When Ryan and I were in Portugal this May, we stayed in a lovely town called Albufeira - located in the south of Portugal. We came across a little restaurant called Dom Carlos, which we think is the best restaurant in the Algarve. Owned by an Irishman, Peter, and his Portuguese wife, Ana, this little gem serves up a 5-course meal with attentive and personalized service. Peter, the chef, and Ana come to each and every table (it’s a small place) and genuinely make you feel at home.
On the night we were there, we had to choose between 3 dessert options – and this intriguing strawberry choice was one of them. Ryan and I wanted the chocolate cake AND the strawberries, so Peter and Ana gave us both desserts and a glass of Port – on the house. This unexpected mix of ingredients was an amazing combination of flavours and I couldn’t wait to make it at home.
Perfect Pairing: 2005 Graham’s Late Bottled Vintage Port
Ingredients
- 2 pints ripe strawberries (we also added rhubarb)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons Cointreau
- 1 hearty teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Wash the strawberries, cut tops off, slice in half and place in a bowl
- Add juice, sugar and Cointreau and cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours – stirring a couple of times so that the juices get distributed
- The strawberries will be syrupy – which is the result you are looking for.
- Before serving, add cracked pepper and stir.
