hotel.
Luis is widely regards as one of Ribatejo’s best chefs, and his restaurant has received wide critical acclaim.
Luis cooks dishes from both the Ribatejo as well as other Portuguese regions – as he likes real food, Luis favours pure flavours and wonderful local seasonal ingredients over ultra modern techniques.
The cooking classes will be a combination of a demonstration of techniques and hands-on cooking.
At least three to four dishes per cooking lesson will be prepared. Some of the dishes we may prepare include: peixinhos da horta (green beans fried in a light batter), empadas de galinha (chicken pies), polvo estufado (stewed octopus), perdiz de escabeche (partridge escabeche), arroz de pato a Miravent (duck with rice style Miravent), cherne no forno (stone bass from the oven) and enchardcada (cooked egg yolks in syrup).
The cooking class will be followed by a dinner of the dishes paired with matching wines in the restaurant of Chef Miravent.
Day 2 (Friday):
Late or early breakfast.
Around 9.30 guests will be collected from the hotel for a private tour of historic Santarem – its food market and main monuments. After the tour there will be some free time for you to explore the town and do some shopping. Of course we will give you tips as to where to find local delicacies.
At 12.30 guests leave Casa da Alcacova for a tour of the quinta of one of the region’s finest wineries. We will tour the imposing quinta of this excellent wine producer, which will be followed by a wine tasting with a light lunch. Around 16.30 we return to our hotel where there will be some time for relaxation and swimming in the large outdoor pool.
The late afternoon cooking class kicks off at 18.00. It will be once again taught by Chef Luis Miravent at his renowned local restaurant Pao & Vinho. The class will be followed by dinner at the restaurant, where each dish will be complimented by matching wines.
Day 3 Saturday:
After breakfast, around 10.30 you will be picked-up for a trip to Quinta Vale de Lobos, one of Portugal's best olive oil producers. There will be an opportunity to see the beautiful farm and the surrounding land, and learn about the production of olive oil, as well as a comparative olive oil tasting.
The late afternoon cooking class kicks off at 18.00 in the hotel, followed by dinner. This class will focus on traditional Portuguese home-style cooking, with a specific emphasis on the authentic deserts of the convents. It will therefore be in contrast to the classes from Chef Luis Miravent.
The cooking class at Casa da Alcacova will be hosted by Claudia Santos, both the owner and chef de cuisine of our hotel, together with her mother Dona Isabel. It will take place in the spacious kitchen of the hotel.
The cooking class will be followed by dinner in the dining room of our hotel, with matching wines, as you will have come accustomed to.
Day 4 (Sunday):
Breakfast at leisure. Guests depart during the morning or afternoon.
Top
Dates 2009: - Our gastronomic breaks are available throughout the year, except the month of August
- To check availability for specific dates, please get in touch
The price for an all-in 4 days (3 nights) gastronomic long weekend:
- 895 Euro per person
- 220 Euro single room supplement
- 100 Euro discount in case of non-participation in cooking classes
What is included?
- 3 nights accommodation
- 3 breakfasts
- 3 cooking classes – including aperitif/wines/soft drinks & canapés
- 3 dinners – including wines and soft drinks
- 1 tour & tasting at a winery with lunch
- 1 tour & tasting at an olive oil farm
- 1 tour of historic Santarem, including the food market
- all local transportation
- recipes of the dishes prepared during cooking lessons
- long weekend is fully escorted by an English speaking host
Please click here if you wish to receive more information Please click here if you wish to make a reservation Top Santarem is about one hours drive from Lisbon.
There is an excellent motorway from Lisbon to Santarem, which makes for a relaxed ride. There are also frequent trains between Lisbon and Santarem.
Arrival and departure transfers can be organised easily.
Paladares Travel does not offer flights or car rental services. We suggest you to book directly with one the many companies offering such services.
However, if would like Paladares Travel to assist you in making arrangements please let us know.
If you wish to book your flights directly, we kindly refer you to http://www.flytap.nl, the website of TAP Portugal.
TAP Portugal is Portugal’s national airline; they are known for their reliability and good level of service. TAP has frequent connections to various cities in Portugal, from Amsterdam, Brussels and London.
Alternatively there are many other companies offering flights. Booking early can be very advantageous.
