Papa Quilometros

15 x 1 HOUR EPISODIC BREAKDOWN

1. Santa Cruz - “Tertúlia em Sol Maior” The journey through Portuguese cuisine starts very early in Mexilhoeira, Santa Cruz. After gathering mussels on the beach, Ljubomir meets a goatherd who lets him milk the goats; he nicks some stuff from the vegetable patch and greenhouse of the Areias do Seixo hotel; he goes pigeon hunting; he prepares a bass he caught; and sings with some friends in the Círculo do Fogo (Circle of Fire). Nothing is missing on the table: Herb Tea, Bass with Lemongrass, Liver with Pears, Mussels with Fresh Goat’s Milk, and Pigeon Rice with Giblets were on the menu of Papa Quilómetros’ first stop.

2. Serra da Estrela - “No Topping de Portugal”

3. Serra do Gerês - “Watercolour in Shades of Green” The episode starts off in Pedra Bela, a mythical place for Ljubo, who was there 14 years ago when he came to Portugal. He goes to the Vieira do Minho Fair, where he buys beans, flour, and vegetables, and meets Sr. Francisco, an ‘aguardente’ producer who invites him to visit his still. He tries his luck fishing and also visits a trout vivarium in Caniçada. At Quinta da Igreja, he visits a ‘Verde’ Wine producer, and chases a piglet. End result at the Quinta do Agrinho: Bean and Cabbage Soup, Blood Rice with Smoked Sausages from the Minho, Mountain Lamb, and Trout Bread. Delicious!

4. Vidago - “Lord of the Waters” From the Pedras Salgadas Park, Ljubo goes off in search of the lost Aldeia de Cubas. He sees a small wood-burning oven and decides to use it to cook for the only couple living in the village. He sets up kitchen on a cart and that’s where they have lunch, under the watchful gaze of Formiga, the dog. On the table: Maronesa Steak and Smoked Sausage Kebabs on a Bay Skewer, and a Chestnut Cream Soup. He then follows on to Boticas, where he visits the cellar Vinho dos Mortos (Wine of the Dead) and digs up some wine to bring with him. He takes on the role of an aristocrat and makes some Frogs’ Legs with Red Cabbage, Mushroom and Foie Gras with Red Berries. Dinner fit for a king at Vidago Palace’s Grand Dining-Room.

5. Madeira - “Our own Tropics” In this episode, Ljubomir travels over Madeira Island in a cable car and, with no brakes, he comes down the hill in a wicker toboggan. At the Mercado dos Lavradores, he gets lost among the sugar- apples, the avocados, the potatoes, the chayote, the English tomatoes, and all the different varieties of fish and vegetables. Reminiscent of the Cookie Monster, he is curious of how the ‘bolo de caco’ (bread-like ‘cake’) and the ‘bolo de mel’ (honey and spices cake) are made, and scoffs the handmade biscuits at the Fábrica de Santo António. He goes for a walk through the Laurissilva Forest, in the midst of herbs he had never seen. And what does he prepare for lunch? A Tuna sandwich with the ‘bolo de caco’. He goes for a boat ride searching for dolphins, and grills some limpets at Fajã dos Padres. He is fascinated by the catfish hanging out in the sun, and still has time to do some food research. The aim: to find the best ‘poncha’ in Madeira. He ends the day with Swordfish for dinner at the luxurious The Vine. All of this is nicely washed down with some Madeira wine, always in the company of his friend and partner from Madeira, Nuno Faria.

6. Douro - “So Much River, So Much Gold” In this episode, Ljubo starts the day drinking wine directly from the barrel in the cellar of one of his favourite oenologists, Cristiano Van Zeller. At the Quinta do Vale Dona Maria he roasts a Rack of Veal – lunch for the Douro Boys and some girls, and then he goes fly-fishing to help digest lunch. Ljubo later goes on a boat trip up the most international river in Portugal, the Douro. On board, he cooks Lamprey with Wine and Woodcock. And it all ends at sunset with dinner of Marinated Barbel with some friends.

7. Aldeias do Xisto/Lousã- “Of Stone and Salt” This episode included a lot of stones! At the Schist Villages (Aldeias do Xisto), near Lousã, Ljubomir walks round Talasnal in search of the only inhabitant, and Roasts Chicken for two very special ladies. He visits Fraga da Pena, a beautiful waterfall in Serra do Açor, he goes down the River Zêzere in a typical boat, and drinks one of the best arbutus-berry brandy ever. He sees how olive oil used to be produced in a hundred-year old olive oil press, and dances with a folk group. At Casal de São Simão, Ljubo prepares a Codfish ‘Tibornada’, and Pork Glazed with Honey in Janeiro de Cima. What a party!

8. Castelo de Vide - “Alto Alentejo!” In Alentejo, Ljubo is ‘Alentejano’. He watches the blessing of the goats first thing in the morning and gets to see the Easter traditions in Castelo de Vide. He goes shopping at a 19th century market and cooks Black Pig in Menir da Meada. Near Marvão, he goes for a walk along the oenologist Rui Reguinga’s vineyard, and once more drinks one of his favourite wines. At the Fábrica de Santa Clara, Ljubo sees how the egg sweets are made and then discovers the traditional recipe of the kings of the desserts made at convents: ‘manjar branco’ and ‘egg lamprey’. At the Campino dam, Ljubomir helps his friend and colleage Zé Júlio make some fish soup; he visits an Estate where Alentejo pigs are bred; he fights a ‘sarapatel’ battle with dona Joaquina, and still has time to see the golden sunset on the Alentjo plains. Ljubo does not convert to the religion, but he has a saint’s day. Alto Alentejo here we come!

