Local ingredients are the stars

The Local Star chosen by Chef Cláudio Pontes is the São Jorge Cheese, a unique product with a century-old culture and a Protected Designation of Origin certification, with characteristics that go back centuries. São Jorge Cheese is considered by all Azoreans to be a product of excellence and is one of the most emblematic flavors of the archipelago located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Through Chef Cláudio Pontes' menu, Passengers on Executive Class will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the flavors of what is considered the most emblematic territory in Portugal.

Ingredients of the Micaelense-style veal tenderloin, São Jorge Cheese and pak choi:

120 g of veal fillet
20 g of ground pepper
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
50 g of Azorean butter
1 kg of agria potato
250 g of clarified butter
50 g of chopped shallot
20 g of cornstarch
200 g of pak choi cut into fine julienne strips
30 g of beef broth
50 g of São Jorge cheese
20 g of São Jorge cheese (grated)

Preparation:
- Beef tournedo: measure 120 g, heat a sauté with a drizzle of olive oil and brown the tournedo. Place 1 crushed garlic, the bay leaf, the butter, and glaze the tournedo with butter. Remove and leave to rest.
- Ground pepper sauce: put butter and ground pepper in the sauté where the tournedo was sautéed, refresh with white wine and add the meat broth. Combine with xanthan or cornstarch-based roux and finally add the cheese.
- Potato puffs: laminate the potatoes over the length with a 2 mm thickness. Chop the shallot and let it cook in clarified butter. Once cooked, add the cornstarch, then place the laminated potato on a tray, and brush each layer of potato with the shallot-butter preparation, until in reaches 7-8 cm high. Bake at 180 ºC for 25 to 30 minutes, covered. Once ready, let it cool and divide it by 10 cm in length and 3 cm in width. After this division, bake in the oven at 200 ºC until it gets brown.
- Pak choi: cut into julienne strips, saute with shallots, a little butter and season with salt.

Completing the dish:

Put the pak choi on the base, place the tournedo over it, place the potato chips on one side and spread the sauce over the meat. Finish with the grated cheese over the meat.

This fish, known for its mild flavor and very common on the coast of Lisbon, is one of Portugal's best-loved dishes and part and parcel of Lisbon's regional cuisine.

And now, thanks to the imagination and talent of Lisbon-born two-Michelin-starred Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa, it is set to fly around the world and delight our Executive Class passengers on long-haul flights departing from Lisbon.

Ingredients for the roast Grouper:

120g clean Grouper loin
30ml olive oil
5g laminated garlic
2g coriander stalks
2g lemon thyme
Brine to taste

Preparation
- Soak the Grouper fillet in a liquid brine (100g salt for each 1litro of water, 10%) for about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- After seasoning with all the other ingredients, roast at 160°C for about 10/12min.


Ingredients for the shrimp and sweet potato stew:

30g chopped onion
5g minced garlic
5g ginger
1 chili pepper
30ml white wine
60g Aljezur sweet potato, diced
30g red pepper
30g yellow pepper
30g chopped tomatoes
20g tomato pulp
60g peeled shrimps, diced
250ml shrimp stock
2g chopped coriander
30ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
- Stir fry the onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil. Add the peppers and stir fry for 8-10min.
- Refresh with white wine and add the tomato pulp, shrimp stock, and diced sweet potato. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the diced shrimp and coriander, adjust the seasoning, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve as fish bed.