From 26 January until 14 February, theXisto Week celebrates the heritage of the techniques and flavours of regional gastronomy at Aldeias do Xisto’s dinner table. During the next two weeks the authentic secrets and flavours of regional gastronomy will be served to you by the Aldeias do Xisto restaurants. Several invited chefs join local chefs to explore and discover true essence of these places, their local products in the traditional astronomy techniques. From these get-togethers the Essence of the Village Menus were created. During Xisto Week, these secrets will be revealed. Join us at the table and... Bon appetit!

In continuation of the At Aldeias do Xisto’s dinner table project, which has already come out with the Tasting Menus, it is now time to experience the authenticity of each village with all your senses. We visited each one of these places, bringing together local and invited chefs with local producers... And just spend time together, trying to figure out what connects people to the life-giving land beneath them. We shared stories, roots, tradition, know-how, emotion, connections. Then we headed to the kitchen to honour the essence of these spaces through unique culinary creations: the Essence of the Village Menus.

Chef Duet dinners

Apart from the Essence of the Village Menus, which are permanently available in the restaurants, on certain occasions invited chefs join the resident chef for a special duet dinner, demonstrating how to cook the dishes in person and revealing some of the trade secrets and history of this exclusive menu. The first dinner set for the 3rd of February, in the O Buke restaurant, in the Villa Pampilhosa Hotel, which will pair resident chef Flávio Silva with invited chef Vasco Lello.

Book your place at the table now at Bookinxisto.

Participating restaurants in the Serra da Lousã

MUSEU DA CHANFANA RESTAURANT
Serra da Lousã Biological Park, Miranda do Corvo
Chef Vitor Fernandes and Chef Luis Miguel Rodrigues
“A Journey through the Biological Park"
Amuse-bouche: Chanfana (Goat stewed in red wine) croquette
Starter: Corn bread with sausage and farm cheeses
Main course: Cabbage stuffed with shredded chanfana (goat stewed in red wine)
Dessert: Crocante de nabada (turnip compote crumble) from Semide
Price per person: €17.50 (includes a glass of Terra Solidária wine, water or juice and coffee - BOOK HERE

SABORES DA ALDEIA RESTAURANT
Aldeia do Xisto of Candal
Chefs Mário Meira and Luis Miguel Rodrigues
Starter: Grilled sausages, bread and seasoned olives
Main course: Sarrabulho (meat and blood stew) with boiled potatoes
Dessert: Talanisco (chestnut and honey dessert) with ice cream balls and Beirã Liqueur
Price per person: €22.00 (includes wine, juice or water and coffee)

VARANDA DO CASAL RESTAURANT
Aldeia do Xisto of Casal de São Simão, Figueiró dos Vinhos
Chefs Maria Antunes and Rodrigo Castelo
Starters, Flavours of our Village: Pork paté, Stewed wild mushrooms, Local sausages, Cod patties
Main course: River trout tempura with tomato rice
Dessert: Casal baked custard pudding (eggs, sugar, wheat flour, milk and cinnamon), with Rabaçal cheese
Price per person: €17.50 not including drinks - BOOK HERE

D. SESNANDO RESTAURANT
Penela
Chefs Dona Minda and Luís Miguel Rodrigues
Starter: Toasted sweet pea bread, Serras de Penela sheep cheese gratin, plum compote
Soup: Cod cheek broth over traditional bread, fava beans and turnip
Main course: Serra de Santa Maria roasted meat with parboiled vegetables and smashed potatoes
Dessert: Rabaçal cheese on corn bread, apple sauce, honey and walnuts
Price for 2 people: €40.00 not including drinks

Participating restaurants in the Serra do Açor

O PASCOAL RESTAURANT
Aldeia do Xisto of Fajão, Pampilhosa da Serra
Chefs Lucília and Vasco Lello
Starter: Fajaense goat sausages
Main course: Boar with chestnuts and beans and breadcrumbs
Dessert: Angel hair pie with medronhos (strawberry tree fruit/arbutus)
Price per person: €12.50 not including drinks