9. S Miguel/Azores- “To heaven and back”

In this episode, Ljubo flies to São Miguel. He cooks wild rabbit in the Furnas (geysers), watches the cows being milked early in the morning, visits the Gorreana Tea Factory, and goes canyoning in Salto do Cabrito. After visiting a pineapple greenhouse in Fajã de Baixo, he decides to cook black pudding with pineapple. He watches as a butcher carves up a cow from the Azores, and cooks steaks with four cheeses. He ends the day with a night dip in the Poça da Beija.

10. Vimieiro/Arraiolos- “Pleasures of the flesh” The trip around Vimieiro starts at the Estremoz market where Ljubomir buys a copper pot and some ingredients for his recipes. He then goes wild-asparagus picking, buys some good meat - Alentejano meat at the butcher’s called Grave, and tries to discover the recipe for the best pies in the Alentejo. In the Monte da Vinha cheese factory he watches as they make cheese from sheep’s milk. At the Canense Sausage Factory he meets the maker of the most famous Pig’s Head in the region and is inspired to make a meat terrine at the Quinta Dona Maria, where he also tries some good Alentejo wines. He ends the day by cooking a chicken pie at Casa da Viela, owned by his friend Carlos Brás Lopes.

11. Sagres- “Portuguese Sea” Ljubo jumps out of bed in the early hours of the morning for an extreme stint at picking barnacles off the Castelejo cliffs. He goes on to the market in Lagos, where he buys kilos of fresh fish and vegetables. Aboard the traditional fishing boat ‘Estrela do Rio’ he prepares a delicious fish stew with his friend and colleague Zé Pinheiro. In Vila do Bispo, an old barn in the Algarve, he visits the vegetable garden of a market gardener, and then cooks some very hot squid with sweet potato on the beach of Pinhão, and learns how to make fig cheese at Eira do Mel. There’s still room for some snacks at the Ferradura beer house in Lagos, and some barnacles at the Martinhal Beach Resort. He ends the day watching the sun go down in the Cape Saint Vincent, where the land ends and the sea starts.

12. S Jorge/Azores- “Christ, come down here and see this!” Ljubo learns the canning process at the Conserveira Santa Catarina, and decides to make his own tinned tuna at the Parque das Sete Fontes, in Rosais. He watches as some cows are unusually milked to the sound of Maestro Lacerda, at João’s cow farm, in Santo Amaro. He moves on to Uniqueijo, where he sees how the São Jorge cheese is made, from when the milk is collected to the curing of the cheese. In Fajã dos Cubres, he cooks some lobster rice inside an Ilha cheese, and he then goes to dona Vitória’s house to see how the ‘Espécies’ are made: the typical São Jorge cookies. He ends the day in Fajã de Santo Cristo, where he catches and cooks giant clams, goes scuba-diving, and cooks fish in an impromptu geyser.

13. Ilha do Farol/ Olhão- “Where there’s an ever-lasting light” The chef goes shopping in his favourite market, in Olhão. He goes to Ilha do Farol by boat, to the island where he makes some cuttlefish roe for breakfast at Tiago’s bar, and then visits a bivalve vivarium. For lunch in Maramais, he prepares some bonito tartar and tuna fillets with soya sauce. All of this to enjoy with some friends from Ilha do Caril, as Ljubo calls it. Another boat trip, this time to the Ilha Deserta, where he meets the only inhabitant, master Alves: a fisherman, a cook, and a gadget inventor. He goes back to Maramais to make dinner, a fish and seafood ‘cataplana’, which

14. Vila Nova de Milfontes- “Up this river” Ljubo stocks up at the Vila Nova de Milfontes market. He needs a few more ingredients and decides to nick them from his in-laws’ vegetable patch. He goes to the bakery, Ercília, one of his favourites, where he sees how the bread is made. He visits a small agricultural estate in São Luís and cooks in Naturarte Campo: bass with spinach and mushrooms. At the paddock, he rides a mare used for therapy, and he then goes up the River Mira by boat. At Casa Pé no Rio, he cooks red mullets with ‘migas’ and serves them in the tin. He meets an oyster catcher and takes some to cook with herbs on the Malhão beach, just before the end of the day.

15. Meco- “I’m dying in the desert with Meco just a stone’s throw away” Ljubo starts the episode trying artisanal liqueurs and jams at Quinta do Pinheiro Manso, in Palmela. He then has a meeting scheduled with two famous characters in Azeitão: cheese from sheep’s milk and egg swiss rolls. Ljubo then moves on to Quinta do Poial, a haven of herbs. In Quinta do Miguel, in Meco, a battle between chefs is waiting for him. Ljubo makes his Yugoslav Burek, against the cold horse-mackerel soup by Vitor Hugo Nascimento, of Tasca da Esquina; both dishes are “assessed” by three other chefs from 100 Maneiras. At José Maria da Fonseca’s, Ljubo travels in time and learns some wine history as he drinks his favourite ‘moscatel’. He ends the day by the pool at Quinta do Miguel, with his friend Hugo cooking cuttlefish vermicelli.