As the child of Portuguese immigrants, 2011 Food & Wine Best New Chef George Mendes grew up eating all sorts of rice dishes at home. "There was simple tomato rice served with fried fish and then rabbit rice on special occasions and holidays," he says. This cozy chicken and rice recipe draws on those memories. In it, shredded rotisserie chicken, olives, sautéed onions and bell pepper, and crispy rendered soppressata are topped with cooked saffron rice and baked until the rice gets crispy on top to make a comforting dinner.
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NYC chef George Mendes of Aldea and Lupulo restaurants likes using nut milks to flavor all sorts of things, including this creamy and rich-tasting vinaigrette. Slideshow: More Salad Recipes
New York chef George Mendes of Aldea and Lupulo marinates chicken cutlets in olive oil, smoky paprika and white wine, then quickly pan-fries them so they’re perfectly tender and juicy. Slideshow: More Chicken Breast Recipes
At Bica, his daytime cafe and takeout window in New York City, chef George Mendes serves this Portuguese take on the classic egg and cheese sandwich. In place of breakfast sausage, he uses a smoky pork variety called Linguiça. If you can't find it, look for a smoky sausage like fresh chorizo. Slideshow: More Great Breakfast Recipes
Whole-smoking onions in your spent coals yields a silky, deep-golden interior. The smoky puree is incredibly versatile and can be folded into dips, smeared on steaks or whisked into vinaigrettes. Slideshow: More Onion Recipes
This is chef George Mendes’s version of the simple tomato salads common in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. For a shortcut, use best-quality, olive oil–packed canned tuna. Slideshow: Tomato Recipes
Instead of using salt cod, a classic Portuguese ingredient that takes days to soak, New York City chef George Mendes of Aldea quick-cures fresh cod by standing it in kosher salt for only 10 minutes. He says cod is naturally soft and flaky ("as well as bland," he adds), so salting gives it a firmer texture and a more pronounced flavor. Best New Chef 2011: George Mendes
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Rather than traditional sausage stuffing, chef George Mendes of NYC's Aldea serves a smoky version using chorizo and hot pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika). Slideshow: More Holiday Stuffings and Dressings Plus: Ultimate Thanksgiving Guide
George Mendes's signature dish includes poached duck breast and homemade duck confit. Buy the confit instead, and forgo the breast. More Excellent Rice Dishes More Duck Recipes