We went to meet Chef Jacinta and took over her kitchen for a day to learn how to make the famous lamb stew and sarapatel soup, an Easter tradition in the Alentejo. This tradition is closely linked to Easter Monday and, consequently, to the Jewish-Christian culture to which this region is closely linked, in which Alentejans go to the countryside (weather permitting) and celebrate this feast by making "the lunch of the lamb" after an Easter fast. It should be noted that this dish is also the king of the traditional Easter Sunday lunch.
We learnt how to make these delicacies and then tasted them with a good wine from the region, Terras do Crato Red, which harmonises very well with these flavours.
Restaurante O Lagarteiro, in Gáfete, is a benchmark in the Alto Alentejo, with quality service and where you can find all the flavours typical of our region.
INGREDIENTS
The quantities should be adjusted to the number of people.
- Lamb
- Salt to taste
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 sprig of mint
- 4 chopped garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves for meat + 2 for boiling potatoes
- 1 chopped onion
- Sweet paprika to taste
- Nutmeg to taste
- Cloves to taste
- Mixture of black and white pepper
- 1 glass of white wine
- 1 glass of water
- Potatoes for baking
- Olive oil to taste
PREPARATION:
Season the meat with salt and set aside for 20 minutes.
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil, as the lamb will release more natural fat. Then add the lamb to the sauté, stir well and add the remaining ingredients: garlic, bay leaves, chopped parsley, paprika, pepper, nutmeg and cloves. When the ingredients are mixed with the meat, pour in the white wine and leave to cook for a while. Then add the water and simmer for 1 hour, adding more water and adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Before the end of cooking, add a generous sprig of mint to freshen up the dish.
Serve with previously boiled potatoes (in water, bay leaves and salt) and toasted bread.
For the sarapatel soups, the preparation method is the same, we just replace the lamb meat with the fressuras (lamb's liver, heart and lungs) cut thinly. At the end we drizzle with vinegar and serve with bread and slices of orange.
This recipe is a suggestion from Chef Jacinta, who has been running the Lagarteiro Restaurant in Gáfete for over 20 years.
Bon appetit and a happy Easter!
O Lagarteiro Restaurant
Rua de S. Marcos, 1
7430-287 Gáfete
Contact: 245 790 113