JOÃO BRANDÃO RESTAURANT
Hotel Rural Quinta da Geia, Aldeia do Xisto of Aldeia das Dez, Oliveira do Hospital
Chefs Margarida Nunes and Chefe Vasco Lello
Starter: Fish escabeche from the River Alva and Dez pate with citrus and walnut compote
Soup: Trout broth with mountain fennel
Main course: Roast kid with sautéed corn bread crumbs and herb sauce
Dessert: Baked custard pudding (eggs, sugar, wheat flour, milk and cinnamon) with plum confit and chestnut honey
Price per person: €21.50 not including drinks - BOOK HERE

O BUKE RESTAURANT
Villa Pampilhosa Hotel, Pampilhosa da Serra
Chefs Flávio Silva and Chefe Vasco Lello
Starter: Trout escabeche from the River Ceira
Soup: Chestnut soup with Ferrero de alheira
Main course: Mountain raised kid, in a ‘moment for two’
Dessert: Beira Serra dessert with fritters and honey
Coffee and arbutus berry bonbon
Price per person: €35.00 - BOOK HERE

Participating restaurants in Zêzere

ADEGA DOS APALACHES RESTAURANT
Roqueiro, Oleiros
Chefs André Ribeiro and Nuno Diniz
Regional starters from the Adega dos Apalaches
Soup from an iron pot
Main course: Cabrito Estonado (kid roasted in a wood oven), cabbage with breadcrumbs, offal rice and baked potato
Local fresh desserts
Price per person: €25.00 not including drinks

FIADO RESTAURANT
Aldeia do Xisto of Janeiro de Cima, Fundão
Chef Filipe Aires and Chefe Rodrigo Castelo
“A Serra de Janeiro de Cima”
Amuse-bouche: Goats’ cheese from Soalheira in arbutus berry jam
Starter: Zêzere trout tartare
Soup: River duck broth soup
Main course: Traditional wood-oven roast kid
Dessert: Local baked custard pudding (eggs, sugar, wheat flour, milk and cinnamon) with icing
Price per person: €25.00 not including drinks - BOOK HERE

SANTO AMARO RESTAURANT
Sertã
Chefs Nelito and Rodrigo Castelo
Starter: Maranhos (goat stomach filled with goat meat mixture) from Sertã and Bucho recheado (stuffed pig’s stomach)
Soup: Dona Helena’s Fish soup
Fish course: Grilled largemouth bass with green sauce
Meat course: Baked pork cheeks, roast potatoes and puréed spinach
Dessert: Little egg and almond cones from Cernache do Bonjardim
Price per person: €18.50 - BOOK HERE

Participating restaurants in Tejo-Ocreza

CASA ‘TI AUGUSTA RESTAURANT
Aldeia do Xisto of Figueira, Proença-a-Nova
Chefs Lúcia Matias and Rodrigo Castelo
Amuse-bouche: Bread from the community oven, fresh cheese and pumpkin compote
Starter: Wedding pie (goat meat) with chicory salad
Soup: Dos pés à cabeça
Main course: Estonado de Leite com Centeio de Miúdos (Kid, scalded, de-haired and baked, with offal rye)
Dessert: Finto cake and arbutus berries with lemons from Figueira
Price per person: €20.00 not including drinks

Soup from an iron pot, Kid estonado (scalded, de-haired and wood-oven baked), stuffed cabbage with chanfana bread crumbs, sausage bread, river duck soup, Baked custard pudding (eggs, sugar, wheat flour, milk and cinnamon) with frosting and Semide turnip crunch, are some of the delicacies that you can taste between 26 January and 14 February.

The idea is to celebrate the cuisine and regional products while at the same time building, renewing and reinventing dishes based on the heritage of the local knowledge and flavours and rescuing regional products that, for some reason, were being left out of some menus - Rui Simão, coordinator of ADXTUR - Schist Villages Tourism Development Agency